Several ACB Next Generation members attended the 2024 American Council of the Blind DC Leadership Conference back in March both in person and virtually. We asked some of them to provide feedback on their experience attending the event and their biggest takeaways. Here’s what they said.
From Aaron Espinosa:
“The first day of the ACB DC Leadership Conference, I had the opportunity to visit the new ACB office in Alexandria, VA. During my visit, I had the chance to meet the new Executive Director, Scott Thornhill. Exploring the office, I got to see where everyone’s workspaces were located. Overall, I found the office to be quite nice.
One of the highlights of the conference was a visit to the Bureau of Engraving, which was fun and educational. Witnessing the complete process involved in the production of currency was fascinating. I even had the chance to touch a replica of the new $10 bill, complete with tactile markings.
The presentation that resonated with me the most was from Procter & Gamble. They highlighted the story of how some of their products became more accessible. During an event focused on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), a representative from Procter & Gamble met an individual who is blind, and they discussed strategies for enhancing product accessibility. The best part of the presentation was the opportunity to feel the tactile markings on some of the products they had been developing before their release to the public. People got to take home the products that were shown.
During ACB’s visit to Capitol Hill on March 5, I was able to schedule an in-person meeting with a representative from the district of one of our California Council of the Blind (CCB) members. I discussed the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act, explaining its significance. The representative expressed genuine interest in the bill, which was encouraging, as I consider it to be the most important of the four bills under consideration. Additionally, I took some photos outside the representative’s office with the American flag behind me.”
From Greg Lindberg:
“This year, I attended the DC Leadership Conference virtually. The first day with the ACB board meeting was interesting as they covered a wide range of accomplishments and goals within ACB. While board meetings can be a bit lengthy, I always learn a lot of things from them, and I think it’s important to listen to them when possible. One thing that struck me was hearing that ACB Community was closing in on 17,000 calls at the time. That number is absolutely astounding, and it’s really a testament to the work of many volunteers for having kept these community calls going since the start of the pandemic.
I also enjoyed hearing from Scott Thornhill, ACB’s newly hired Executive Director. Scott strikes me as a very personable and engaging person with a diverse background and passion for making a difference –all qualities of a great leader. I’ll be anxious to see his impact on the organization as time goes on.
During the President’s Meeting, there were some eye-opening sessions on listening. While I couldn’t participate as a Zoom attendee, I got a very good sense of the activity in the room and how powerful this type of activity truly is. So often, we don’t listen to people we are interacting with closely enough in our daily lives. As discussed during one of these sessions, we are thinking more about how we are going to respond to someone rather than hearing them out before we formulate a response. I believe this is a critical skill to being a good leader.
Finally, I thought the woman from the White House DEI Taskforce gave a solid presentation on what the president’s staff is doing for underserved populations, including the disability community. I also thought she was generous with her time and very willing to listen to questions from the audience members, hear what they had to say, and then offer meaningful feedback. It seemed like she genuinely cared about the opinions and suggestions people were expressing.”
From Michael Babcock:
“I attended in person, and this was my first DC Leadership Conference. One of my biggest takeaways was how different states handle paratransit. Some states will send vouchers for Uber to their paratransit users, and other states are not even thinking of this idea. I got to connect with people who are using services like this and gave me a point of reference on how I can take this idea back to my home state.
Another big takeaway was that you shouldn’t undervalue the skills you have, especially when it comes to volunteering. I was called to help with some of the media activities they needed assistance with during the event.
I would recommend others attend this event in the future to help you better understand what resources are out there that you can bring back to your local community leaders and members of Congress. It also really demonstrated the impact that all of us working together for an organization like ACB can really have, especially when we are working together on similar goals.”
From Janeen Lea:
“This year, I attended the conference virtually after attending in person last year. I believe attending this conference is super important, especially for ACB Next Generation members. We are the next generation within ACB, so I think we should go and see how our leaders act and the sessions they present. Also, going to Capitol Hill is very, very educational and important because ACB takes a lot of time writing up these imperatives, and we need to go knock on the doors of our representatives to advocate for what we need.
I will say going in person last year totally changed my life. This year, I did get some things out of attending virtually. The board meeting, sessions, and speakers were very interesting. I loved the Procter & Gamble presentation on how they are using tactile marks on some of their products to make them more accessible. I was also really impressed with the fundraising panel which taught me some good tips and tricks on how to raise funds for organizations like ACB Next Generation.
I highly recommend that people attend the conference because you will make memories that are invaluable. You will build relationships and network, all of which will help you in life and within our organization. Hopefully you will also learn how to advocate to our government leaders to help make change.”
From Danielle Stevens:
“This was my first time attending the DC Leadership Conference. I attended virtually. I really enjoyed the Procter & Gamble session on how they are realizing the importance of making their products accessible. Also, I enjoyed the presentation on how the federal government is willing to work with the blind community and listen to our needs, especially when it comes to accessible websites and medical devices.
Not only am I an advocate for the blind and visually impaired, but I am also a political activist. I wanted to attend to see how I can get more involved as a leader in the political area and what I can do to tell my representatives why they should pass these bills that impact us.
I would recommend anyone attend this event whether they are interested in the policy side of legislation or simply how they can better advocate for themselves as an individual. It’s a great opportunity to interact with people both inside and out of the blind and visually impaired community as well.”