It has been a busy and bustling conference season this summer with hundreds of people gathering all across the country after more than two years of only tele-connecting. Now that the dust has settled, and sleep has been caught up on, Communications Associate, Caitlin O’Malior, reflects on her first American Council for the Blind convention experience.
Stepping off the plane in Omaha, Nebraska last month, my mind was filled with thoughts of finding Baggage Claim and navigating my way to the Ride Share pick up location. As I left the plane, white cane in hand, I was immediately greeted with a kind and enthusiastic, “Hello Miss! Are you heading to the ACB conference?” Relieved, I answered, “yes,” as he gestured to a group of people also holding white canes. He was an American Council for the Blind volunteer, offering his assistance to the group to Baggage Claim and the hotel shuttle. I joined the group, and instantly felt a sense of community as the others happily greeted me and introduced themselves. “Oh, this is your first ACB convention? That’s wonderful! You’ll have a great time,” I was told. And indeed, I did.
My role at the ACB conference was to support my LightHouse colleagues exhibiting at the convention, promote LightHouse services and products, and network. On the opening of the ACB Convention Exhibit Hall, I joined my fellow LightHouse staff members at table 19 – staff from our Media and Accessible Design Lab (MAD Lab), the Adaptations store, and our Community Outreach Coordinator. Our table was equipped with MAD Lab produced Braille calendars, UEB guidebooks, Tactile Intersection booklets, and a collection of our best custom-designed tactile maps. The star of the show was definitely our TMAP station where Senior Accessible Media and Braille Specialist, Frank Welte, created and produced tactile TMAP street maps of our surroundings on the fly!
As conference attendees thumbed through all our accessible products, we chatted about maps, Braille, and of course, LightHouse’s programs and services – especially our hybrid and virtual programs that benefit not only those local to the San Francisco Bay Area. People from all walks of life and blindness visited our table. It is in these conversations that I re-affirmed the value of what we do and the products and services we create.
It is a privilege to participate in national conferences and conventions. To showcase LightHouse’s Braille and tactile designs at a table alongside leading assistive technology companies, the best guide dog organizations in the business, and even the Central Intelligence Agency, was a proud feeling. It is exciting to be able to connect with our community in such a way, and the experience was invaluable.
If you would like to learn more about LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the blindness trainings and services we provide, please visit our website.
