Motion by Dee Ann Hart of Indiana:

Move to adopt the following resolution:

Ensuring Equitable Access and Prohibiting Surcharges for Required Support Personnel, Interpreters, and Co-Navigators at Convention Meals

Whereas, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) is dedicated to securing full integration and equal participation of people who are blind or visually impaired, including those with dual sensory disabilities, in all aspects of society, including professional development, advocacy, and social networking conferences; and

Whereas, conferences, conventions, and seminars frequently feature essential educational programming, keynote addresses, and high-level networking opportunities that take place concurrently with ticketed or provided meals; and

Whereas, individuals with dual sensory disabilities or specific physical access needs often rely on a variety of distinct, highly specialized support roles to achieve equal access, including:

1. Support Service Providers (SSPs) / Co-Navigators, who provide critical environmental information, visual description, and sighted guide mobility to facilitate independent choice and situational awareness;

2. Tactile Interpreters, who translate spoken language into standard sign language received through the attendee's hands; and

3. ProTactile Interpreters, who utilize a holistic, touch-based communication system that conveys not only linguistic content but also real-time backchannel feedback, environmental context, and social cues via touch; and

Whereas, as an organization representing the disability community, we recognize that we do not ask our members with other disabilities to leave their guide dogs, canes, wheelchairs, walkers, or assistive technology at the door, and it is a fundamental contradiction to expect individuals with dual sensory impairments to attend functions stripped of their vital support systems; and

Whereas, this resolution is not requesting or mandating that the host convention or organization employ, recruit, or provide personal attendant care or support service professionals for registered attendees; rather, it identifies that when a person with a dual sensory disability arrives with an SSP, tactile interpreter, or ProTactile interpreter, the professional and the consumer function together as an inseparable team—just as a wheelchair user is one with their chair, or a guide dog and handler are a unified team; and

Whereas, individuals with dual sensory disabilities are capable self-advocates who may function entirely independently in various settings and environments throughout the convention week, meaning this resolution in no way mandates the SSP/interpreter and the participant to be connected "hip-to-hip" through the entire convention, but instead enforces accommodation laws on the host organization to respect the targeted accommodation needs of their dually sensory disabled members; and

Whereas, during meal-centered sessions, these professionals are actively on duty—describing table layouts, assisting with mechanical navigation of food and utensils, conveying ambient group conversations, or continuously translating presentations—requiring them to remain present at the table; and

Whereas, required support personnel, tactile interpreters, and ProTactile interpreters cannot effectively perform their duties if they are forced to leave the premises to secure food, or if they are excluded from receiving a meal while the attendee and other table participants eat, creating an undignified, exclusionary, and impractical environment; and

Whereas, a vital distinction must be maintained between a support person acting solely in a professional accommodation capacity and an individual participating in the convention for personal or professional development; namely, that if a support person—whether an ACB member or non-member—is present strictly to fulfill the role of an SSP or interpreter, their presence is an accommodation, but if they choose to attend and participate in convention activities independently outside of their support duties, they operate as an individual participant; and

Whereas, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) explicitly prohibits public accommodations and non-profit entities from imposing a surcharge on individuals with disabilities to cover the costs of accommodations, auxiliary aids, or services required to achieve equal access; and

Whereas, requiring an attendee with a disability to purchase an additional meal ticket or pay a higher registration tier for an essential support provider or interpreter constitutes an inequitable financial penalty and an implicit surcharge for an accommodation; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the American Council of the Blind in Convention assembled in the city of [City], [State], on this [Day] day of July, 2027, that ACB strongly affirms that when a conference or convention attendee requires the presence of an SSP, co-navigator, tactile interpreter, or ProTactile interpreter to fully participate in a meal-centered session, the cost of providing a meal to that support professional is an inherent part of the accommodation; and be it further

Resolved, that ACB explicitly opposes any policy, whether by external hospitality vendors or host organizations, that treats a support provider and consumer as separate registration entities for meal sessions, and firmly states that the consumer and their support system must be considered one unified person for the purpose of event entry and meal provision; and be it further

Resolved, that ACB establishes that when a support person attends a convention or event independently to participate in activities separate from their duties to the individual with a dual sensory disability, that support person must be a dues-paying member (if applicable to the registration type) and must pay their own registration fees, meal tickets, and event costs standard to any individual participant; and be it further

Resolved, that ACB urges all national, state, and local affiliates, as well as external convention organizers, to proactively incorporate the anticipated costs of support personnel, tactile interpreters, and ProTactile interpreters' meals into general event overhead budgets, registration design, and hotel negotiation frameworks; and be it further

Resolved, that ACB direct its leadership to create and publish a standard "Accessible Event Budgeting Guideline" to assist affiliates and external partners in implementing inclusive registration models that protect attendees from discriminatory financial barriers.

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