Our Chairman, Dave Wiliams, was thrilled to have addressed the American Council of the Blind (ACB) at their 64th Annual National Conference & Convention held in Dallas, Texas. On 10 July 2025, Dave delivered the keynote speech at the annual Convention banquet to a sold out audience. He called for greater investmentt in braille as a proven literacy tool that can transform the lives of blind people around the world. He was introduced by ACB Treasurer and Master of Ceremonies, the Reverend Michael Garrett, from Missouri City, Texas. Sponsorship With thanks to Dot Inc. for sponsoring Dave's attendance. Find out more about Dot Pad X and the Raising the Dots Podcast. Dot is proud to have played its part in the Monarch, in partnership with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and HumanWare. Links Related to the Braillists National Braille Press (NBP) Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation Points of Light award 1982, 8 February 2023 Links Related to Braille The International Council on English Braille (ICEB) Links Related to RNIB RNIB, the Royal National Institute of Blind People RNIB Tech Talk Links Related to ACB ACB Media Braille Revival League Links Related to the World Blind Union and European Blind Union World Blind Union (WBU) European Blind Union (EBU) Living Braille, the website of the EBU Braille Working Group Links Related to Running Parkrun UK Couch to 5K (C25K) Abbott World Marathon Majors Full Text of Dave's Speech Good evening ACB President, friends, advocates, everyone here and online. Thank you for your hospitality! I am grateful for your invitation to share in ACB's “Big Dreams and Bold Ideas”, not only this week here in Dallas, but over many decades in many places far beyond your shores. It is a privilege to stand before you tonight, as someone whose life has been profoundly shaped by this movement. Let me begin with a deeply personal truth: for a long time, I resented my blindness. Like many, I struggled to accept blindness as part of my identity. Through you, I learned to think differently, to dream boldly, and to act decisively. That shift in perspective changed everything. It is why I am here tonight—to celebrate what is possible when we embrace who we are and empower others to do the same. Our blindness stories break down barriers and build bridges. They turn isolation into community, fear into action, and doubt into confidence. Together, I believe we can ignite that transformation for countless others. When I talk about blind people, I intend “blind” in the broadest sense. Whether you identify as blind, low vision, vision impaired, we are all valued in this community and our voices carry equal importance. And if you are a sighted person who works to elevate the voices of blind people, we thank you for your solidarity. Before I share how it was you in this movement who taught this northern English lad to feel differently about my blindness, becoming a passionate braille advocate and Six-star World Marathon Majors Finisher, we must extend our gratitude to our friends at Dot, who's support means I can be with you here tonight. I know many of you took the opportunity this week to get your hands on Dot Pad X, a highly versatile multiline braille and tactile display portable enough to be carried in a schoolbag. Dot's technology is disrupting the braille display industry. Using Dot Pad and the Dot Canvas app, I recently supported my sighted 16-year-old son's math revision and got to touch his signature for the first time. Dot and partners are delivering new educational and employment opportunities we could only dream of just a few years ago. Do we have any first timers here? My first ACB Convention was Birmingham, Alabama. Your Birmingham in July is a bit warmer than our Birmingham near my home in England. We simply do not have anything like these blindness conventions in the UK. I jumped in at the deep end with you. 2003 was an eventful year for ACB. General Session ran over into an extra day. As Director of ACB Radio, I was responsible for making sure ACB's membership, and listeners tuned in from offices and homes in countless countries, could hear our coverage. And while we were very well looked after by ACB's Alabama affiliate, the internet connectivity at convention that year was especially problematic and seamed to get even more challenging during the liveliest debates. My purpose then, as it is today, is to empower as many blind people as possible by increasing our access to the information and tools we need to live our best lives. A year before Birmingham, ACB Radio's founder and mentor to many of us decided to move on. I took the call. My predecessor, Jonathan Mosen, would be an impossible act for anyone to follow. But he believed in me. Long before ACB Radio, as a young blind man, I avoided the tools and skills that could have empowered me. I resisted the cane. I dismissed braille. I thought these things marked me as “different” in a way I was not ready to accept. I mistakenly believed specialist skills separated me from sighted people. These days we would say “othering”. I cast those skills aside for a long time. It took me years to recognise that confidence can come from a cane or guide dog, and enjoying bedtime stories with our kids can come from braille. The voices I heard on ACB Radio via my dial-up modem—leaders like Marlaina Lieberg and Paul Edwards—challenged me to rethink what it meant to be blind. They taught me that tools like braille and the white cane do not separate us from society—they connect us to the people and world around us. Their advocacy lifted me up, and I realized I could be part of something bigger. When I took on the role of ACB Radio Director, I was terrified. Could a young man from a small town in the UK really lead an initiative that connected blind people across the globe? But I said yes. Why? Because this movement showed me the power of taking risks. And because I knew that by sharing our stories, we could empower others to do the same. One of my first tasks as ACB Radio Director was to convince Marlaina to host her own talk show. She was so humble and asked me what if nobody listened? What would we even call it? I told her I was sure everyone would listen, and the name of the show would be Marlaina. Like many of you, I miss her lots and think of her often. I also knew Paul Edwards was a natural broadcaster and must have his own show. He teamed up with Brian Charlson, and Tuesday Topics was born. You certainly kept me busy. When I was not producing audio or trying to secure sponsors, my email and phone rang 24/7. If it were not a server in California needing a reboot, it was listeners frustrated they had missed the latest episode of Main Menu, Blind Handyman or Cooking in the Dark, and would I please send it to them? I convinced our tiny team of volunteer software developers to build us a listen again on-demand service, an early form of podcasting. ACB Radio did not just stream content; it brought blind people together online, long before Zoom calls and virtual conventions became the norm. We created opportunities for storytelling, advocacy, and community that spanned continents. From broadcasting ACB conventions to global events like the World Blind Union General Assembly, we ensured that the voices of blind people could be heard. The impact did not stop there. ACB Radio became a launchpad for careers, a platform for innovation, and a catalyst for change. It inspired similar initiatives worldwide. It proved that when blind people lead, we redefine what is possible. That legacy continues today through ACB Media, and its ripple effects are felt in every corner of our community. We will never know how many blind lives this priceless service has transformed. When it was my turn to pass on the ACB Radio baton, it was to join a team working on one of the first mobile screen readers with touch support. Talks, Mobile Speak and Pocket Hal pioneered many of the concepts we now take for granted in VoiceOver on iPhone and Talkback on Android. Following the early success of ACB Radio, blind people in many nations started their own online radio stations. In 2003, the Royal National Institute of Blind People in the UK launched Europe's first station for the blind community, now known as RNIB Connect Radio. I worked at RNIB for 6 years as their Inclusive Design Ambassador. We partnered with companies like Canon, Netflix, and Sony to advance their accessibility efforts. My ACB Radio experience meant I was also invited to host around 150 episodes of RNIB's flagship technology show, Tech Talk. We were recognised by the UK radio industry and were awarded community station of the year in 2024. As well as interviewing many movers and shakers from the technology world, including accessibility leaders from Microsoft and Google, I had the incredible honour in March 2024 of recording a short interview with legendary singer songwriter Stevie Wonder. As we were introduced, I recalled the awe with which Marlaina had interviewed Ronnie Milsap years earlier. She had taught me that it is ok to feel that child-like excitement even during the moments that define our careers. After shaking Stevie's hand, I asked if he would be willing to share some messages about accessibility and inclusion with our blind brothers and sisters in the UK. I held my breath. He said let us do that now. I began recording. He asked about my recording equipment, and he playfully imitated my English accent. You should hear his Bob Dylan. As we were talking, we were forced to move due to being jostled by the crowd. Before I could grab my cane, Stevie took my arm in his and proceeded to walk us both forward. Hold the phone, I am now being sighted guided by Stevie Wonder? He said, “don'
