Resolution 2024-13 - Accessibility of NextGen TV

Submitted by Carl Richardson and Timothy Wynn on behalf of the ACB Audio description Program

Whereas, the American Council of the Blind is a leader in advocating for accessible television and entertainment for all blind, low vision, and deaf-blind viewers; and

Whereas, NextGen TV, also known as ATSC 3.0, is an emerging standard for over-the-air broadcast television, has launched in over 70 markets, and is currently available to 75% of Nielsen households in the U.S.; and

Whereas, this organization championed the passage of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) that codified into law the restoration of audio description of television programming, aural representation of emergency information, and accessibility of video programming playback and recording devices; and

Whereas, Next Gen TV has the potential to benefit viewers who are blind, low vision, deaf-blind, deaf, and hard of hearing as it supports various accessibility advances including worldwide closed caption technology, audio services including audio description service and dialog enhancement, and advanced emergency alerting capabilities; and

Whereas, television broadcast stations have traditionally limited the secondary audio stream to just one service, which can be a disadvantage to those with diverse linguistic and accessibility needs; and

Whereas, unless extended for a third time, the current digital television standard, also known as ATSC 1.0, will sunset on July 17, 2027;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that his organization, in conjunction with other disability-related organizations, will advocate directly with the Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and industry stakeholders to ensure: pass through of all provided secondary audio streams regardless of technology; implementation of enhanced accessibility features according to universal design principles; and extending the overall accessibility of televisions, set-top box, and other modern viewing platforms.

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Resolution 2024 12 - Audio Description for Streaming Services

Submitted by Clark Rachfal on behalf of the ACB Audio Description Project

Whereas, the American Council of the Blind is the pre-eminent advocacy organization for the creation, distribution, and enjoyment of high-quality audio-described video content; and

Whereas, audio description is audio-narrated descriptions of video programming’s key visual elements inserted into natural pauses in the program; and

Whereas, this organization championed the passage of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) that codified into law the requirements for the creation and distribution of audio-described video programming by broadcast television providers and multi-channel video program distributors (MVPDs), such as cable and satellite video providers; and

Whereas, this organization’s advocacy and the implementing regulations of the CVAA have resulted in an increase in audio-described video programming on broadcast and cable television; and

Whereas, consumers’ video viewing habits have evolved since 2010, and a continuously growing number of consumers are subscribing to streaming video providers; in 2024, YouTube TV became the fourth largest linear subscription video service in the United States; and

Whereas, this organization continues to receive complaints from consumers of recalcitrant streaming video providers that they are not meeting the accessibility requirements of the CVAA and are not passing through audio-described content made available on broadcast television or by other MVPDs; and

Whereas, on Dec. 19, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) seeking comment on a proposal to update its rules to better reflect the fact that video services are being provided increasingly over the Internet; however, this rule making was not finalized;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization advocate directly with streaming video providers, broadcast and non-broadcast networks, to pass through existing audio-described content as is already done with broadcast and cable television so that people who are blind or have low vision are not left behind through this technological transition; and

Be it further resolved that this organization work with the FCC to use its existing authority to refresh the record and ensure that the definition of multi-channel video programming distributor is updated and that all video programmers, regardless of the underlying technology used, are subject to the accessibility requirements of the CVAA, including the pass-through of audio-described content; and,

Be it further resolved that this organization work toward the swift passage of the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act to expand the amount of audio-described content available for consumers, regardless of how they choose to consume it.

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Resolution 2024-11 -Promoting Military Dining Facilities

Submitted by Ardis Bazyn on behalf of Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America (RSVA)

Whereas, the primary purpose of the Randolph-Sheppard Act is to provide employment opportunities and economic benefits for vendors throughout the United States who are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America (RSVA), an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, works for the expansion of the Randolph-Sheppard program and for the protection of the interests of blind and low-vision persons engaged in the operation of vending facilities under that program; and

Whereas, as one means of accomplishing these goals, RSVA tracks major decisions across the country affecting the Randolph-Sheppard Program; and

Whereas, state agencies overseeing the Randolph-Sheppard Program provide opportunities for blind and low vision vendors in federal, state, county, and military facilities; and

Whereas, the Department of Defense (DOD) solicits multi-state military dining contract bids; and

Whereas, under these solicitations, DOD requires one entity to be the lead for the entire contract; and

Whereas, under the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority, states have the opportunity to bid against private companies on behalf of their blind and low vision vendors; and

Whereas, state Randolph-Sheppard program administrators are unwilling or unable to bid on multi-state contracts when one state would be the lead entity and others would be subordinate;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually that ACB and RSVA will jointly urge the Department of Defense to work collaboratively with the Department of Education to eliminate any requirement for a lead contractor in multi-state military dining facility contracts in order to expand employment opportunities for blind and low vision individuals in the Randolph-Sheppard Program; and

Be it further resolved that this organization, along with RSVA, will take other actions as necessary to remove this barrier to the employment of blind and low-vision vendors.

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Resolution 2024-10 - NLS Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Searches

Submitted by Cheryl Cumings on behalf of the ACB Multicultural Affairs Committee

Whereas, public library patrons are able to search for books by authors of specific racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds that explore topics and experiences specific to them in multiple genres; and

Whereas, there is no comparable ability for National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) patrons to search for books in this manner; and

Whereas, the 2023 Report from the Education Trust and the 2020 Oakland University Study on the Impact of Reading Culturally Relevant Books demonstrates the positive impact of reading books which reflect the reader's ethnic, racial and cultural background; and

Whereas, it is important to encourage reading among NLS patrons by enabling them to easily search and identify books which represent their racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, written by authors from those unique perspectives;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually that this organization will ask NLS to identify a process by which library patrons will be able to easily search for books by authors of specific racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, by topic, and by genre; and will also ask NLS to report progress at ACB’s 2025 national convention.

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Resolution 2024-09 - Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Individuals Who are Blind or Have Low Vision

Submitted by: ACB Employment Committee

Whereas, the unemployment rate of people who are blind or have low vision is at least two to three times higher than their non-disabled peers; and

Whereas, a recent survey conducted by the Employment Committee of the American Council of the Blind highlighted a number of discouraged workers who report that due to discrimination, the SSI-SSDI "cliff," technology challenges, and inadequate transportation, they are failing to gain access to jobs for which they are qualified;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually that the American Council of the Blind will increase its focus on employment through strategies such as:

1. Working collaboratively with successful thought leaders in the employment arena to hold a summit on employment opportunities and challenges impacting people who are blind or have low vision, and using findings from this summit to define an appropriate consumer role for ACB as a chief influencer and leading blindness organization, in order to increase employment opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision; and

2. Providing information to members on any regulatory or legislative developments related to Social Security reform that might impact work incentives or payments to blind or low vision individuals seeking employment, and reporting on whether any such legislation or regulatory development is feasible as an imperative for ACB; and

3. Ensuring that the reduction of employment barriers is incorporated into communications related to advocacy initiatives whenever possible and encouraging members to stress employment while communicating with legislators and policymakers; and

4. Highlighting employment-related activities of ACB affiliates and chapters; and

Be it further resolved that ACB will report on the above activities during its 2025 Conference and Convention.

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This resolution failed on June 27, 2024. A record vote was requested that will occur on July 1, 2024.

Resolution 2024-06 - Decisions Impacting ACB Members

Submitted by Alice Ritchhart

Whereas, in our “age of information,” it is a reasonable expectation that when leaders of a member-driven organization make decisions directly impacting the membership, they will do so by first obtaining member input to attempt to make the most informed decisions possible; and

Whereas, this expectation certainly applies in the case of decisions made by the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind (ACB); and

Whereas, decisions directly impacting ACB members may include, among others, member benefits, conventions, and ACB channels of communication; and

Whereas, ACB has several methods for obtaining member input, including, but not limited to, ACB community calls, conferring with state and special interest affiliate leaders, conducting surveys, and publications;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization direct the ACB Board of Directors to establish a mechanism to inform the membership regarding upcoming Board decisions, collect member input, and disseminate that member input to the Board prior to making decisions.

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This resolution was tabled on June 27, 2024

Resolution 2024-03 - Creating a Communications Working Group

Submitted by Paul Edwards

Whereas, braille constitutes a primary medium of written communication used by people who are blind or have low vision for literacy, marking and labeling, playing games, and learning mathematics, science and music; and

Whereas, audio formats including text-to-speech (TTS) and large print are also primary modes of written communication used by people who are blind or have low vision;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that the ACB President shall convene a working group consisting of representatives from at least the following: the Braille Revival League, the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, Blind Information Technology Specialists, and the ACB Board of Publications, to develop guidelines to be shared with other organizations concerning multiple modes of conveying and disseminating information; and

Be it further resolved that recommendations will be presented to the Board of Directors regarding how the American Council of the Blind will work to assure that braille, large print and text-to-speech are appropriately promoted and defined and used so other entities will be clearly informed regarding the expectations of people who are blind and low vision concerning communication including labeling and education; and

Be it further resolved that this working group will report at the ACB Conference and Convention in 2025.

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Resolution 2024-02 - NLS and Spelling of Authors’ Names

Submitted by Paul Edwards

Whereas, the National Library Service (NLS) includes spelling the names of authors discussed in the New York Times Book Review; and

Whereas, there are several other NLS-produced magazines in audio format which incorporate book reviews;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization and its special-interest affiliate, Library Users of America, request that the NLS extend the policy begun with the New York Times Book Review and apply it to other audio publications where there are book reviews; and

Be it further resolved that this would include at least Bookmarks, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Analog, Asimov's, the Atlantic and the New Yorker.

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Resolution 2024-01 - The Use of Shapes and Braille for Labeling Products

Submitted by: Paul Edwards

Whereas, in an effort to make identification of products more accessible, Procter and Gamble has recently introduced a marking system using lines and shapes; and

Whereas, Procter and Gamble is seeking to have this system considered for industry-wide use; and

Whereas, Procter and Gamble rejected the use of braille for marking and identifying products because they believe only ten percent of people who are blind read braille; and

Whereas, an article published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness clearly indicates that the "ten percent" figure has no basis and should be disregarded; and

Whereas, braille represents the primary medium of written communication for many people who are blind or have low vision, including many members of ACB; and

Whereas, there is a widely held belief that braille is too difficult to be easily learned and used. However, recognizing a small number of characters does not require full braille literacy, and therefore, complete braille literacy is not required for braille to be used as a means of identifying products; and

Whereas, braille labeling of pharmaceutical products has been required by the European Union for more than a decade;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the American Council of the Blind in convention assembled virtually, that this organization reaffirm its support for braille and reject the idea that shapes or other tactile markings can, by themselves, constitute an appropriate replacement for braille when marking products or surfaces; and

Be it further resolved that this organization call upon its elected leaders and staff to consult with special-interest affiliates with appropriate expertise such as the Braille Revival League before embracing systems such as that proposed by Procter and Gamble; and

Be it further resolved that, if shapes or other non-braille marking systems are employed, ACB shall recommend the inclusion of braille as well; and

Be it further resolved that this organization appreciates the efforts of Procter and Gamble to encourage accessibility in its product line, and asks that it consider working to incorporate braille as an appropriate tactile symbol in any future marking systems for its products.

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ACB 2024 Standing Rules

Adopted by the ACB Board of Directors, April 30, 2024

Preamble

The Standing Rules for debate and voting at the ACB Conference and Convention are updated yearly and are designed to promote the fairest process for debate and the most efficient use of members' time during the General Sessions. Great effort is expended to publish the Election materials of candidates, proposed Resolutions, and proposed Amendments to the ACB Constitution and Bylaws well in advance of the General Sessions at which they will be acted upon. Zoom sessions are scheduled for answering questions and discussion of items up for voting during the convention sessions. Notice to members of the dates, times, and approximate content for each Zoom meeting are broadcasted via various media. These sessions are a great place to have your questions answered and suggest amended language for the item under discussion. In the interest of an informed electorate and an efficient use of all of our time at the Convention, it is strongly encouraged that members familiarize themselves with the issues under discussion, either by attending or listening to the recordings of the discussion sessions.

A. At the outset of debate on any issue before the convention, there shall be a period not to exceed ten (10) minutes devoted exclusively to questions and other points of clarification about the issue being debated. Speakers shall be limited to one minute, with no more than five speakers recognized, and a speaker shall be limited to asking about their point of clarification and shall not discuss the merits of the issue.

B. Debate on the merits of the issue shall begin at the conclusion of the ten-minute period for points of clarification. When the initial debate period begins, in the case of a resolution, the maker of that resolution shall be given an opportunity to address the assembly on the merits of the resolution.

C. Each debatable issue before the convention shall be limited to approximately twenty (20) minutes with a two-minute time limit per speaker, alternating between supporting speakers, including the maker of the resolution if they speak pursuant to subsection (b), and opposing speakers, unless a majority of the members agree to extend debate for an additional period of time. A member who does not seek recognition for purposes of debate at the beginning of a debate period shall not be eligible for debate during that debate period. The chair shall, during any debate period, immediately close debate when an equal number of speakers, have debated each side and no additional speakers have sought the floor.

D. Speakers shall not be recognized for purposes of seeking points of clarification during a debate period. Each member is respectfully urged to speak directly to the issue before the assembly and avoid unnecessary and time-consuming dialogue. No member will be recognized a second time to debate until all who wish to debate have been recognized.

E. Motions to close debate will not be recognized by the chair during the first debate period. After the first debate period, properly moved motions such as “I call for the question” or “I move the previous question” will be handled by the chair and voted on by the assembly.

F. At the beginning of the first 20-minute debate period, the chair shall define for the body what constitutes a point of order (or other parliamentary inquiry) and shall signify how a member can be recognized for the purpose of making a point of order (or other parliamentary inquiry). Any time in which a point of order is being considered shall not be deducted from the debate period.

2.

A. Except as provided in subsection (b), an amendment to a resolution or constitution or bylaw amendment may not be offered on the floor unless; 1. in the case of a resolution, the language for the proposed amendment has been provided to the chair of the Resolutions Committee prior to the opening of the session in which that resolution is scheduled to be debated, and 2. In the case of an amendment to a constitution or bylaw amendment, the language for the proposed amendment has been provided to the chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee prior to the opening of the session in which that constitution or bylaw amendment is scheduled to be debated.

B. Notwithstanding subsection (A), if, in the opinion of the convention chair, the amendment being proposed is non-substantive or clarifying in nature, the amendment may be proposed and adopted by unanimous consent.

C. Voting on an amendment to a proposed Resolution or Constitution or Bylaw Amendment shall occur by standing vote only. It shall not, therefore, be in order to seek a record vote on such an amendment.

1. The parliamentarian will act as timekeeper.

2. Recognition to speak will be given to those members who properly address the chair either using the “raise hand” feature of the Zoom internet meeting client program or while standing at a microphone in the convention hall and giving their names and affiliation.

3. Nominating and seconding speeches shall be limited to five minutes per candidate with the speaking time allocated according to the candidate's wishes. A person nominated for an office more than once shall be limited to one minute.

4. When no candidate for office receives a majority vote, the election shall be between the top two candidates. Affiliate votes will be reported in whole or half numbers. In all uncontested elections as verified after three calls for additional nominations, the chair may declare the candidate elected by acclamation. “Write in” candidacies are not permitted.

7.

A. Once a voice vote has been taken on a resolution, in accordance with Section C of Article III of the American Council of the Blind Constitution, and the chair has announced the result of that vote, the chair shall ask whether anyone voting in the minority objects to the vote, except that, if less than twenty-five (25) members have voted in the minority, the chair may immediately determine that no record vote is required. If at least twenty-five (25) members voting in the minority using the “raise hand” feature of the Zoom internet meeting client program or, if in the convention hall, by standing or using raised hands, object to the result, then a record vote on the resolution shall be required. B. After debate has ceased on a resolution and it is subsequently determined that a record vote is required, no further amendments may be proposed.

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