Join us as we explore difficult questions and invite you to share your views of where ACB should go! We will explore what we believe is an important issue. There has been a lot of debate recently on the lists about how ACB should function in the future especially in an environment where some cherished liberal values are being questioned. Should ACB confine its role to dealing with blindness issues? How much should we be involved in DEI and DEIA issues? We have a longstanding history of coalitioning with other Civil Rights organizations. What have we gained from that involvement? To what extent have other organizations been prepared to be vocal on blindness issues? To what degree have minority members of ACB been welcomed by other civil rights groups? Is there danger for ACB if we align ourselves with a range of groups seeking recognition of controversial elements such as gender dysphoria? Is there a middle road? Are we obliged by our history to go all in for civil rights for minorities of all kinds? Where should we stand with regard to gender, to race, to national origin, to religion, and to other traditional components of civil rights legislation. We have put together a panel of individuals who represent a range of views. It is also my hope that you will make your opinion heard on issues that are neither easy nor simple!

Tuesday Topics will once more welcome folks who strive mightily to develop new leaders for the American Council of the Blind. I of course refer to the folks from the Durward k. McDaniel committee who also work on the Chase Fellows Program. In addition they conduct the Berle Colley Leadership group. Actually they may be different committees but I hope that we will have a chance to hear from all the groups that are working on developing new leaders for ACB. In previous years we have had a chance to hear from former Chase folks and DKM winners as well as getting an idea of how the Leadership Institute is doing and details concerning the mentorship program. This is being handled by separate committees so I am hoping that all of those groups will be represented. At the heart of what all these groups are doing is an understanding that ACB needs to create new leaders. We have found various ways to do this and ACB needs to know just how effective all these approaches are!

Holly days, holy days, holidays! In February there are several! Which are they and what do they mean? From 7:00 to 9:00 eastern time on February 4 Tuesday Topics will be available on a variety of platforms. We have been somewhat serious over the past few shows so this time we want to explore three holidays or, perhaps more accurately, two birthdays and a holiday. Abraham Lincoln and George Washington create Presidents' Day and on February 14 cupid appears for Valentine's day. We would love to hear about your most unusual cupid day or really any story you would care to tell about that holiday. Did you send out cards in school? Did you send out just one card in school? Were there embarrassing Valentine occurrences? Many people don't pay much attention to Presidents' Day. Should we care more? What qualities do we celebrate with both of the named chief executives? Are they worthwhile?

Tuesday Topics will continue our discussion of employment. As often happens, we are unable to handle everything we plan for when we get into our Tuesday Topic. on our last program there was lots to learn and lots to think about and lots that's worth hearing. I encourage many of you who did not listen to go get our podcast. Represented on our show was ACB'S Employment Committee and our Government Employees affiliate. We covered what both employment groups are doing but what we were not able to do is get to the really current element of our discussion. A lot is happening with the Federal government! How will it affect people with disabilities? What should ACB do about it? We are told that people with disabilities will not be seriously affected. Many do not believe this! We will explore what is going on. We will consider the future of employment for people with disabilities. In addition to looking at Federal employment, we will consider employment at the state and local level. Has that been altered by the new rule concerning title Ii of the Americans with Disabilities Act that went into effect last April? I think there is still more to be said about how we can work with Vocational Rehabilitation. We will have some new members of the employment committee who were not a part of our first show and Patrick Sheehan will be back to represent Government Employees!

There is some disagreement about the exact percentage of people who are blind who are unemployed and apparently unable to find work. What is clear is that well over half of those supposedly seeking jobs are not finding them. ACB has set up an employment committee to work on these issues and we will be exploring with some of its members what they have been up to since we last talked with them. We have also invited Patrick Sheehan of the Government Employment affiliate. Without holding anyone responsible for taking actions on all of the issues that are out there, we will consider some questions that we have not asked before. How well is Vocational Rehabilitation doing? Can we make it better? How? How much is artificial intelligence affecting the unemployment rate? Are many people who are blind being denied interviews because they are triaged out of the picture because of lack of experience or their disability or not having a driver's license. What should we do if this is happening? The new administration has taken actions concerning some Federal employees. Do we need to be concerned? If so, why and what should we do about any concern we may have? You probably have questions about employment as well and certainly have experiences you have had job hunting. We will invite you to talk about what happened and we will offer suggestions about what might make things better!

Right at the end of our last show a question was raised that I hope will be sufficient to keep us talking for our whole program. The question that was raised was "Have you ever played the blind card"? It will be interesting to see if my notion of what that question means is the same as Brian's who actually asked it. For me, the "blind card" means that you are making it clear that you are blind so as to acquire an advantage that you might otherwise not have. Allowing yourself to be moved to the front of a line in the airport because your cane was noticed might be an example. Acquiring a permit that allows you to use a disabled parking spot might be another. There are lots of times on calls when we might say "I am blind". This may or may not confer an advantage! Is it fine to play "the blind card"? When is it not appropriate? When is it mandatory that you play it! Missouri and Australia both have blind pensions regardless of income. Is this a good thing or not? I think virtually all counties offer an extra homestead exemption for people who are blind. Is this appropriate? I hope you will think of times when the "blind card" is a good thing and I suspect that some of you will tell us about times the "blind card" should not be played.

on Tuesday January 14 Tuesday Topics will be available in aeall its usual forms and places. By Tuesday the year will be two weeks old and many of us will have made resolutions that we are teetering on the brink of losing control of as other activities fill our days. How can we change that? What is the value of making resolutions? Are there positive benefits, asieade from the obvious ones, that happen because we stick to what we say we are going to do? Can we take specific steps that will make maintaining our resolutions more likely? What are the benefits beyond the resolutions themselves of following through?

We will once more have the two Debbies, Debbie Hazelton and Debbee Armstrong, our psychological gurus to help us sort through all the intricacies of the resolutions reality.

Tuesday Topics will begin its two hour fairwell to 2024. What were the high points? What are things we will be glad to see the last of, if any? Were there technological developments of consequence in the blindness field? How about ACB? What was 2024 like for our organization? A special interest affiliate became our largest chapter. We held a convention in Jacksonville where those present were about the same as those attending via zoom. We found ourselves with lots of debates but continued to grow our internet presence. We have a new Executive Director and have said good bye and hello to a number of employees. There are new resolutions we have passed; new initiatives we have begun; and new causes and concerns we have begun to espouse. The country and the world have also changed! Join us as we explore the year that almost was and will have been soon!

Tuesday Topics is winding down for 2024. We have two more shows to do. We have determined that on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve we will not be on the air. So our next show on December 10 will focus on Christmas and it will depend for its success on those of you who coce and participate. I am going to put lots of questions out there that we might talk about. We will almost certainly not get to all of them but they will give you a notion of what we will discuss. What was the best Christmas gift you ever got and why? Was there a gift you really wanted but didn't get? Tell us about it! What was the most unusual Christmas you have had? Do you have cool plans for this year? Is there a special dish you eat at Christmas? Do you have family traditions you would like to tell us about? Do you celebrate other holidays? Tell us about them! Most of us do not know as much as we she either about Hanukah or Kwanza!We will spend two hours reminiscing about a holiday we have all experienced spending well or badly! We want to hear your stories!

Two elements intersect this week. We are four days after Thanksgiving in the United States when our Topics show will air. We are also Four weeks removed from the election that saw Donald Trump elected as President of the United States. It also appears that Republicans will control both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States. What will this mean for legislation relating to accessibility and other elements of concern to people who are blind? What has President Trump indicated by his appointments so far about his attitudes to government? How much of Project 2025 can we expect to see and how will it affect people who are blind? These questions are not intended to be political ones! Instead we hope that we can explore what we know and what we have been led to expect! The transition from one government to another is happening now and, for the first time in many years, one party will, at least to some degree, control the executive branch and both chambers of the Congress. If simple majorities made for legislation it would be easier to predict what might occur. However we know that, for many votes, sixty is the magic number in the Senate and that may be harder for the new administration to manage. President Trump has indicated that he supports lessening the size of government and has indicated that he plans to look at a number of agencies and departments to decide if they should be retained. The Department of Education is an area where he and many others believe there is room for change. Maybe it's too early but let's explore a little what the next few years are likely to hold for people with disabilities. Let me state once more that this is not a political show and we will have no hesitation cutting people off who do not recognize this fact. We know a good deal now and we will share some of that. We also think that our members may know a good deal as well. I mentioned Thanksgiving at the beginning of this program write up. This year has been one where a lot of new elements have been rolled out for people who are blind. If our discussion on the new administration gets bogged down we can spend some time exploring some of those 2024 changes for which we can and should be thankful! Episode Notes

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