The American Council of Blind Students (ACBS)
Join
our Facebook group! Just click this link.
Follow us on Twitter.
Sign our
guestbook.
The American Council of Blind Students (ACBS) is the student affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, the nation's leading consumer and advocacy organization of people who are blind or visually impaired. A group of students founded ACBS in 1974 to acquire a greater voice in the workings of this organization. ACBS works to advance the equal opportunity and excellence in education for all blind and visually impaired high school, college and university students in the United States. In so doing, we encourage leadership in our own communities, network students to discuss issues of concern, and act to promote equal access where it is lacking. Most of our work gets done through our committees. Visit our Committee Page to read about what each one is up to and how you can contribute your unique talents. We also have student affiliate organizations in several states that sponsor events and do advocacy work on a more local level. Check out our Resources Page to get connected.
1>What We Do on the National Level:- Coordinate an annual National Convention to focus on topics of interest to blind and visually impaired students via formal and informal programs
- Build partnerships with disability organizations to realize our common goals of worldwide accessibility
- Organize social conference calls to connect students with students
- Host e-mail lists to provide a forum for discussion and dissemination of information about employment, scholarships, advocacy efforts, and more
- Publish the Student Advocate, a biannual newsletter that features articles of interest to blind and visually impaired students
- Serve as a resource for blind/visually impaired students, parents of blind/visually impaired students, DSS offices, and University disability organizations
>The Procedures of ACBS:
ACBS is governed by a Constitution that undergoes an annual review.
You may read the current
Constitution on-line. We encourage you to check out the rest of your
website, contact us with any questions, and get involved!
Announcement From Our President
Hello Everyone,
I am proud to announce that we are prepearing to appoint our Webmaster, Editor, and Junior Representative positions for the next term. We are in transition now, as we have voted for a constitutaionl amendment to make the editor and webmast positions be two year terms, alternating each year which position is appointed. In this transition, we will be appointing a webmaster this September for a two year term and an editor to do a one year term until we can get into sync. In addition, we will continue to recruit a junior representative for a one year term.
Here is some important information about the three positions:
Webmaster: The webmaster is responsible for editing and revising our website. This should be someone with some experience with html. You don't need to be a superstar programmer, as we understand that this may be a learning experience for you. All members of ACB Students are welcome for this position, which means it is open to students and non-students, blind, partially sighted, and sighted people alike. This position works in close contact with our fundraising and social networking groups as well.
Student Advocate Editor: This position is dedicated to editing our newsletter. We publish a newsletter two to three times per year. This person does not need to be a professional editor, although we appreciate writing experience. If you enjoy communications and publications, consider this position. The editor works in close contact with the President to ensure our newsletter becomes a great resource for our organization.
Junior Representative: This member of our board is under 18 and should be a student. He or she expresses values and input from a younger prospective. This member is also required to sit on at least one ACB Student committee. We suggest that this representative participate in our membership committee, as we are looking to add a junior membership subcommittee for recruitment purposes. While no specific qualifications are necessary for this role, an attitude of excitement and an eagerness to learn are a must.
All of these positions are open to our various membership categories. If you are not a member of ACB Students but would still like to apply, you are welcome to join upon appointment. We can also discuss ways we can help cover these costs if needed. Our general and sustaining membership costs $15 and our junior membership is $8.
Please apply for these positions via the links below. Applications are due by Monday, August 8 at 12:00pm Eastern. We will be conducting interviews after these, information for which can be found in the application.
For the webmaster application, choose this link.
For the editor application, choose this link.
For the junior representative application, choose this link.
Please feel free to email me with any questions at president.acbstudents@gmail.com. I look forward to working with you soon!
Sincerely, Sara Conrad American Council of Blind Students, President