Dear ACBNY Members and Friends:

It is time once again to make plans to attend the annual convention of the American Council of the Blind of New York (ACBNY). This year the Long Island Council of the Blind (LICB) is proud to be your host from Thursday November 6 through Sunday November 9. We have an exciting and event filled weekend planned, and hope to see you there! We are anticipating record attendance, so get your registration forms in early.

The convention will take place at the newly renovated Holiday Inn, 3845 Veterans Memorial Highway, Ronkonkoma NY 11779, 631-585-9500. Free shuttle service is available from nearby Islip Airport and Ronkonkoma Train Station.

Hotel reservations this year will be made as part of the pre-registration process. To pre-register, simply fill out the enclosed form and return it with your payment by October 1, 2008. If pre-registering online your payment must be sent to the address noted below. Registration will not be complete until payment is received. Returned checks are subject to a $50 fee.

The prepaid room rates are $95 per night for single, double, triple, and quad. If you are rooming with someone please include all names on your registration form. Room rates are tax exempt only if your reservations are made by the pre-registration deadline. Incidentals are the responsibility of the hotel guest and will be charged to the guest's credit card upon checkout. Reservations made after October 1 must be made directly with the hotel and may not be eligible for convention rates.

Registration will be open on Thursday from 2:00 P.M. � 4:00 P.M. (hours for Friday and Saturday will be posted). To get the party started right, let us entertain you with a trip, Thursday evening, to see �Gypsy� on Broadway, with live audio description provided by HAI. The pre-registration cost of the show is $60.00 and will be $75.00 after 10/1(if any tickets remain). A light boxed dinner will be available to take on the bus for an additional pre-registration price of $14.00 and will be $16.00 after 10/1 (please see the registration form for sandwich selection). The bus will leave the hotel at 5:00 P.M. and anyone wishing to meet us at the theater must arrive there by 7:30 P.M.

Friday morning we have an exciting trip planned. We'll start with a hands-on guided tour of the Long Island Carriage Museum, where we will discover a wealth of history and culture. The bus will then take us out to Long Island�s North Fork where we will dine in style for lunch at The Cooperage Inn. The pre-registration cost of the tour is $50.00 and will be $60.00 after 10/1 (please see the registration form for menu choices). Note: the Carriage Museum is quite large and a good deal of walking will be required.

The exhibit hall, jam packed with the latest products and services for the blind and visually impaired, will be open on Friday from 2:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M.

On Friday evening, from 5:00 P.M. � 8:00 P.M., we have a special event planned for high school and college students, as well as one for their parents. The student forum will feature a panel of students at various stages in their academic careers, and experts from several disciplines, including: disabled student services, rehabilitation, and college preparatory programs. Pizza will be served. The parent's forum, to be held in a separate room, will also feature experts from the above listed disciplines. Hors d'oeuvres will be served. Please see registration form for further information. Committee meetings will be held on Friday evening as needed.

On Saturday our annual business meeting will begin at 9 A.M. The Exhibit hall will be open again from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. At noon we're offering a sit-down lunch at which Brian Daniels, Commissioner of the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped; and Christina Moore, National Braille Challenge participant, will both be speaking. The pre-registration price for lunch is $18.00 and will be $20.00 after 10/1 (please see the registration form for menu choices).

On Saturday afternoon there will be three informative speakers for your enjoyment. For our first speaker, we are proud to have Mitch Pomerantz, ACB National President, who will speak about issues significant to all members on both the national and local levels. Mitch will also address the important advocacy work done by ACB. Additional speakers to be announced.

At this year's banquet we are thrilled to announce that our keynote speaker will be talking book narrator LJ Ganser. LJ began his recording career in the early nineties at The Jewish Guild for the Blind (where Jurassic Park was the first book he recorded!). Since then he�s recorded around 300 books, and has done work for AFB and Choice Magazine Listening, as well as Recorded Books, BBC, Random House, Listening Library, and Harper Collins. LJ is a dynamic and engaging personality, and we are sure he will delight his audience. The pre-registration price for dinner is $30 and will be $35.00 after 10/1 (please see the registration form for menu choices).

Our post-convention board meeting will be held on Sunday morning from 8:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. This is an open meeting and all are welcome.

Checks should be made payable to ACBNY 2008 Convention, and sent, by October 1, with pre-registration forms to: Lisa Drzewucki, 190 W Merrick Rd #4R, Freeport, New York, 11520.

Refund Policy: Individuals are responsible for canceling their hotel reservations in accordance with the hotel policy to receive a refund. Lunch, banquet, and tour refunds may only be made once your ticket has been resold. The registration fee is nonrefundable.

If you have any questions, please contact either:
Lisa Drzewucki, 516-623-2692 or by email @ lisadrzewucki@aol.com
Lori Scharff, 516-887-1336 or by email @ loris1@optonline.net

Sincerely,
Lori Scharff
Lisa Drzewucki
Convention Co-Chairs Return to main index.