AAVL at 2023 ACB Convention

The following are links to AAVL’s 2023 convention presentations. 
Listen to Aging into Dual Sensory Loss
Listen to Over the Counter Hearing Aids
Listen to 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's
Listen to Defining the New Normal

ACB held its 2023 annual conference and convention from June 30 through July 7.  It was a hybrid convention with live events taking place in Schaumburg, Illinois.  As a participant, AAVL sponsored the following events.

• AAVL co-sponsored with SASI a presentation on Aging Well Into Dual Sensory Loss.  Jenee Allerman-Goodman, Older Adult Program Coordinator for the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), Fort Leavenworth, KS shared information and tips for how to cope with and move forward on dealing with both sight and hearing loss.  The session was facilitated by Megan Conway PhD, Information, Research and Professional Development (IRPD), Helen Keller National Center (HKNC), Healdsburg, CA.
   
• AAVL and SASI co-sponsored a presentation on Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  Carol Hamer, audiologist with th Helen Keller National Center, Sands Point, N.Y. and Carl Richardson, ADA Coordinator and consumer, Brighten, MA talked about over-the-counter vs. prescribed hearing aids. The session was facilitated by Lori Scharff, VRT and advocate Waynesboro, VA.
   
• AAVL co-sponsored with Next Gen the chance to match Wits between Next Gen and The Boomers in a trivia contest which the younger generation won despite a strong showing by their seniors.  
   
• AAVL held its annual lunch. In-person only.  Participants had a choice of menu options to purchase.
   
• A volunteer from the Alzheimer's Association of Illinois spoke on Ten warning signs of Alzheimers.
   
• Pam Shaw, Philadelphia, PA talked about defining the new normal in this post-pandemic age.
   
• AAVL and SASI held a joint social event which participants could join in person for a fee of $15-$20.
   
• During the General Session there was a Panel Discussion of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists vs. Occupational Therapists.  Doug Powell, President of AAVL, represented AAVL on this panel.

AAVL at ACB 2022 Convention in Omaha, Nebraska

AAVL's hybrid programming began with a presentation by Lori Scharff about everything you need to know about the Medicare program.  AAVL joined with the ACB Rehabilitation taskforce for a panel on opportunities for obtaining Medicaid funding for vision rehabilitation services.  It joined with ACB Women for two sessions on housing choices for adults with vision loss.

AAVL at 2021 ACB Virtual Convention

The corona virus led ACB to hold its 2021 annual convention virtually for the second year.  During the 2021 convention, AAVL held elections for its officers and directors at its business meeting.  It sponsored sessions during which author Deborah Kendrick and attorney Meredith Weaver, from Disability Rights Advocates, discussed the challenges of weaving your way through the health care system, Cecelia Warren, Director, Emergency Preparedness Policy, Maryland Department of Disabilities, Baltimore, MD, talked about disaster preparedness, and the founders of Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind described how it may help with accessible drug labelling and provide assistance with medication.  AAVL also sponsored a baby boomer trivia contest.

AAVL at 2020 ACB Virtual Convention

Due to the corona virus pandemic,  the annual ACB convention for 2020 was held virtually.  AAVL held virtual meetings during which various speakers participated.  AAVL hosted a joint seminar with ACB's Rehabilitation Issues Taskforce.  Lee Nasehi, President & CEO of VisionServe Alliance, the largest consortium of blindness agencies in the country, explored ways in which we can attempt to fill the ever-growing need for specialized services for seniors who are blind or low vision.  Lori Scharf, Masters in Social Work and Certified Work Incentive Practitioner, addressed Medicare questions.  She talked about such topics as when a person is eligible and what kinds of benefits can one  receive.  AAVL also held a panel discussion during which Jenine Stanley, Explorer Communications Manager Aira Tech Cor, and Alexa Holland, Enterprise Manager, Gogo grandparent, talked about how these companies can enhance your independence and quality of life.  AAVL then held an open discussion on the work it is doing on behalf of seniors with vision loss.

AAVL at 2019 ACB Convention

In 2019 AAVL hosted a joint luncheon with ACB Rehabilitation Issues Taskforce on July 8 during ACB’s Rochester, NY convention.  Mark Reichert, Director of Public Policy, National Disability Institute, spoke on the topic “Upping Our Game for Services to Seniors with Vision Loss”.  Reichert, a long-time blindness community advocate, addressed the issue of how to make advocacy efforts more successful. Following the luncheon AAVL hosted a panel discussion on “Innovations in Services to Seniors with Vision Loss”.  The panel talked about new service delivery approaches to meet the complex needs of seniors suffering recent vision loss.  Serving this rapidly growing population with the limited resources available is a major challenge and sharing success stories is extremely useful to improve service delivery nationwide.  Panelists were Brian Daniels, Director, New York State Commission for the Blind, Albany, New York; Nancy Miller,  Executive Director/CEO Visions/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, New York, New York; Sara VanBortel,  Assistant Director, Vision Rehabilitation Department, Association for the Blind-Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, Rochester, New York; and Sylvia Stinson-Perez, Director, Older Blind Technical Assistance Center at the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi. AAVL also hosted a mixer on July 9 for its members and friends.  Food and libation were served in a relaxing atmosphere where people could reunite or meet for the first time and share their stories and experiences. In prior years, AAVL’s speakers have described dealing with becoming blind after age 50, preparing for emergency situations without sight and establishing local organizations to provide social, cultural and athletic activities for people with physical disabilities.  AAVL welcomes suggestions for future programs and presentations.