American Council of the Blind of Texas Annual Conference

The 2023 Conference/Convention of the American Council of the Blind of Texas is scheduled to be held in San Antonio at the Doubletree by Hilton San Antonio Airport Hotel. The 2023 event will be the 45th annual Conference/Convention of ACBT! Located at 611 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, the hotel was the site of the 2014 Conference/Convention but was then the Hilton San Antonio Airport Hotel. The hotel offers complimentary self-parking in the parking garage, Complimentary internet service in guest rooms and meeting space, complimentary business center, fitness center, outdoor pool, on-site restaurant, and Starbucks. The hotel is located less than 2 miles from the San Antonio International Airport and provides a complimentary airport shuttle. The hotel is just a few blocks from the North Star Mall. advertised as one of the largest malls in Texas. The mall hosts a variety of restaurants and shopping opportunities!

The Committee chose: “Riding the waves to better accessibility with ACBT” as this year’s theme! The Conference/Convention Planning Committee is planning sessions including advocacy, leadership, employment, aging well with vision loss, updates on eye diseases and of course the exhibit hall featuring the latest technology and much more. A guide dog relief area will also be in place.

The Conference/Convention dates are August 24-27, 2023 with the Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 24. Sessions will be on Friday and Saturday, with the annual luncheon and banquet on Saturday and the awards breakfast and business meeting scheduled on Sunday morning.

We are pleased to announce that David Trott, current ACB Treasurer (Candidate for ACB First Vice President) will be the national representative and keynote for the 45th annual Conference/Convention!

A Riverwalk boat tour is scheduled for Friday, August 25 at 10:00 AM with time to enjoy lunch at any of the many restaurants along the riverwalk. More details coming soon.

There will be an accessible “escape room”, the first ever in Texas on Friday and Saturday.

Have you been to a carnival lately? Well, you are in for a treat as there will be a carnival on Friday evening designed especially for people who are blind! however, everyone is invited to join the fun! Watch your email for more details!

The virtual auction will be held using Zoom at 6:00 pm CDT on Sunday, August 20th. The Silent Auction will be held in person on Saturday afternoon, August 26th, prior to the banquet. Please visit the Auction List page for full instructions on how to participate in each auction. A drawing will be held for a Cosori all-in-one eight function grill /Air fryer, (a smart product which can be used with an Alexa or Google product), a $169.00 meat package from Omaha Steaks, a talking meat thermometer and an Echo Dot! The package is valued at $400.00! Tickets are $10.00 and will be available on the pre-registration form and at the Conference/Convention. You don’t have to be present to win!

The Conference/Convention registration fee is $65.00. Online registration will begin in mid-June. Paper registration forms will only be mailed upon request.

The room rate is $102.00 plus 18.1%, tax ($120.46) per night for up to 2 people per room. An additional $10.00 is charged for up to two additional people. You may make reservations online at:   ACBT 2023 Convention or by calling the hotel at (210) 340-6060. The deadline to make your reservation is July 23., 2023. In order to get the group rate, you must remember to tell the reservationist   that you are with the American Council of the Blind of Texas.