The shiny new gizmo I bought at #ACB23 has arrived! I am now the proud owner of a Stellar Trek, a cool little device that's primarily a GPS/O&M tool but can also identify colors and read text and bar codes with its built-in camera. Anybody else out there have one? Might need to pick your brains a little. Looking forward to taking the GPS for a spin on my rides to and from work tomorrow.

I’m catching up on stuff, and want to extend congratulations to @brianhartgen for winning the Robert s Bray award at #ACB23. brian’s contribution to advancing our access and knowledge has been enormous. This is such a well-deserved acknowledgement of his outstanding contribution.

I am truly honoured today to have been presented with the Robert S. Bray Award from the American Council of the Blind.
The Robert S. Bray Award is given in honor of the first director of what is now the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. This award may be given to an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to improving library services, information technology or communication access. #ACB23

Well crap. Here I was thinking I'd found my people, and then I was reminded about the NFB's sexual abuse stuff. But the whole radical thing? I thought I was radical before. Then @JonathanMosen spoke words on @podcast that I'd thought so many times but thought were too radical to say. The whole blind movement thing? I need that. I've felt so alone throughout my life. The way I care about technology, about user interfaces, about Braille, about beauty and audio and image descriptions. But how could I be in a movement that allowed sexual abuse? I wonder how this year went? If things were better? Then again, what if it happens again?

The blind community is spread thin. There's still an element of those who want to just wait on big corporations to do what needs doing. And we see how, within the last ten years at Google, in both Android and ChromeOS, that's working out. Waiting on them isn't working.

It's complicated, and I wrestle with the work the NFB does, versus the moral character of their leadership. But I'm so tired of feeling like I'm the only one writing about accessibility, trying to convey what I need from companies, foundations, and people. Tired of feeling powerless. Tired of not knowing how to explain why a PDF should be made accessible and why using OCR isn't good enough, tired of being the only one. The idea of having a Federationist at my back is so, so nice. But what will that cost to me? What would it mean if I acquiesce to an organization with such a dark stain on it. I don't know. I've never been to either NFB or ACB's conventions. But knowing people that have my back, that can help me? Hell, I need it. And maybe Mastodon is where the blind community can begin to band together more. Here, I don't feel so lowly. I see programmers fight with the same things I do. I feel more level with everyone else. No algos to shroud us away from each other. I don't know. I don't think there is a good answer.

#nfb23 #acb23 #nfb #acb #blind

Hello from O'Hare where I'm super early and trying not to fall asleep at the gate. #ACB23 has just flown by and I really don't want to leave Blind World for reality. But leave I must. Taking some great memories with me, and motivation, and a much-abused credit card. Earlier this year I was a bit reluctant to attend convention for various reasons. So glad I changed my mind.

Morning Mastodoners! Still having an amazing time at #ACB23 The main highlight of course has been catching up with numerous friends, including folks I've known for decades online but never met IRL till now. (seriously, half my LJ friends list from 2004/05 seems to be here.) I've also spent a lot of time, (and a bit more money than planned), in Exhibits, played a highly competitive game of Braille Bingo, and enjoyed a truly massive margarita at a nearby taco place.

On the Digital Domain today…
✅ Attending #NFB23 or #ACB23? @nick and Bob want to know about anything offbeat, amusing, or just plain crazy you might be up to.
✅ Bob tried to record a concert from the Steve Miller Band, but something went wrong. It promises to give you a chuckle!
✅ The second anniversary of the #HKCRadio rebirth is coming up…We announce a plan for it.

7 PM EDT!

https://www.HKCRadio.com

On the Digital Domain tomorrow…Niggling frustrations didn't allow Bob to get the Steve Miller concert recording he wanted to. The story promises to be amusing!

Also…attending #NFB23 or #ACB23? We want to hear your offbeat, amusing stories!

7 PM EDT tomorrow on #HKCRadio!
https://www.HKCRadio.com

Question for anybody out there who's super familiar with #RobertsRulesOfOrder; if a motion is made to elect somebody by acclamation, and the aye votes are called, does it really need to be asked for any opposed? How can you be opposed to electing somebody by acclamation if you didn't offer up any candidates to oppose the person being voted in? #ACB23

@johnl1129 Yay! Having a blast at #ACB23 ! Glad to hear you enjoyed the audio excursion. It will be out in podcast form on Pride Connection in a couple of weeks.

Ugh. The only down side to #ACB23 live stream at the moment is general session is streaming on ACB Media 1 with audio only coming through the left channel of headphones. Not sure who can fix this, or if it's fixable at the moment, but still. Otherwise, it's a wonderful start to general sessions!!

Seconded, maybe if enough of us post we can encourage ACB National, or at least some affiliates, to finally enter the Fediverse. Also, Tristan's 3D audio excursion will be available as a podcast later, can't wait to give it a listen with some good headphones. #ACB23 https://dragonscave.space/@johnl1129/110640645853112420

Now relaxing a bit before the first General Session. Give it a listen if you want a taste of what ACB's all about. If you stick around long enough, you might even hear me represent New York during the Affiliate Roll Call. ACB Media 1 – Mainstream – ACB Media Network https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/media1/ #ACB23

Busy afternoon so far. Loved the BPI session, (excellent job @renfro92w ), took my first stab at Exhibits, (got ice-cream from the Vanda Booth, ogled a Stellar Trek, and bought some books from NBP), and found out what's new in accessibility from Amazon. (anyone have a Fire tablet and if so, how do you like it, particularly accessibility-wise?) And of course, there were happy reunions with a bunch of people. #ACB23

Friendly reminder. If you're attending #ACB23 and want to post about it at all, please remember the hashtag. I'm tracking it, and hope it becomes more active as the convention goes on. I'm currently enjoying the 3d audio excursion put on by the wonderful Tristan Snyder. @Tristan

Hello from Schaumburg! My flight and airport experience were relatively uneventful and I'm settled in my room where the beds are comfy and the USB ports plentiful. Leaving for registration and the first @BPI session in a bit. Drop me a text or DM if you're here and want to meet up #ACB23

Heads up folks at or headed to #ACB23 Not sure if/how much this situation affects Schaumburg, but between this, air quality issues, and any transportation shenanigans that come up, we're in for an ... interesting? ... week. https://mastodon.social/@netblocks/110630247201176509

I feel bad for all the guidedog users that are gonna get discriminated against going to the ACB and NFB convention at the airport. #ACB23 #NFB23

In other exciting news, just over 3 days till I leave for Illinois and #ACB23 Excitement's somewhat tempered by the weather forecast though, looks like the Chicago area's experiencing increasingly poor air quality due to Canadian forest fires and temps in the high 80's/low 90's next week. Fortunately most convention activities are inside, but still pretty worrying. Plus there may be thunderstorms here in NY on Saturday. Praying they won't affect my flight.

@dotsonapage I hope you feel better soon. Also, enjoy #ACB23 for both of us. Sadly, this year's going to basically all pass me by.