The Utah Council of The Blind

Statewide Training Conference

September 11-12, 2026 – Statewide Training Conference, Logan
VISION BEYOND SIGHT: UNLOCKING YOUR POTENTIAL
The Utah Council of the Blind is excited to announce its upcoming State Training Conference, scheduled for September 11–12 in Logan, Utah. This year's event will take place at the Beautiful Riverwoods Conference Center, 635 Riverwood Parkway Logan Utah.
What You Can Look Forward To:
The conference will include an informational update from the Utah State Library for the Blind, along with an entertaining author trivia game where attendees can compete for prizes.
Technology enthusiasts can look forward to a Resource and technology fair, complete with vendors and opportunities to explore new assistive tools and devices. Smart Glasses, how can they unlock your potential? Come and find out. A Humanware representative will provide a unique audible experience demonstrating The Meta Glasses as well as give you the opportunity to try them on and experience them for yourself.
A representative of Guide Dogs for the Blind will give an update including more information about their new facility and how they are adding orientation and mobility to their training repertoire. Along with this report will be a chance to meet other guide dog users and ask questions.
In an exciting new partnership, the conference will feature activities led by Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, an accessible outdoor adventure program. Participants will have the opportunity to try out archery as well as one additional hands-on activity that will be announced soon.
Looking for an exciting encounter? Scales And Tails, a local reptile zoo, will be sure to provide a safe, educational and interactive presentation.
Staying Friday night? Get ready to kick back and have a blast with accessible games, great company and a chance to win awesome prizes. Of course, don’t forget the ice cream!

Registering for the Conference:
Registration for the conference is $60, and there will be no partial registration options.
The fee includes:
Conference admission
Two box lunches
One evening reception
One banquet meal
Registration and transportation for the conference can be made by following this link UCB Statewide Conference 2026: www.utahblind.org/ucbconference.html
Or calling our office: 801-245-9264 -Monday – Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Accommodations:
SpringHill suites has available rooms blocked at a special rate for attendees at a rate of $179 per night plus tax.
Hotel rooms must be booked before August 14th. Any rooms booked and needing to be canceled must be canceled before August 4th or you will be charged the full room price.
All suite accommodations include:
In-suite microwave and a mini fridge
Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi and smart TV's
Complimentary daily hot breakfast
Complimentary parking and zero resort fees
Outdoor patio attached to indoor swimming pool
Indoor heated swimming pool and hot tub
Fully equipped fitness center
To book your room you may select the following link, which will take you to an accessible web page where you can choose the exact dates, how many guests will be staying in a room and pay for your stay.
Book your group rate for Utah Council of the Blind: https://app.marriott.com/reslink?id=1772497085597&key=GRP&app=resvlink
You may also call the hotel sales coordinator, Abby, at her direct line: (435) 750-9395.
She is happy to help you with booking a room or answer any questions you might have. Be sure to tell her you are with the Utah Council of the Blind, so she can be sure to get you the discounted price.
More details, including the final activity lineup, will be shared soon. Attendees are encouraged to mark their calendars and prepare for two days of learning, connection, technology exploration, and fun.

Transportation to UCB Statewide Training Conference

Upon request The Utah Council of the Blind will provide transportation from the Blind Center to the conference. This service will be provided each day of the conference and there will be a $5.00 charge each way per person. More details, including the final activity lineup, will be shared soon. Attendees are encouraged to mark their calendars and prepare for two days of learning, connection, technology exploration, and fun.

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UCB Expands Transportation Support for Members

Beginning June 1, the Utah Council of the Blind (UCB) is excited to announce an increase in transportation support for its members. This enhanced benefit is designed to encourage program participants to support the organization in helping individuals who are blind or visually impaired maintain independence and access their communities more easily.

Members who participate in the transportation program will now receive an additional $10 each month in Uber, Lyft, or local cab coupons. That means participants will pay $50 and receive a total of $110 in ride credits each month — providing even greater value and flexibility for essential travel. Non-members will, of course, still be able to pay $50 and receive a total of $100 in ride credits each month.

Becoming a member of UCB is simple and affordable. Annual membership is just $10 and includes affiliation with the American Council of the Blind, UCB's national affiliate organization. Members benefit from receiving updates and information from both organizations, along with access to discounts on events, activities, tours, and training conferences.

To join, individuals can call the UCB office at: 801-245-9264. During registration, basic information will be collected, including name, mailing address, level of visual impairment (such as totally blind, visually impaired, or legally blind), and preferred format for communication. Members may choose to receive correspondence in large print, email, or audio CD.

Lifetime memberships are also available, with pricing based on age.

The Utah Council of the Blind remains committed to empowering individuals through increased access, resources, and community connection. This expanded transportation benefit is just one more way the UCB is working to support independence and improve quality of life for its members, as well as all blind and visually impaired residents of Utah.

Go to our Cab Coupons web page: Click Here

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Listen to Smart Glasses Activity from 4/18/2026

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Interview with Anna Jeffery on VoyageUtah

Just wanted to let you know that the article is now live on VoyageUtah!

Here's the link:
Go To VoyageUtah Article

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Listen to UCB Interview, 2023

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The Utah Council of the Blind, also known as UCB, is a membership organization made up primarily of blind and visually impaired individuals who seek to improve the lives of people with various degrees of vision loss. We are a state affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), which gives us a national voice, yet allows us to be independent in creating our own goals, programs, along with keeping and using donations within the State of Utah. The UCB is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, which allows donations to our organization to be tax deductible. Our members pay a small annual fee, but we primarily depend on grants, private donations, and small fundraising events throughout the year to provide the funding for our many programs and activities.

Our organization uses over 90% of all income solely for our programs, with less than 10% spent on administrative costs. With that in mind, in order to keep our overhead costs down, all of our board members and our executive director work on a volunteer basis. We also have a large need for volunteers to complete various tasks, from office work, driving, reading mail, helping with getting large mailings ready to send, and soliciting donations to assist with setting-up, running, and taking down of activities.

Smith's Rewards

First, you must have a Smith's rewards card. If you do not have this card, ask for one at a checkout or service desk when you are at Smith's. For those of you who use your rewards cards to earn gasoline discounts, be aware that the Community Rewards do not affect those discounts at all. You will still be able to accumulate fuel points as before.

Second, you must have registered the card online. To do this, go to www.smithsfoodanddrug.com, follow the link to register and fill out the form with your email address, a password you create, your home store, etc.
To assign the UCB as your charitable organization: