Welcome to the California connection for May 4.

California Council of the Blind 2018 Annual Conference and Convention Feedback Survey:

The California Council of the Blind (CCB) is very appreciative of those who attended in person or online via ACBRADIO the 2018 Annual Conference and Convention.

This survey is intended to obtain attendees’ input as to their satisfaction with the Sacramento Marriott, Rancho Cordova Hotel concerning both guest and meeting rooms and the Conference and Convention program. We appreciate your recommendations for future conferences and conventions. In answering the survey questions, be as specific as you can.

Please complete the survey form, found below the line, on or before Sunday May 20th, 2018. Survey responses are to be emailed to jsthom@comcast.net. For those needing assistance in completing the form, call the CCB office 1-800-221-6359 no later than Friday May 11.

Sincerely,
Jeff Thom
Chair, Conference and Convention Committee

2018 Conference and Convention Survey

1. How satisfied were you with the Sacramento Marriott, Rancho Cordova hotel (e.g. rooms, plated meals, lighting, etc.)?
   Tell us why or why not.
2. Tell us your experiences with the hotel restaurants in regards to the: quality of food, meal prices, and level of service.
3. Were the hotel staff and volunteers helpful and courteous? Were there sufficient numbers of each? If not, please explain.
4. What were your experiences in accessing individual exhibitors in the exhibit room?
5. Please provide contact information (e.g. name, phone number, email address, and mailing address) for exhibitors who should be invited to exhibit at future conferences and conventions.
6. Were you satisfied with the sound quality of presentations in the main session room and in other rooms used at the convention?
7. If you used one of the assistive listening devices, did it function to your satisfaction and were you able to participate more effectively in those sessions where the technology was available to you?
8. If you listened to the convention via ACBRADIO, how satisfied were you with your listening experience?
9. Were there any presentations made or topics covered at the general session or by a committee or special interest group you found to be informative and valuable to you? Would you like a similar presentation to be given as part of a future general session or committee or special-interest affiliate program?
10. Provide us with your opinion on the new 2018 convention activities, such as Dining in the Dark, the Tactile Art Show and the river walk.
11. Did you enjoy the plated meal themes? Should they be continued and are there other themes that you believe might be worth trying?
12. If you are a guide dog user, what were your experiences with the relieving area? If you feel any changes should be made, please include them.
13. Should we continue the practice of holding our primary business session Sunday, and if not, how would you change the convention format?
14. Overall was the Conference and Convention a success?
15. Is there anything else that you would like to tell us?

From The President, Judy Wilkinson:

I’m having a wonderful time on my vacation the last nine days of which we’re spending in Venice. Unfortunately, I’m having challenges with the communications system and having difficulties recording a president’s message.

My apologies and please for your understanding. I’ll have all the more to share in June.

Board Meeting:

The board will meet in closed session Thursday May 10.

Items to discuss include:

1. Convention expenses and implications.
2. Recommendations for Major Gifts Campaign.
3. Policies necessary for Bylaws.
4. Better ways to capture volunteer hours.

At our open board meeting in June, we will present information and bring forward recommendations.

CCB Office Schedule For The Month Of May:

The office is closed until 11:00AM on May 15, 2018
Nicole Pacheco will be on vacation leave from the 16th to the 28th of May
Office is closed on May 25, 2018.

CCB Students Call:

Come join the students conference call on Sunday evening May 6th. We will be discussing our upcoming socials and FaceBook page.

Date: Sunday May 6th.
Time: 7:00 PM.
Dial in number: (302) 202-1114
Conference code: 694810

Research Opportunity:

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
Memory and Vision

Time Commitment: Between 90 minutes and 2 hours total

Where: Mutually agreed upon location. This may be on campus, schools, or organizations for visually impaired individuals

Would you like to participate in a research study to understand how blind and sighted individuals remember information? Through this study, we may understand how to better educate blind students and design more effective products for all.

Eligibility:
May be either sighted or legally blind. Must be between 18-50 years old.

You are ineligible if you have any additional neurological or developmental disabilities other than visual impairment or a recent history of illegal drug use.

Contact Information:
Karen Arcos, Lead Researcher
E-mail: karcos1@uci.edu
Phone: (949) 824-8378

Thank you for reading or listening