American Council of the Blind

03/25/2026

March is National Craft Month, a time to celebrate creativity and connection through crafting!

ACB Crafters began in 2020 as a simple idea from a couple of members who planned to host a craft chat every other week. Today, ACB Crafters continues to provide a mix of guided instruction and social crafting time, creating a welcoming space for people to learn, share, and connect.

This month, ACB Crafter calls have included crochet techniques, loom knitting projects, hat-making, and much more. The calls blend guided instruction with social time, making them a great fit for all experience levels.

Check out the ACB Crafter welcome message: https://acbmedia.org/2020/06/30/acb-crafters-trailer/.

Access previous ACB Crafter calls: https://acbmedia.org/?s=crafter.

Interested in joining an upcoming ACB Crafters call? Email community@acb.org or explore the weekly schedule of events at https://www.acb.org/weekly-community-events.

03/24/2026

The Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind is seeking nominations for the 2026 ADP Awards! Details below 👇

Help the Audio Description Project celebrate the people and organizations that are contributing significantly to the growth of audio description. Complete the form below and come back to https://adp.acb.org in July to find out if your favorite has been chosen.

03/24/2026

Advocacy call to action!

Let’s urge Congress to pass the We Can’t Wait Act of 2026 to end the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) waiting period. After being approved for SSDI, individuals may have to wait up to five months before receiving benefits. For people who are newly disabled, this delay can have serious financial consequences at a time when support is needed most.

The We Can’t Wait Act of 2026 (S.3942) would:

✅ Allow applicants to receive a portion of their benefits during the waiting period

✅ Give individuals the option to receive support sooner in exchange for a modest reduction in monthly payments

✅ Maintain the long-term financial stability of the Social Security system

This bipartisan solution gives people a choice and helps ensure they aren’t left without support when they need it most.

Tell Congress to pass the We Can’t Wait Act and provide timely support for SSDI recipients. Send a message to your representatives here: https://speak4.app/lp/fn01vsao?ts=1773953961

03/23/2026

ACB is fortunate to meet regularly with Meta personnel. In a recent meeting, Meta representatives confirmed that they are aware of the current back button challenge and are working on the issue.

03/23/2026

Here's what's happening at ACB for the week of March 23, 2026!

Here's what's happening at ACB for the week of March 23, 2026!

03/23/2026

Have you started the Get Up and Get Moving "Walk to St. Louis Challenge"? Details below!

Send a message to learn more

03/20/2026

Here's what's coming up in ACB Community for the week of March 22, 2026!

To get the full daily ACB Community schedule in your inbox six days a week, send an email to community@acb.org.

Welcome to This Week in ACB Community, where we run through what’s coming up in the ACB Community. 📬 Want to get the full daily schedule in your inbox 6 day...

03/20/2026

STEP 2026 is Looking for Leaders! We’re seeking two volunteer program leads — one for Youth and one for Parents — for STEP 2026, taking place July 26–29 in St. Louis.

Designed for blind and low vision high school students and their families, STEP 2026 is a dynamic leadership experience focused on identity, independence, advocacy, and life beyond high school. Our program leads will help shape a dynamic leadership experience focused on identity, independence, advocacy, and life beyond high school.

Program leads must be an ACB member in good standing. Hotel (2 nights) and STEP meals will be provided.

The application deadline is TODAY, Friday, March 20, so don’t delay! Rolling interviews will take place through March 31, and we’ll announce selections by April 15.

Apply here: https://forms.gle/xoC1EuZx6kSvVxHE8

Learn about STEP 2026 at https://www.acb.org/step-2026 or email community@acb.org.

03/19/2026

Kolby Garrison’s guide dog, Marty, was alongside the ACB and Speak4 team during their presentation at the 2026 Public Affairs Council Advocacy Conference in Phoenix, Arizona this week.

Pictured is Marty, a black lab, sitting calmly on a blue rug beside Kolby at the conference. Marty is wearing a brown leather harness and collar with several tags, looking relaxed as she gazes toward the camera.

Thanks to Speak4’s Tyler Hargrave for sharing this great photo of Marty, and to the entire Speak4 team for your continued partnership and support of ACB’s advocacy work!

03/19/2026

ACB’s Manager of Membership Engagement, Cindy Hollis, recently joined The Goodness Factor with Shelley Wade podcast! Thanks to Shelly Wade for having us on and for the great conversation about the ACB community and our work supporting people who are blind or have low vision.

Listen on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spotlight-on-cindy-hollis-and-the-american/id1756527650?i=1000755712020

Check out the full interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u8JixzB0c_k?si=F6jADn4zL7MGa9Iv&t=694

This episode, "The Goodness Factor with Shelley Wade" podcast shines the spotlight on The American Council of the Blind, which has a very active member commu...

03/18/2026

This week, ACB’s Kolby Garrison joined Tyler Hargrave from Speak4 to present at the 2026 Public Affairs Council Advocacy Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Together, they highlighted their work to make advocacy platforms more accessible.

ACB and our members and affiliates use Speak4 to connect with federal and state elected officials on legislation impacting people who are blind or have low vision. Thank you to Speak4 for your continued partnership!

Explore ACB’s Speak4 campaigns: https://www.acb.org/advocacy

Learn more about Speak4: https://speak4.co/

Pictured: Kolby (left) and Tyler (right) speaking on stage at a table. Behind them is a banner displaying the Public Affairs Council logo and the text, “Public Affairs Council, Manage Your World.”

03/17/2026

ACB is aware of an issue on the Facebook app where the back button is not being properly read for assistive technology users. This can create an inconvenience when navigating posts and other features in the app.

As part of our ongoing partnership with Meta, we continue to provide accessibility feedback on the Facebook app and other Meta technologies. Our Accessibility Consulting & Compliance Services team has reported this issue to Meta and emphasized the importance of a timely fix. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and share updates as we learn more.