Originally Aired on ACB Media

Participants gathered for a breakfast sponsored in part by National Industries for the Blind and discussed its work to support meaningful careers for blind people.

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Originally Aired on ACB Media

AAVIA members discussed the support they had received during law school, early legal careers, and beyond. The discussion considered difficulties reported by law students and newly licensed attorneys with disabilities at public and private law schools and in their subsequent careers. Participants explored how AAVIA could continue providing counsel, hope, and mentoring. They also met ACB's new legal counsel, Bryan Kempfer, and learned about ACB's more proactive approach to legal issues affecting its members.

Presenter: Dave Adams, Esq., Telford, PA

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Originally Aired on ACB Media

Participants practiced interviewing skills and ways to connect with hiring managers.

Facilitators: Peter Altschul, ACB Employment Committee Chair Coos Bay, OR; Rosanna Beaudrie, ACB Employment Committee member, Levittown, NY

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Originally Aired on ACB Media

Speakers explained steps in starting a business, from writing a business plan to selecting a business structure such as a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation. They also discussed choosing appropriate marketing techniques.

Speakers: Ardis Bazyn, Bazyn Communications, Thornton, CO; Scott Eggen, SVS Vending, Maplewood, MN; Edward Cohen, EZ2 See Products, Rochester, MN; Jeremy Johansen, Farmer Host, San Leandro, CA

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Originally Aired on ACB Media

Jason Eckert of VisionServe Alliance led a discussion of the Big Data project's findings on employment rates among people who were blind or had low vision. The session examined statistics that had been repeated for years to describe unemployment and considered whether the data showed a different picture of unemployment in the blind community.

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Originally Aired on ACB Media

Panelists described what they had needed to start different kinds of businesses and answered audience questions.

Speakers: Kimberly Ruf, Mary Kay Inc. Dayton, OH; Edward Cohen, EZ2 See Products, Rochester, MN; Jeremy Johansen, Farmer Host, San Leandro, CA

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Originally Aired on ACB Media

Participants explored workplace etiquette from blind and visually impaired perspectives. The session addressed unspoken office norms, navigating shared spaces, introductions, meetings, social cues, and common misconceptions.

Facilitator: Sara Freeman Smith, Author/Speaker & Retired Recruiting Manager, Houston, TX

Panelists: Sayuree Naik, HR & Payroll Specialist, Minneapolis, MN; Mitch Pomerantz, Sr. Personnel/HR Analyst, City of Los Angeles, Pasadena, CA

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Originally Aired on ACB Media

Three Employment Committee members shared their experiences after losing, or nearly losing, their jobs in January 2026.

Facilitator: Lori Scharff, Work Incentive Practitioner-Certified Access to Employment and Information, Waynesboro, VA

Panelists: Peter Altschul, Creating Common Ground Consultant, Coos Bay, OR; Carrie Muth, ICAP Coordinator, Southwest Oregon Community College, Coos Bay, OR; Melanie Sinohui, Senior Process E

ngineer, Phoenix, AZ

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