If you’ve been involved in ACB Next Generation over the last year, you’ve probably heard the voice of Justin Graben. In spite of Leber’s congenital amaurosis and a liver transplant, Justin continues to pursue several passions in his life, including his involvement with ACB NextGen.
Justin is a graduate of the Alabama School for the Blind. He currently resides in Valley, AL, a small town in eastern Alabama. While attending high school at ASB, he had a summer job with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. He also recently worked remotely for Lighthouse Works, a program through Lighthouse Central Florida, as a customer care professional as part of a contract with the Department of Children and Families. He has an interest in 911 dispatching, a field he would love to work in someday.
Ham radio is a big passion of his.
“I fell in love with listening to police scanners and had a few in my bedroom when I was 10 or 11,” Justin says.
He attained his license in 2014 and currently is at the General level. His call sign is km4agd. Having the ability to communicate about severe weather and other emergencies is an important part of being a HAM operator.
“It can be very useful at different times. T-Mobile had its cell towers knocked out for a few hours recently, and it came in handy then,” he says.
Justin also calls himself a “huge car nerd” and has a large collection of die-cast model cars and Hot Wheels. When asked about a vehicle of choice if he could drive, he says he’d probably own a Chevy Silverado and that a Corvette would be his dream car. He also follows NASCAR and the International Motor Sports Association and even got to attend the 2013 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Justin’s music playlist runs the gamut, everything from country to rock to pop to hip hop to Christian. He also plays guitar and sings. In school, he placed first in a music competition with a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” He occasionally helps run sound for the music department at his church as well.
He first became aware of the American Council of the Blind through the Alabama Council of the Blind when he was in school. He finally joined ACB NextGen in 2023. He was elected to the board in January and now serves as a director on the board and is a member of the Programs, Fundraising, and Convention Committees. Plus, he’s a regular on Clubhouse socials.
“I wanted to help make our community more engaging and safer, so I decided I wanted to be part of the board if I were elected. There are things pulling me out of my comfort zone, different things I’ve learned,” he shares.