BANA Elects New Officers at Fall 2026 Meeting

Press Release

November 2026

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jen Goulden, Chair
Braille Authority of North America
613-552-4191; chair@brailleauthority.org

BANA Elects New Officers at Fall 2026 Meeting

The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) held its second 2026 semiannual face-to-face meeting in Atlanta, GA on November 4 through 6. The Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI), a BANA member organization, hosted the meeting at its facilities.

BANA Chair Jen Goulden greeted observers and presided throughout the meeting. Bill Curtis-Davidson, Director of CIDI, welcomed everyone to the meeting and presented an overview of the center and its work.

During its three-day meeting, the BANA Board established its 2027 budget and elected officers for 2027. The new slate of leaders consists of:

  • Chair – Wendy Buckley, representing Perkins School for the Blind
  • Vice Chair – Kyle DeJute, representing the American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
  • Secretary – Hollie Knight, representing the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI)
  • Treasurer – Marie Zaldivar, representing the Alternate Text Production Center of the California Community Colleges (ATPC)

The Board also reviewed semiannual reports from its general, technical, and Board committees, each of which works on specific charges from the Board. The Board acted on recommendations from these committees and issued new charges when appropriate. The Board also created the General Committee on 3D-Printed Models.

The 50th Anniversary Celebration Planning Task Force presented a progress report to the Board, outlining plans for the upcoming virtual event to culminate the year-long celebration of this important milestone. The Board extends a sincere thank you to a generous donor who provided a beautiful cake at the meeting to mark the significance of this golden jubilee.

The Board enjoyed a presentation by CIDI staff members about their work on global accessibility and applications of emerging technologies, followed by a tour of the facilities. 

The California Transcribers and Educators of the Blind and Visually Impaired (CTEBVI) will host the spring 2027 BANA meeting in San Francisco, CA. The meeting will be held at the San Francisco Airport Marriott on April 18 – 20, 2027. Additional information will be announced nearer the meeting date. 

Interested parties are invited to attend and observe the BANA Board’s face-to-face meetings. If you are interested in being an in-person observer, please contact BANA Chair Jen Goulden at 613-552-4191 or by email at chair@brailleauthority.org.

The mission of the Braille Authority of North America is to assure literacy for tactile readers

 through the standardization of braille and/or tactile graphics.