It is common for Tuesday Topics to start something we don't finish and our last program was no exception. We were able to define many issues, provide some hypotheses for why they happen and confirm that some things need to be done. However, we did not get to the place where we could finalize actions that can be taken or decide for, sure if actions should be taken. So our program next week will explore actions that can be contemplated to deal with the fact that many things we have asked for are not being used as much as we might like. Perhaps that's okay! If it's not, what should we do about it? Who is responsible for doing anything? Individuals, local chapters, state affiliates, the national organization, local communities, states, the Federal government? We will look at voting, theaters, movies, transit, braille and other components of full inclusion. Join us! Your opinions are crucial!

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Last week we asked you to come up with topics we could consider for future programs. I have to say that the participation of our regular listeners was just a mite limited. Let me thank those who were there and who participated in our show. Brian Charlson actually came up with the idea for our next Topic and I think it is an interesting one.

Initially, the topic emerged because Brian was concerned that so many plays where we ask that audio description happen are so poorly attended. Why is that? Does it have to do with COVID? Does it have to do with the income of people who are blind or low vision? Does it have to do with discomfort with paratransit or other ways of getting around?

Are theaters the only place where we have become tortoise-like? Are we content to wait at home till accessible movies hit the television screen? Have we lessened our social outings now? Will our chapters more and more meet via Zoom? Do we use accessible pedestrian signals enough to justify their expense. How about announcements on buses? Where do Uber and Lyft fit into the system?

At the heart of this issue is whether it matters! Should we be concerned that we are asking for more and involving ourselves less? If the answer is yes, what should we do about it? Do our chapters have a responsibility to work on these issues?

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You are crucial for Tuesday Topics tonight! Usually by Wednesday mornings our podcast is available from your usual sources.

So far this year our crew has tackled serious subjects like history, employment, awards and leadership building. We all decided two things after the show this week. First we decided that we would take a break from earthshaking matters of moment and focus instead on you! What are your plans for your vacation? What do you like to do during the Summer? Are you a baseball fan? Do you listen to your team on radio? Do you have some specific memories of that? What else do you like to do these days for fun? What was the last game you played?

If none of these subjects turn you on we have another option for you! For our second hour we think we are going to make it your turn! You get to call in and talk about anything you like within reason! We are not interested in the mating habits of South African cockroaches though maybe you can persuade us it's an important subject. However we really do want to open the mike for you to raise any question you like with us! Your comment or question can be earthshaking or just about you! You are the boss!

We really need you to be ready with topics for Tuesday. Only two out of the five producers of Tuesday Topics can sing. The other three of us are a danger to ourselves and others and should not be given the chance to destroy ear drums. Save us from ourselves by calling into Click the link below to join the webinar:

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We will be exploring two topics that are related. We will finally complete our history of the relationship between ACB and NFB and then we will begin to explore what the philosophy of ACB is and how we can make it better known. A former President of ACB and a former Federationist, Mitch Pomerantz, will join us as a panelist. How have the changes we have observed in the Presidents of the NFB impacted ACB? What are the areas where we now differ and what are the elements that we perceive are the same? Why is it that people believe that the Federation does it all and ACB lags behind? Is it true?

What is the philosophy of ACB. We have talked a lot about how the Federation characterizes its beliefs. ACB certainly has some beliefs and attitudes and values. What are they? Every one of you reading this should think about what those values are and share with us what you think they are.

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Earlier this year Tuesday Topics did a program on the history of blind advocacy. As is very common on our show, we did not finish. We got past the formation of the American Council of the Blind but that still leave us with over half a century to cover. Sheltered workshops, NAC, the ADA, the independent living movement, affiliate rights and responsibilities, the growth of special interest affiliates, ACB Radio, Facebook, Twitter, the internet, audio description, and much more. The history of all of these elements is perhaps different from what you might think. Join us to talk about the past as prelude to today. Episode Notes

Notes go here

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Remember to join Tuesday Topics as we explore how ACB encourages new leaders! More than that there is a mentoring program which is now in its second year of operation. I was a part of the first year and I look forward to guests who will tell us how year two is going. Tuesday Topics hopes that former fellows, first timers and some of the cohort of the first year of the mentoring program will come and tell us what these programs have meant to them.

It is hard to know how to develop leaders. It is hard to know how to develop diversity. It is hard to know even how to get new people to become a part of ACB. Tuesday Topics will have the honor of exploring all these issues next program.

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This may be one of the most significant Tuesday Topics in our history. We will once more welcome guests from our ACB Employment Committee and will extend invitations to two other people who may or may not join us. I will tell you as this message proceeds who they are. Two components of our program will involve looking at data that the Employment Committee has put together from a recent survey. Second we will explore together what the role of the ACB Employment Committee ought to be and how we can forward their efforts at the state and national level.

At the ACB convention last July, we had a presentation concerning the "big data" project as it applied to people over the age of 65. It was clear that the data that was developed under the leadership of the Vision Serve Alliance under the aegis of extremely well-qualified statistical experts provided information about this population that painted a picture that was more detailed and nuanced than any data we have had at our disposal till now. That data which includes national information and state details allowed us to see just how precarious a condition many of our seniors who are blind or have low vision are in. That project represented phase one of the data collection process. Less than a month ago data became available for phase two which looked at some of the same issues for people who are blind or have low vision aged 18 to 64. The data that was collected came from surveys that were done in 2019 so as to avoid being influenced by COVID.

The state of Florida bought access to this data for the nation and for the sunshine state. We may look at the Florida data for the sake of comparison but our primary goal will be to explore the national findings of phase two which seriously contradict some of the commonly held beliefs about employment, education and health for this population.

We will send panelist invitations to Director Robert Doyle and to Lee Nasehi, Executive Director of the Vision Serve Alliance. Neither is required to be there but we wanted to be sure they both knew they were welcome to join us.

I believe that the data in this report sheds much new light on a population where we have tended to generalize about rather than measure using credible data. When we apply ourselves we discover much that we did not know and much that asks us to rethink many of the beliefs we have taken for granted.

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Next Tuesday is Valentine's Day Eve. We thought it would be a good time to explore relationships. How have folks with visual impairments fared with internet dating sites? Which have you tried? How have they worked? If you don't use the internet, how do you start relationships? Are there tricks you can share with us? Are you looking to date people who are blind or people who are sighted or either will do? Have getting started with relationships become harder or easier post-pandemic?

Are people who are blind better at relationships than folks who do not experience vision loss? If so, why? If not, why? What are the characteristics of "blind" dating?

This discussion would be very boring if you weren't with us to share your experiences.

Episode Notes

Notes go here

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One of the joys of being a part of the American Council of the Blind is that, in addition to having state affiliates as members, the organization has welcomed the formation of more than a score of organizations formed based on an interest or a set of skills. Over the past couple of months there is no question that the affiliate most often garnering our attention was BITS. Blind Information Technology Specialists has been around since the early 1980s but, in its earlier history, it was a group that was mostly interested in welcoming computer programmers. Some years ago the organization changed its name and became much more open to having others join its ranks. Over the past six months or so, the President of BITS has been Jeff Bishop. He has a long history of service to ACB. He has been a Board member. He currently serves on the Board of Publications. He has been a leader in the effort to expand ACB Media is the host of ACB'S "main menu" program.

Jeff will be joining Tuesday Topics partly to tell us about three initiatives that BITS is making that will certainly positively impact ACB and its members. I have no intention of talking about any of them here. There have been announcements but I want you to hear from Jeff not just what they are but why they are being offered. Perhaps these new initiatives will alter the way that special interest affiliates operate to get new members. Perhaps the approach will have lots of long term consequences for ACB that we can't even foresee yet.

Interesting though it will be to talk about BITS, we at Tuesday Topics indicated to Jeff that we wanted more from him. He has worked at Microsoft and is probably among the most knowledgeable people we know with regard to access technology. So we thought we would ask him about the current state of tech for people who are blind! We will probably also ask him to look ahead to explore with us what the consequences of the AI revolution might be for folks who are blind. As we explore the organization, BITS, and the knowledge that Jeff brings to the table, we will, I hope, also get a chance to explore who Jeff Bishop is. Where did he grow up? What are his interests and passions? What made him leave Microsoft? We are looking forward to a chance to showcase BITS, access technology and Jeff Bishop next Tuesday.

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Not so occasionally, Paul Edwards makes commitments that he completely forgets to put on his calendar. That is what happened several weeks ago when the Awards Committee asked for an opportunity to present on Tuesday Topics.

Instead of continuing our session on the history of blindness and services to the blind, we will be joined by members of the Awards Committee of the American Council of the Blind. Every year we spend a session exploring what awards are available and how you can nominate somebody for one of them.

We end up doing a lot more than that because we also explore a little who the awards are named after and what contribution they made to the ACB.

Join us for a chance to learn about past winners, current awards and what the Awards Committee is thinking about for the future. We hope we can persuade somebody from the Board of Publications to join us as well to talk about their awards.

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