2026 Fall Conference

It is our pleasure to invite you to the Bay State Council of the Blind (BSCB) Fall Conference, which will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2026, in hybrid fashion: in person at the Carroll Center for the Blind’s Rachel Rosenbaum Technology Center, and remotely via Zoom. The address is 770 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02458. In-person registration will begin at 9:00 AM. The conference will start at 9:45 AM and end at 4:00 PM.

In-person participants will pay a $25 registration fee to defray lunch costs. There is no registration fee for remote participants. 

In-person registration is limited to 50 registrants. Once that limit is reached, in-person registration will close and an announcement will be sent. Please register early to reserve your place.

Morning refreshments, including coffee and pastries, will be provided prior to the 9:45 AM start. Cold beverages will also be provided during lunch.

Lunch

Lunches will be ordered from the C & N Restaurant in Newton.

Salads include plain Lays potato chips and homemade chocolate chip cookie.

  • Garden Salad
  • Caesar salad
  • Greek salad
  • Cape Codder: spinach, arugula, grape tomatoes, walnuts, cranberries, goat, cheese, balsamic dressing.

Wraps include lettuce, tomatoes, plain Lays potato chips and homemade chocolate chip cookie.

  • Tuna fish
  • Chicken salad
  • Falafel

Bulky Roll Sandwiches, choice of cheese American, Provolone or Swiss, includes lettuce, tomatoes, plain potato chips, and homemade chocolate chip cookie.

  • Roast Beef
  • Turkey

Hot Sandwiches served on a bulky roll, includes lettuce, tomatoes, plain Lays potato chips, and homemade chocolate chip cookie.

  • Grilled Chicken with choice of cheese American, Provolone or Swiss.
  • Steak & cheese, plain
  • Steak & Cheese with peppers, onions and mushrooms.

Assisted Listening Devices

Please also note that assistive listening devices will be available. Email David at davidkingsbury77@gmail.com if you’d like to reserve one. We will have somebody available to show you how to operate it on the day of the conference.

How to Register

There are several ways for you to register. You can register electronically by filling out the form at the following link:

Register for the BSCB 2026 Fall Conference

After submitting your completed form, a message will pop up with a link to a PayPal page for paying your $25 registration fee. In-person attendees should open the link and pay the fee. Remote participants should ignore this pop up. 

You can also leave a voice mail on our Philmore line at (773) 572-6312, indicating that you would like to give your information over the phone. You will receive a call back within 48 hours and you can give your payment and lunch choice information then. 

If you wish to pay by cash on the day of the conference, you can also indicate this by leaving a voice mail on the Philmore line. Please leave your name and phone number so we can confirm to you that we received your message. We prefer you prepay because it makes our administrative job easier. 

You can also register in-person the day of the conference. However, the registration fee will still be $25 and there is no guarantee that you will receive lunch.

Remote registrants will be emailed Zoom information a few days before the conference.

Optional Donations

If you would like to make an optional donation to BSCB, please open the PayPal link below:

Donate to BSCB

Door Prizes

Throughout the day of the conference, we will be awarding door prizes to both in-person and remote registrants, provided that they are BSCB members. For the most part, these will be small gift certificates. If you would like to donate a door prize, please contact Shirley Dorris at ladyshirl519@gmail.com.

Availability of a BSCB Transportation Subsidy 

In recognition of the difficulty that BSCB members have in traveling across regional transit authority zones to attend BSCB events, the Board has established a transportation subsidy policy. If you are coming to the Fall Conference from outside the MBTA zone, you may be reimbursed up to $100 for this cost. It will be reimbursed only after you have participated in the Fall Conference. 

Elements of the policy are:

  • Only BSCB members in good standing are eligible for the subsidy.
  • Reimbursement is limited to travel to BSCB statewide events: the Spring convention, the Fall conference, and Social Committee-organized events. Chapter-sponsored events are not included.
  • A member may request up to $100 per event and must submit their reimbursement through this Transportation Subsidy Request Google Form. Reimbursement is for actual travel costs. It is not a flat rate.
  • The $100 per event limit does not mean that the subsidy covers two $100 fares of a roundtrip, but a maximum of up to $100 per event.

Pooled travel among members is encouraged in order to minimize costs. If an individual member pays for a pooled trip for themselves as well as for several other members, reimbursement may be requested up to the maximum of $100 per member. 

Conference Program

Registration will begin at 9:00 AM, followed by the general session, beginning promptly at 9:45 AM. The conference will conclude at 4:00 PM.

The program will feature an AI presentation; a Glide and Echo Vision Glasses presentation; an advocacy presentation with Senator Cynthia Stone Creem and Senator Robin Kennedy; keynote speaker Cindy Hollis, Manager of Membership Engagement; and games and door prizes. The full agenda will be sent separately.

We look forward to seeing you on November 21, either in Newton or over Zoom.