Tradition held true this year at the American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference (AFBLC), as leaders in the blindness field and organizations that work to positively impact the lives of people with disabilities received well-deserved accolades and recognition. Presentations of the Helen Keller Achievement Awards, Migel Medals, and the Stephen Garff Marriott Award were, once again, highlights of the conference.
This article identifies this year's recipients of these prestigious awards and provides a glimpse into the reasons they were selected.
Congratulations to each and every recipient!
The Helen Keller Achievement Award: Amazon, Northrop Grumman, and Cyrus Habib
AFB established the Helen Keller Achievement Awards in 1994 to acknowledge Keller's extraordinary efforts toward improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. The annual awards recognize individuals and organizations who have continued these efforts. Presented at a gala dinner on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, this year's recipients were Amazon, Northrop Grumman, and Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib. Past recipients include Apple, Google, Netflix, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles.
Amazon was recognized for its culture of inclusion, which has resulted in the innovation of its products, services, and website to the benefit of people of all abilities. The company has integrated its VoiceView screen reader into Kindle and Fire TV devices; integrated VoiceView with braille input and output support into the last several generations of Fire tablets; added alt text and accessible math support to Kindle for PC and Fire OS; brought audio description to hundreds of Prime Video titles, including new Amazon Studios movies and TV shows; and pioneered voice interfaces with Alexa and the growing family of Echo devices. Additionally, Amazon has made ongoing improvements to the accessibility of the retail shopping experience, including requiring third-party sellers to provide alt text for their product images; adding a voice interface to Amazon Lockers; and creating a dedicated customer service line for customers with disabilities. With these efforts, Amazon is allowing individuals with visual impairments to enjoy the same entertainment and consumer options and functionality as their sighted peers.
Northrop Grumman was recognized for its efforts to foster an open and trusting environment that values diversity, is truly inclusive, and creates strong engagement for all members of its team. For three years in a row, Northrop Grumman has been recognized as a leading disability employer by the National Organization on Disability, for its exemplary disability hiring and employment practices. For the last four years, Northrop Grumman has received the highest ranking on the Disability Equality Index, a ranking produced by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN. The company also received the 2018 Employer of the Year award for significant policies, strategies and initiatives that have resulted in measurable results in disability inclusiveness in the workplace. This is the result of a concerted effort to work with external stakeholder groups to recruit and develop diverse talent by creating a space for employees with different backgrounds and perspectives. For example, Northrop Grumman's Operation IMPACT (Injured Military Pursuing Assisted Career Transition) program, created in 2005, provides personalized placement assistance, community outreach, and workplace accommodations for severely injured service members transitioning to civilian employment.
Additionally, through programs such as Employee Resource Groups and Heritage Events, Northrop Grumman has built a foundation that benefits from diverse inputs and ideas. And by encouraging those same employees to pursue leadership positions within the organization, Northrop Grumman has ensured this thinking and commitment hold true from the top down.
Cyrus Habib was honored for a career built on advocacy and a fierce commitment to pursuing one's passion. Habib lost his sight at age eight to cancer, but has since gone on to build a particularly impressive résumé, one that includes graduating from Columbia University, Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and Yale Law School, where he served as editor of the Yale Law Journal. Habib has combined this academic drive with an equal desire to serve his constituents in the state of Washington. From serving in the Washington State House of Representatives and the State Senate, to his current role as the youngest presiding officer in the country as Washington's 16th Lieutenant Governor and Chief Opportunity Officer, Habib has proven that blindness will not stand in the way of living a life of no limits.
The Migel Medal: Glinda Foster Hill and Dr. Elton Moore
The Migel Medal, the highest honor in the blindness field, was established in 1937 by M.C. Migel, the first chairperson of AFB. The medal honors those whose dedication and achievements have significantly improved the lives of people with vision loss. Past honorees include legendary disability-rights advocate Helen Keller, Senator Tom Harkin, social entrepreneur and engineer Jim Fruchterman, and renowned educators Kathleen Mary Huebner and Philip H. Hatlen.
The 2019 Migel Medals were presented to Glinda Foster Hill and Dr. Elton Moore, at a celebratory luncheon March 1, during the AFB Leadership Conference.
Glinda Foster Hill is an Education Program Specialist at the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Division of Research to Practice. At the OSEP, Glinda is responsible for the development and management of programs designed to improve developmental, educational, and employment outcomes of children with disabilities. She has worked on policies that strengthen educational programs and opportunities and ushered in new and groundbreaking programs.
Dr. Elton Moore has been a preeminent leader in the blindness field over the last quarter century. His leadership of the Mississippi State University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center oversaw considerable research, especially relating to the employment of people with vision loss, research that was applied by private and governmental organizations serving blind and visually impaired people throughout the United States.
The Corinne Kirchner Research Award: Dr. Michele C. McDonnell
The Corinne Kirchner Research Award honors individuals whose leadership and dedication illuminate the most pressing needs of people with vision loss through timely, innovative, and authoritative research. The 2019 recipient is?Dr. Michele C. McDonnall, director of the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, and principal investigator of several large grants. In addition to demonstrated excellence in academic writing, grant writing, and research, Dr. McDonnall also translates her findings into plain-language summaries. She has published extensively over the last several years on employer attitudes, transportation issues, and improving delivery systems as they relate to individuals who are blind or have low vision, with the ultimate goal of improving competitive employment outcomes and other indicators of employment success.
The Stephen Garff Marriott Award: Anita Shafer Aaron
The Stephen Garff Marriott Award honors a blind or visually impaired individual who has served as an extraordinary mentor or who has attained remarkable professional success.
Anita Shafer Aaron, Executive Director of the World Institute on Disability (WID),?was the 2019 recipient. Under Aaron's leadership, WID has worked to strengthen its role in defining and promoting accessible health care, addressing barriers to economic inclusion of people with disabilities, and working internationally to increase access to services, training, and education, and involvement in peace-building and conflict resolution initiatives. Anita Shafer Aaron received her award during the Friday afternoon general session.
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
