AWARE gives sincere thanks to the Board of Directors of the Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation for supporting the establishment of the VisionAWARE.org site. Special thanks are also owed to Susan Olivo, Vice President and General Manager, and Dianna Kelly-Naghizadeh, Grant Program Manager, for their tremendous belief, commitment and support, in making this website a reality, and to Rob Hilliard, Vice President of Customer Technologies, Reader's Digest Association, Inc., for his generous contributions.
Meet the professionals who share their experiences and knowlege on our site:
Anne is founder and President of AWARE and co-founder of the AWARE Europe Foundation (both not-for-profit organizations). She has 20 years experience as a Rehabilitation Teacher/Vision Rehabilitation Therapist and an additional 15+ years evaluating and designing innovative and/or expanded vision rehabilitation services. As a Rehabilitation Teacher, she taught daily living and communication skills to individuals of all ages with vision impairment.
She has served on the faculty of Salus University (formerly the Pennsylvania College of Optometry), Kyushu University of Health and Social Welfare in Japan, and lectured in the post-graduate Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation Mobility programs with AWARE's sister organization, the AWARE Europe Foundation, at the Maria Grzegorzewska Academy of Special Education in Warsaw, Poland.
As a private consultant to US-based and overseas organizations, she has conducted extensive vision rehabilitation work in Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and South America, and also served as Helen Keller International's global Director of Rehabilitation Services.
Anne has received awards for her services in the US, including the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) Past New York State President Award; George E. Keene Award for outstanding leadership and service in Rehabilitation Teaching, and the Bruce McKenzie Award for outstanding contributions to the field of Rehabilitation Teaching. She has written numerous articles and publications including the long-standing book Toward Independence: The Use of Instructional Objectives in Teaching Daily Living Skills to the Blind published by the American Foundation for the Blind.
Anne also works alongside her husband, David, author of many adventure travel books, who plays an active role in the design and illustration of AWARE's materials.
Maureen is Editorial Director of AWARE. She is the author of Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for Living at Home After Vision Loss [1], New Independence! Environmental Adaptations in Community Facilities for Adults with Vision Impairments (AWARE, 1997), and co-editor of New Independence! For Older Persons with Vision Loss in Long-Term Care Facilities (AWARE, 1991), in addition to numerous book chapters and articles in a variety of professional and academic publications on blindness, vision loss, and aging.
She is Past President of the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy/Rehabilitation Teaching Division of the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI), was the Editor of the Division's newsletter, The RT News, and is a recipient of the prestigious Bruce McKenzie Award for lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to Vision Rehabilitation Therapy/Rehabilitation Teaching.
Maureen is an Adjunct Assistant Professor and past Director of the Graduate Programs in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy/Rehabilitation Teaching at Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation, established in 2008 by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, where she received three Educator of the Year Awards. She also teaches in the post-graduate Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility programs with AWARE's sister organization, the AWARE Europe Foundation, at the Academy of Special Education in Warsaw, Poland.
She is an Associate Editor of The Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness and is on the Board of Directors of the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP).
Nancy is a Past President of the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy/Rehabilitation Teaching Division of the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) and was the Editor of the Division's newsletter, The RT News. Nancy is the author of Sensory Development: Behavioral Objectives for Teaching Older Adventitiously Blind Individuals, published by VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired CIL Publications Series [2]. She is well recognized for 35 years of contributions to the fields of vision rehabilitation therapy, blindness, and vision impairment.
She is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from Western Michigan University's Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies; the prestigious Bruce McKenzie Award for lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to Vision Rehabilitation Therapy/Rehabilitation Teaching; the Charlyn Allen Award, the Meritorious Achievement Award of Merit, and New York State Rehabilitation Teacher of the Year.
Nancy served as consultant to Al Pacino in the film Scent of a Woman and to Nathan Lane, Cicely Tyson, and Brice Howard, as well as the television shows As the World Turns and Guiding Light. She has taught in four of the university training programs in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy/Rehabilitation Teaching in the United States and has contributed to several publications.
Anisio brings to the VisionAWARE team a rich and extensive experience in the field of vision rehabilitation spanning a period of thirty years. A teacher at heart, Anisio began his contributions to the field of vision rehabilitation as a Rehabilitation Teacher, providing both center-based and itinerant instruction to blind and visually impaired adults. He has held numerous senior and executive management positions for small and larger nonprofit organizations in the United States.
Throughout his long career, Anisio has dedicated himself to changing public attitudes about vision loss and increasing the scope and quality of services for people who are blind and have low vision both in the United States and overseas. Blind since childhood, Anisio has been a user of many of the skills and techniques highlighted throughout this website.
Currently, he is the Director of Programs at the Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta, Georgia.
Susan has 30+ years experience in the field of special education and rehabilitation of persons who are blind or have low vision. She is currently a Technology Specialist, Braille Instructor, and Transcriber at St. Joseph's School for the Blind in New Jersey where she teaches braille and provides student instruction in the use of personal computers and adaptive software programs specifically designed for people with vision impairments.
She has served as Assistant Project Coordinator of a paraprofessional training program in vision rehabilitation at Lighthouse International and as a Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired in their certification paraprofessional training program. Susan has overseen field placement supervision of graduate students attending the MA Program for Rehabilitation Teachers of the Blind and Visually Impaired at Hunter College of the City University of New York.
Dr. Lang is an Advisor to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness Vision 2020: The Right to Sight Advocacy and Public Relations Committee, and Senior Consultant to Lighthouse International. In 2005 she retired from her position as Vice President for International Programs after 29 years at the Lighthouse. She has been a university educator of professionals in the United States and Chile in the fields of psychology, education, and blindness and visual impairment.
Mary Ann has served as one of the Editors in Chief of The Lighthouse Handbook on Vision Impairment and Vision Rehabilitation published by Oxford University Press in April 2000 and an author of chapters on Children's Environments and on The Role of Psychosocial Factors in Adaptation to Visual Impairment and Habilitation Outcomes in Children and Youth. Other publications include the Assessment Compendium: Instruments for Assessing the Skills and Interests of Individuals with Visual Impairments, Toys and Play: A Guide to Fun and Development for Children with Impaired Vision, and Getting in Touch with Play: Creating Play Environments for Children with Visual Impairments.
Dr. Miller has been a Doctor of Optometry for 17 years. He is the Director of Low Vision Services at Staten Island University Hospital, and is a faculty member of the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry.
Lawrence is also a member of Lions Club International and Volunteer Optometric Services To Humanity (VOSH). He has conducted overseas work and lectured extensively on various topics related to vision, vision loss, low vision, and vision rehabilitation services. He has also received several awards for community service.
Dr. Miller provides information about vision changes that occur with age and questions to ask your doctor during an eye examination.
Dr. Mogk is the author of All About Macular Degeneration [3], a Special Issue of our Are You AWARE? newsletter.
Dr. Mogk is the founding director of the Visual Rehabilitation and Research Center of Michigan, part of Henry Ford Health System Eye Care Services [4] and co-author (with her daughter Marja Mogk, Ph.D.) of Macular Degeneration: The Complete Guide to Saving and Maximizing Your Sight [5].
Dr. Mogk is the former chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Vision Rehabilitation Committee and and a current member of the editorial boards of AAO's EyeNet and the American Foundation for the Blind's Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. She speaks regularly to physicians, vision rehabilitation specialists, occupational therapists, and community organizations nationwide about macular degeneration and visual rehabilitation.
Dr. Mogk is especially skilled in explaining the complexities of macular degeneration in easy-to-understand language.
Lisa-Anne is the author of "Safety in the Home" downloadable resources [6], a series of 1-2 page documents that contain easy-to-follow tips and hints for adjusting to life with vision loss.
She has been involved in the field of vision impairment for over 29 years. Lisa-Anne is Assistant Chief at the Eastern Blind Rehabilitation Center in the Veterans' Administration Connecticut Healthcare System. She has also worked in direct service and administrative positions for a number of agencies in New York and Pennsylvania.
Lisa-Anne has been a lecturer and adjunct faculty member on blindness and visual impairment for several universities. She has served on the International Board of the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI), and on local and regional boards of AERBVI.
She is a recipient of the Bruce McKenzie Award for lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to Rehabilitation Teaching, and the New York State Rehabilitation Teacher of the Year Award. She has published a number of articles and is a frequent speaker at conferences and professional training programs.
Dona is the author of An Introduction to Orientation and Mobility [7], a Special Issue of our Are You AWARE? newsletter
She is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and provides itinerant orientation and mobility services to blind and visually impaired adults and teenagers in Maryland and suburban Washington, DC. She earned a Master's degree specializing in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) from Western Michigan University.
Dona has a special interest in working with people who are deaf-blind. She also has a special interest in street crossings, especially where there is no traffic control, and has produced articles and videotapes and given numerous presentations around the world on this issue.
Her book, Independence Without Sight or Sound: Suggestions for Practitioners Working With Deaf-Blind Adults [8], published by the American Foundation for the Blind, received the C. Warren Bledsoe Publication Award. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Lawrence Blaha Award for outstanding contributions to the field of Orientation and Mobility.
Victoria is the Executive Director of the International Eye Foundation [9] and has 34 years experience in ophthalmology and 27 years in international blindness prevention. She is a recognized leader in the field of blindness prevention and has worked with WHO's "Programme for Prevention of Blindness" in Geneva where she designed and produced public education materials.
She lectures at US and UK universities and at international conferences; has authored over 21 articles and contributed to three book chapters on blindness in the developing world. She is a Co-Chair of the North America Region of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness; Chaired the "Partnership Committee of International NGOs Dedicated to the Prevention of Blindness and the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind" in collaboration with WHO, 1993-1998; is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's (AAO) Committee on International Ophthalmology; and was an officer of InterAction.
Victoria received an AAO Achievement Award in 1999, and the 1990 Statesmanship Award from the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology. She has served on the UN Association/National Capital Area Board and received its Human Rights Award in 1998. She has professional experience in 39 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.
Debbie is the author of An Introduction to Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy [10], a Special Issue of our Are You AWARE? newsletter.
Debbie is a private practitioner and consultant in the fields of diabetes and disability, and vision loss. She is a certified vision rehabilitation therapist, diabetes educator, low vision therapist, and a licensed occupational therapist. She has worked as a clinician for more than 20 years and is an adjunct instructor at Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation, established in 2008 by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and Lighthouse International, New York.
Debbie is a past Chairperson of the American Association of Diabetes Educators’ (AADE) Disabilities Specialty Practice Group (DSPG) and is editor of their newsletter. She is AADE’s liaison with the National Eye Health Education Program of the National Eye Institute.
She is a recipient of the Certificate of Recognition from the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy/Rehabilitation Teaching Division of the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI). Debbie writes regularly about diabetes self-management for the Division's newsletter, The RT News, and was recently awarded the prestigious Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Publication Award.
Debbie fosters collaboration between low vision professionals, occupational therapists, and diabetes educators and has presented at the national and state conferences of AADE, the American Occupational Therapy Association, and AERBVI. She has published numerous articles about diabetes and diabetes self-management in a wide range of professional journals and textbooks.
Stephanie is the author of AWARE's NEW INDEPENDENCE! Craft Adaptations for Adults with Vision Impairments (Revised) [11]. She also wrote A Day on the Road with Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Stephanie Stephens Van [12], an informative article that explains to readers of VisionAWARE what a VRT does to help people cope with vision impairment.
She has 25 years experience as a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, Rehabilitation Teacher, and Certified Low Vision Therapist. She has been an Activities Director, Supervisor of Rehabilitation and Social Services, and consultant for a variety of public and private vision rehabilitation agencies. Stephanie has a Master's degree in Blind Rehabilitation from Western Michigan University.
Stephanie has lectured nationally on adapted crafts and leisure activities; adjustment to blindness and low vision; functional vision skills; and activities of daily living. She is also an Adjunct Instructor at Salus University College of Education and Rehabilitation, established in 2008 by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.
Dr. Turner is the author of two Special Issue Are You AWARE? newsletters: An Introduction to Cataracts [13] and An Introduction to Cataract Surgery [14].
Dr. Turner is a staff comprehensive ophthalmologist at Henry Ford Health System's Grosse Pointe Ophthalmology [4]. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee with a BA in chemistry, received her MD from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center.
She lectures widely on many topics in ophthalmology to ophthalmology residents, family medicine residents, emergency medicine residents, ophthalmic technicians, surgical technicians, and patients.
Valerie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Manager of Social Services in primary health care at Montefiore Hospital's Comprehensive Family Care Center in Bronx, New York.
Prior to her current position, Valerie was employed for twenty years at Lighthouse International where she served as Director of Community Awareness for New York City, overseeing the Direct Services Department's citywide programs. During her 20 year career at the Lighthouse, Ms. Ward also served as the Director of Independent Living Services for Manhattan and the Bronx. In this capacity, she provided clinical supervision to licensed Social Workers, Field Work Supervisors and Graduate Students as well as administrative supervision to Vision Rehabilitation Therapists, and Orientation/ Mobility Specialists and the Intake/Registration staff.
She is Assistant Adjunct Professor at New York University's Graduate School of Social Work, and serves as a member of NYU's School of Social Work Undergraduate Advisory Committee, the Bronx Borough President's Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities, and the Board of The Fund for the Advancement of Social Services (FASS) a not-for- profit, research, educational and advocacy organization addressing social policy issues in New York City.
John is the author of Employment and Workplace Adaptations for Adults Who are Blind or Have Low Vision [15] and Starting a Career: The School to Work Transition [16].
He has been a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Consultant for 26 years. He was the president of Independent Consultants, Vocational Rehabilitation Inc., and initiated the position of Youth/Career Coordinator with the Braille Institute of America. The California State Rehabilitation Bureau appointed him as an Independent Vocational Evaluator (IVE) on more than 200 cases, and he has served as an expert witness for numerous legal cases pertaining to disability and work issues.
John served as Co-Chairperson of the 2006 California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped Conference, and as a Board Member of the Southern California chapter of AER. While at the Braille Institute, he developed job fairs and work training programs that resulted in dozens of individuals returning to and maintaining employment.
He also spearheaded the development of the "Braille Challenge," an annual braille skills contest that involves hundreds of braille reading students across the United States and Canada. He has published a number of articles and is a frequent instructor and speaker at conferences and professional training programs.
And a special thanks to VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired [17]:
We also give our sincere thanks to Roger Blum, Reginald Brown, Lenny Gaskin, Carmen Gomez, Eleanor Isaacson, Larry Matlaw, Bill Sharp, Debbie Zanca and Dawn Suvino, Director of Information Services and Technology Training at Visions/Services for the Blind for their enthusiasm and generosity in evaluating the initial pilot VisionAWARE web site. Special thanks are also owed to Nancy Miller, Executive Director of Visions/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired for generously welcoming AWARE to VISIONS.
Links:
[1] http://www.amazon.com/dp/0891283870?tag=vi0c-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0891283870&adid=0J4EN6FXQ8QS39AVJVYV&
[2] http://visionsvcb.org/cil_publications.html#TeachingManuals
[3] http://www.visionaware.org/are_you_aware_may_2007
[4] http://www.visionaware.org/MI-Henry-Ford-Eye-Care-Services
[5] http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http://www.amazon.com/Macular-Degeneration-Complete-Saving-Maximizing/dp/0345457110?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217981761&sr=1-1&tag=vi0c-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
[6] http://www.visionaware.org/download_resources
[7] http://www.visionaware.org/are_you_aware_july_2008
[8] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0891282467?ie=UTF8&tag=vi0c-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0891282467
[9] http://www.iefusa.org/
[10] http://www.visionaware.org/are_you_aware_september_2007
[11] http://www.visionaware.org/craft_adaptations_for_adults_with_vision_impairments
[12] http://www.visionaware.org/Vision-Rehabilitation-Therapist-Techniques
[13] http://www.visionaware.org/are_you_aware_may_2008_cataracts_0
[14] http://www.visionaware.org/are_you_aware_may_2008_cataract_surgery
[15] http://www.visionaware.org/employment-adults-blind-low-vision
[16] http://www.visionaware.org/starting-career-blind-low-vision
[17] http://www.visionaware.org/visions-services-blind-visually-impaired