Come Back to the Future with CCB
Celebrating 90 years of Achievement in the Blind and Low Vision Community

Join the California Council of the Blind for its 2024 Virtual Conference and Convention. The Main Event starts April 3 at 7:30 pm with programming concluding on April 7 with our Business meeting.

The Conference & Convention can be found on Zoom for participants who have registered or on ACB Media 8.

Note: Times on this page refer to the Pacific time zone.

Big thanks to the CCB Membership Committee who will be holding Virtual Hospitality on the Pre-Convention Zoom link on Thursday, April 4 after the general session and Saturday, April 6 after the banquet.
 

Wednesday, April 3 7:30-9:30 pm
President Gabe Griffith, Presiding

• Welcome: President Gabe Griffith
• Pledge of Allegiance
• A look back at CCB History; Celebrating CCB in the book, “People of Vision”: Christy Crespin & Nelly Emerson
• Credentials and Nominating Reports: Frank Welte, Chair of Credentials and Nominating
• Bylaws Committee Report: Steve Bauer, Bylaws Committee Chair

Thursday, April 4 7:30-9:30 pm
2nd Vice President Rob Turner, Presiding

Join CCB’s Technology Committee Co-Chaired by Rob Turner and Andrea DeKlotz as they talk about Old Time Radio, the Echo Show, and emerging AI.
 

Friday, April 5 1:00-4:30 pm
1st Vice-President Sarah Harris, Presiding

• Welcome: Sarah Harris
• 1:15 pm Department of Rehabilitation Updates
  What’s new at the Department of Rehabilitation?

  Over the past year there have been so many new programs developed to increase the opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision. Come hear from the team. There may be something that could help you or someone you know.

  • Jake Johnson, Deputy Director Information Technology Division, Chief Information Officer
  • Sue Pelbath, Deputy Director, DOR SSD
  • Peter Dawson, Regional Director, DOR BFS
  • Laura Rasmussen, District Administrator, DOR BFS
  • Jay Harris, Manager, DOR Older Individuals who are Blind Program
• 3:30 pm Dr. Mark Humayun, University Professor of Ophthalmology at USC

  The Initiative to Cure Blindness: A new frontier in therapy for age-related macular degeneration.

  In 2008, Dr. Mark Humayun, University Professor of Ophthalmology at USC and a 2015 National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipient, launched a research effort with an extraordinary premise, What if we could restore sight to people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the world’s most common eye disorders?

  A Stem Cell-Based Treatment To End Blindness:
  To achieve this, Dr. Humayun and his team developed a novel stem cell-derived retinal implant, and the results have been groundbreaking. Following one successful study after another, Dr. Humayun is now on the cusp of the final stages required to bring this transformative therapy to market and to AMD patients worldwide.

  The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has invested more than $50 million in this program since 2008, leading to funding of a Phase 2b clinical trial; this is an integral step toward the development of this promising cure for blindness due to AMD.

  Our recent paper shows:

  • That people who are even legally blind can show evidence of improvement in vision on a standard eye chart, the patient with the best improvement showed greater than 3 lines of improvement on an eye chart
  • that the effects of the implant are durable and safe - the response to the implant is durable - at 3 years, people can still maintain the gains they achieved
  • The data reported in this paper positions us to do more extensive clinical trials in a broader range of patients (for example patients with less vision loss) to determine efficacy
  • This is important because there are currently no drugs or treatments approved by the FDA that show improvement for AMD
  • Patients were not on long-term immune suppressive therapy

Friday, April 5 6:00 pm through Completion
Treasurer Lisa Presley-Thomas, Presiding

• Welcome: Lisa Presley-Thomas
• Invocation: Gabe Griffith
• Rememberances: At this time we will take the time to acknowledge our fellow CCB Members who have passed away over the last year.
• Governmental Affairs Report: Alice Turner and Ardis Bazyn, GA Co-Chairs
  Jeff Thom, Director of Governmental Affairs
  Regina Brink, Deputy Director Governmental Affairs
• CCB Elections
• President’s Report

Saturday, April 6 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Secretary Steve Bauer Presiding

• Welcome: Steve Bauer
• Leslie Spoone, ACB Get Up & Get Moving Campaign
• Resources for Smart Aging
  Tatiana Fassieux, Education and Training Specialist, California Health Advocates
  Amy Castro, United Way 211

  Come learn about resources that you may of heard of, but don’t know what they do. HICAP and 211 are two resources you want to have in your smart aging toolbox.

Saturday, April 6 1:30-3:30 pm
1st Vice-President Sarah Harris, Presiding

Paratransit Eligibility:
Panel Moderator: Board Member Daveed Mandell

This session will outline effective strategies for filling out a paratransit eligibility application and getting the most from a paratransit agency interview. Hear the perspectives of both the paratransit industry and the independent living movement.

Panel participants:
Chenier Derrick: Paratransit Specialist, Handy Ride, Fresno;
Christine Fitzgerald: Community Advocate, Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, San Jose;
Fiona Hinze: Director of Public Policy, Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco.

Saturday, April 6 5:30-7:00 pm
Awards Recognition Banquet

Come celebrate CCB with Andrea DeKlotz and Sarah Harris, Convention Planning Committee Co-Chairs.

Winners of CCB Awards, Chapter and Affiliate of the Year, and Publications will be announced.

Sunday, April 7 9:00 am-12:00 pm
President Gabe Griffith, Presiding

To close the 2024 virtual convention, we will conclude with our convention business meeting. This meeting will include the 2023 Convention Minutes, Treasurer’s Report, Newell Perry Report, and may include voting on proposed Resolutions and Bylaw Amendments.