Benefits and Programs
Through our parent organization, the ACB, we offer the following benefits, programs, and activities:
- Information and Referral: All of our ACB
staff provides information on a wide range of blindness-related
questions. Our toll-free number to call is 1-800-424-8666 FREE
(between 2 and 5 p.m. Eastern time). The direct number is
1-202-467-5081. For online information, send an e-mail message to
info@acb.org.
- Employment: Every two weeks, our parent organization, ACB,
posts a job bank on its web site at acb.org with nationwide employment
opportunities of particular interest to blind and visually
impaired people. Information about job announcements is also
available from the Washington
Connection, 1-800-424-8666 FREE during evenings and
weekends.
- Grants: The SCKCB
provides a very generous grant program. Our grants are
available to any legally blind person living in one of the ten
counties comprising the Barron River Area Development District
(BRADD) in Kentucky. You can read all of the details concerning
our grant program by going to
our SCKCB Grant Page here on our
website.
- Our South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind offers
scholarships to legally blind students that reside in one of the
ten counties comprising the Barron River Development District
(BRADD). For more information about our SCKCB Scholarship Program,
go to our Scholarship Page. In
addition, our parent organization, the ACB,
provides more than twenty-five other scholarships annually to
outstanding legally blind post-secondary students who are enrolled
in academic, professional or technical training programs. Hundreds
of legally blind students who have benefited from these
scholarships over the years have gone on to careers in computer
science, law, teaching, music and many other fields and become
major contributors to their communities.
- Our parent organization offers internships at our national
office in Arlington, Virginia, to provide college students with
valuable knowledge of ACB's
legislative and governmental activities, and an awareness of the
variety of issues that a large national organization like ours of
people who are blind and visually impaired deals with on a daily
basis.
- Publications: "The Braille Forum," our national magazine, is
published in several formats including large print, braille,
cassette, by email, and computer disk, or can be downloaded from
the ACB web site or via email upon request. "The
Braille Forum" features articles on employment, legislation,
disability and civil rights issues, advocacy, sports/leisure
activities, and new products and services of particular interest
to people who are blind or visually impaired. This publication is
free to all of our members.
SCKCB members enjoying a Christmas party - Information Hotline: "The Washington Connection" provides
up-to-date legislative news and information on issues, which are
important to blind and visually impaired people. Call on evenings
and weekends at 1 -800-424-8666 FREE, or visit the Washington
Connection link on the ACB
web site.
- Resources: Topical brochures and resource lists are available
to provide information on a variety of subjects of special
interest to blind and low-vision people and their families,
ranging from computer equipment to diabetes management, and many,
many others.
- ACB Radio: ACB Radio on the Internet delivers a variety of
programming streams, including music by blind musicians,
interactive programming by blind DJs and commentators, old-time
radio, and informational programming about topics, which are of
particular interest to people who are blind. This new and popular
service is available 24 hours a day at www.acbradio.org
- Radio Broadcasts: "ACB Reports" is an informative monthly radio
news and feature program broadcast on radio reading services
across the country. The recording is available in several
different formats and sources including on ACB Radio, through audio files on our ACB
web site and
podcasts.
- The SCKCB
and ACB
Website: The SCKCB
provides this website, the one you are currently accessing to read
about us. In addition our parent organization's web site provides a wide range of resources
about the Council and its activities, information on our many
state and special interest affiliates, and links to other useful
blindness-related web sites.
Sniffer the teddy bear, made by Sue Robinson for Holly 
Sue Robinson gives Sniffer the teddy bear to Holly - SCKCB
and ACB
Internet Users Group Lists: Our SCKCB
provides an email list to all of our members created to keep us up
to date on issues of interest to blind and low-vision people, such
as changes in laws, pending legislation, new medical developments,
new products and services, and simply as a means of exchanging
information among our members and letting our members know about
our meetings and activities. In addition, our parent organization,
the ACB,
provides several email lists that our members can subscribe to
that facilitates the exchange of information on a broader,
national level and is a forum for open expression of ideas
regarding blindness-related topics. You can join any or all of
these ACB
email lists from ACB's
web site.
- Legislative and Governmental Monitoring: We monitor legislative
activity here in Kentucky, and in like manner, our staff in the ACB national office
routinely monitors legislative issues of vital interest to blind
and visually impaired people on the national level. We assist in
the drafting of legislative language, with the specific needs of
blind people in mind, and sent to key congressional staff to be
included in proposed legislation. Both SCKCB
and ACB
governmental staff advocate on behalf of blind and visually
impaired citizens in congressional hearings, meetings with
government officials and with decision-makers throughout the
government.
Ron showing off his big catch of the day, a blue catfish. 
Ron Milliman at his amateur radio rig where he talks to people from all over the world. - Legislative seminars: Our parent organization, ACB,
sponsors legislative seminars in Washington, D.C. and during our ACB annual national
convention teach blind and visually impaired people how to
advocate for themselves.
- Public Awareness and Education: Through radio and television
public service announcements, special events, and personal
presentations, we, ACB
national and our many other state affiliates and chapters promote
the independence, dignity and advancement of all people who are
blind and visually impaired.
- Legal Advice and Assistance: While the SCKCB
does not get directly involved with any kind of legal advice and
assistance, our parent organization, ACB,
provides free consultation on the rights, services and benefits
available to people who are blind or visually impaired through our
advocacy services program.
- Join the SCKCB: When you join the South Central Kentucky
Council of the Blind, you automatically become a member of our
parent organization, ACB,
and you can begin to immediately benefit from all of the programs
and activities provided by the SCKCB
and ACB. We
hold quarterly meetings featuring special guest speakers,
exhibits, and other activities related to opportunities and
challenges we face in our everyday lives. We seek to assist each
other as a support group, not holding "pity parties," but rather
to encourage each other to overcome challenges we all face in our
daily living, offering solutions to those challenges, and
informing you, as one of our members, of opportunities that will
assist you such as new products and services available, employment
and educational opportunities. Just sharing friendships and
knowing other people who struggle with the same issues and
problems and learning how they overcome them is priceless. To
become a member, go to our Join the SCKCB
Page and complete the form provided.