THE BRAILLE FORUM Volume XLIX June 2011 No. 12 Published by the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Mitch Pomerantz, President Melanie Brunson, Executive Director Sharon Lovering, Editor National Office: 2200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 650 Arlington, VA 22201 (202) 467-5081 fax: (703) 465-5085 Web site: http://www.acb.org THE BRAILLE FORUM (TM) is available in braille, large print, half-speed four-track cassette tape, data CD, and via e-mail. Subscription requests, address changes, and items intended for publication should be sent to Sharon Lovering at the address above, or via e-mail to slovering at acb.org. The American Council of the Blind (TM) is a membership organization made up of more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates. To join, contact the national office at the number listed above. Those much-needed contributions, which are tax-deductible, can be sent to Attn: Treasurer, ACB, 6300 Shingle Creek Pkwy., Suite 195, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430. If you wish to remember a relative or friend, the national office has printed cards available for this purpose. Consider including a gift to ACB in your Last Will and Testament. If your wishes are complex, call the national office. To make a contribution to ACB via the Combined Federal Campaign, use this number: 11155. For the latest in legislative and governmental news, call the "Washington Connection" toll-free at (800) 424-8666, 5 p.m. to midnight Eastern time, or read it online. Copyright 2011 American Council of the Blind TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Message: ACB's Past: Prelude to Our Future, by Mitch Pomerantz Summary of Meetings of the ACB Board of Directors, by Jenine Stanley ACB's Golden Anniversary, by Carla Ruschival Blindness and Mobility Device Etiquette, by Darian Slayton Fleming Want More Braille Forums? Buy a Chance to Win a Sweet Prize!, by Dan Dillon Extra, Extra! Convention Newspaper Now Seeking Volunteers ACB's Audio Description Project Updates, by Joel Snyder A Long Journey Begins with a Single Step, by Dan Dillon Striding for Gold in the Silver State, by Ron Milliman Affiliate News: Convention Sneak Preview Helping ACB Celebrate its 50th Anniversary with an International Flavor Gold Diggin' Auction: Going Green for ACB 2011 ACB Membership Seminar High Tech Swap Shop FORUM SUBSCRIPTION NOTES You can now get "The Braille Forum" by podcast! To subscribe, go to "The Braille Forum" page on www.acb.org. If you do not yet have a podcast client, you can download one from the Forum page. To subscribe to "The Braille Forum" via e-mail, go to www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/brailleforum-L. ARE YOU MOVING? DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Contact Sharon Lovering in the ACB national office, 1-800-424-8666, or via e-mail, slovering at acb.org. Give her the information, and she'll take care of the changes for you.