Join us as we celebrate this year's award recipients at AFB Leadership Conference.
Migel Medal Awards
The Migel Medal is the highest honor in the blindness field. The 2019 Migel Medal recipients are Glinda Foster Hill and Dr. Elton Moore. Glinda Foster Hill is an Education Program Specialist at the U.S. 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. Dr. Moore and Glinda Hill will be honored at a special luncheon on Friday, March 1.
Stephen Garff Marriott Award
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), is 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.
Corinne Kirchner Research Award
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.
Anita Aaron and Dr. McDonnall will be honored during the Friday morning general session.
