ACB Media Calendar

From extreme weather events (cold, heat, wind, or rain) to wild fires, how can people who are blind or have low vision plan and prepare for such events? Presenter: Professor Michael Ashley Stein, co-founder and Executive Director of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, and a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law school since 2005.

Double session (with no break) of the ever-popular North American guide dog school updates.

Slack is a communication platform designed for teams and workplaces, facilitating collaboration through instant messaging, file sharing, and integration with various productivity tools. Slack provides channels for topic-specific discussions, direct messaging for private conversations, and supports video calls and screen sharing. But how do you get started using Slack? Join BITS and presenter Jack Falejczyk, as he helps us understand and get started using this popular platform. Jack will explain how to download and install the app on your PC, and create an account. Jack will also demonstrate how to begin using the platform, use of keyboard commands for increased efficiency, and more. Presenter: Jack Falejczyk, self-employed – Access Technology consultant, Chicago, IL

Continuation of Double session (with no break) of the ever-popular North American guide dog school updates.

While blind musicians naturally hear music, reading it is also possible – and empowering – through Music Braille. This session offers an introduction to the Music Braille system, including its history, how it differs from literary braille, and the ways modern technology is transforming access to written music. Attendees will explore practical examples, learn strategies for understanding Music Braille signs, and gain insights into how to begin or enhance their own learning journey.

Learn how AI enhances skills and productivity for the blind community. Discover Copilot tools that streamline workflows, foster collaboration, and equip the community with digital skills for the modern workplace. Speaker: Crystal Jones, Microsoft

Did you know that most theatrical releases are audio described? Learn from a blind movie goer, AMC Theaters, the National Alliance of Theater Owners, and others on how to make your visit to the movie theater a successful one by enjoying the magic of cinema with the help of audio description. Moderator: Carl Richardson, Co-Chair, ACB Audio Description Project, Boston, MA Presenters: Alex Howard, Enthusiastic Blind Theater-Goer and Co-Creator of The Dark Room Podcast, Burbank, CA; Cinema United (formerly known as National Association of Theater Owners (Invited); AMC Theatres (Invited)

AI is taking the world by storm, and there are many apps available for your iPhone that can help you take advantage of this powerful technology. In this session, iBug Today members Sandhya Rao and Brad Snyder take a look at several apps that can help you put this powerful technology to work for you. Presenters: Sandhya Rao, Vice-President and Director of Training, iBugToda, Houston, TX; Brad Snyder, Vice-President Blind Information Technology Specialist and iBugToday, SME, Dallas, TX

Don Olson, customer service specialist and Zhe Huang, Patron Education and Training Specialist will familiarize us with the new DA2 talking book player which will shortly be available and will allow an NLS patron to download books directly from BARD. We will also learn about the My Talking Books smart speaker skill which gives a patron hands-free access to BARD through the Amazon Alexa devices. Presenters: Don Olson, Customer Service Specialist and Zhe Huang, Patron Education and Training Specialist, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Washington, DC. Facilitator: Jane Carona, LUA Vice President, Silver Spring, MD

This session from ACBRA will feature a Podcast followed by time for questions with John Farina W2QCY on making radios accessible for blind and low vision hams.

Presenters from NLS detail the process a book goes through in its journey to becoming available as an audiobook on BARD. Presenter: Alice Baker O’Reilly, NLS, Washington, DC. Facilitator: Brian Charlson, Watertown, MA.

Discussion and demonstrations of audio description AI writing and assessment tools and how they work on their own and with essential human collaboration Moderator: Renee Arrington-Johnson Presenters: JOEL SNYDER, PhD., Author of The Visual Made Verbal, President, Audio Description Associates, LLC, Takoma Park, MD; Caroline Desrosiers, Founder and CEO, Scribely, Truckee, CA; Brett Oppegaard, Ph.D., Professor, School of Communication and Information, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Manoa, HI; Professor Sri Kurniawan, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA; and Rick Morin, ACB Media and IT Manager, Burlington, MA

Participating in a Lions Club or other organization can be very rewarding, but meaningful participation and leadership demand time, dedication and hard work. Whether you are just getting started in a Lions Club or another organization, or if you have been a member for some time and you want to explore new horizons in your leadership journey, our Lessons in Leadership Conference and Convention series will help you learn by example from the experiences of others.