Dear ACB Radio Listeners and Friends,
On behalf of the ACB President, ACB Directors, the Board of Publications,
ACB staff and ACB Radio volunteers, I would like to take this opportunity to
express our utmost gratitude for your continuing support of one of the most
enduring and influential projects of it’s type in the online Blind
Community. Whether you listen for ten minutes per month, or for ten hours
per day, you are the reason ACB Radio has been online for six years.
Without your support there would be no point. Thank you.
Since I became interim director of ACB Radio in July 2003 ACB Radio has
continued to evolve thanks to the tireless efforts of our magnificent team
of volunteers and the continuing support and interaction with our listener
community. Over the past two and a half years ACB Radio has facilitated
internet coverage of: an increasing number of ACB State conventions
including Washington, Florida and Pennsylvania amongst others, the two most
recent ACB national conventions in Alabama and Nevada, and in December 2004
ACB Radio was honoured and privileged to be invited to broadcast the Sixth
General Assembly of the World Blind Union live from South Africa. This
event included the highlight of my career to date, working with Geoff Shang
to make possible live and exclusive coverage of an address to the World
Blind Union by the elected president of South Africa Thabu Mbeki. It’s not
every day our community can tune into an address concerning blindness from a
world leader, and ACB Radio was there! We would not have been there without
you the ACB Radio listeners.
The numbers of ACB Radio volunteers, listener hours and email group members
have continued to increase with people checking in from places as far apart
as France and Fiji! In the last couple of years ACB Radio has established
web, production, technical and administration teams as well as researched
and implemented an interactive web content management system, as well as
designed a broadcaster database system in-house to manage contact and
scheduling information for ACB Radio Interactive. We now have title
streaming and monthly programming on the ACB Radio Café, and new flagship
shows like Marlaina and Tuesday Topics on Mainstream continue to engage
listeners and connect our community. ACB Radio now offers a selection of
podcasts and highly relevant blindness RSS news feeds including Assistive
Technology News, Guide Dog News, Blind Sports News and Blind Arts News.
Finally, for the last two years ACB Radio has been consistently ranked in
the top two or three search results for the words “blind and radio” on the
world’s leading search engine Google.
For personal reasons I recently chose to take a temporary break from ACB
Radio. This was not a decision I took likely, but one which I believed was
in the best interests of myself and ACB Radio. My break was taken with the
full knowledge and support of the ACB President, and provided me with a
valuable opportunity to gain some well needed rest and perspective. During
my break it became obvious to me that the time had come for some kind of
change both for myself and for ACB Radio. This was purely a personal
decision, taken after careful thought and private consultation.
Three weeks ago I was offer a technical support position with Dolphin
Computer Access in Worcester here in the UK. This is a fulltime position
with a leading developer of screen access software both for desktop PCs and
handheld PDAs, presenting a range of new and stimulating challenges. On
Wednesday 1 March I spoke to the ACB Radio President and indicated that and
in order that ACB Radio be enabled with some fresh direction, and in order
that I can pursue this opportunity with Dolphin, after nearly 3 years of
service I wished to stand down as ACB Radio Director. My resignation was
accepted immediately and is effective at the end of the month.
When I informed the ACB President of my intention to stand down, I also made
it perfectly clear that I wanted to use my remaining time to help the
president to find a workable interim solution until a permanent replacement
could be found. Eventually ACB will want to advertise for and appoint a new
ACB Radio Director. However, plans for an Interim solution are
well-underway and I am confident an announcement will be made in due course.
You can be sure that I am definitely not turning my back on ACB Radio. I
was an ACB Radio volunteer for a long time before I was ACB Radio Director.
ACB Radio has been an important part of my life for six years. I will
continue to be a loyal ACB Radio supporter for as long as possible.
Eventually, once I’m settled in my new post with Dolphin, I hope to be back
as a ACB Radio volunteer.
It has been a pleasure to serve the ACB Radio community for these last two
and a half years, and I have made many great friends around the world
through my work with ACB Radio. I have found ACB people to be warm and
welcoming, and I sincerely hope I will remain part of ACB’s extended family.
I would certainly love to be around in 2011 when ACB celebrates it’s
fiftieth birthday.
ACB Radio works best when we work together. I am confident that when my
successor or successors are announced, you will do as you have done with me,
in lending your valuable and constructive support.
All the best and many thanks.
—
Dave Williams
Director, ACB Radio