Honors, Awards and Appointments
William Brohier, past president of ICEVI has been awarded the Tun Hussein Onn Award for distinguished services to visually handicapped person from the National Council for the Blind, Malaysia. He was also awarded in 1999 the Teakeo Iwahashi Award for his outstanding contribution to work for the blind.
Rodney Clark has retired as the leader of Sense in the UK. His successor is Dr Tony Best from the RNIB Condover Hall School. Both of them are well known for their involvement in ICEVI. Rodney has been representing Deafblind International in the ICEVI Executive Committee. He is also a member of the Publications Committee. Tony is representing the English speaking countries in the European Regional Committee of ICEVI.
Herman Gresnigt, European Chairman ICEVI was awarded the Golden Medal, the highest award a Polish minister can give, at the ICEVI European Conference, Cracow, Poland, July 2000. He was awarded this because of his involvement in early intervention of visually impaired children in Poland. In Paris during the conference ”Year 2000 Young Visually-Impaired People: Present State and Future Prospects in France and in Europe” November 30-December 1, 2000, Dr Gresnigt was also awarded a Bronze Medal by the City of Paris.
Enrique Pérez, Spain, has been elected President of the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) for 2001-2005. Mr Pérez is well known on the international arena. He has chaired the International Relations Committee of ONCE, the European Blind Union’s Youth Commission and been the European representative in WBU’s Youth Committee. Today he is International Affairs Advisor to the ONCE General Council and a member of the European Blind Union Board.
Solveig Sjöstedt, who has retired after 28 years as principal of the Swedish School for the Visually Impaired in Helsinki, Finland, was awarded by the President of Finland an honorary title of Counsellor of Education. Solveig was granted the award for 28 years of educational work as head of the school.
Ms Sjöstedt will continue as the Nordic/Baltic representative in the ICEVI European Regional Committee.
The new head of the school is Ms Kajsa-Lena Koskinen. During her maternity leave Ms Rigmor Levänen is the acting head of the school.
Keld Stochholm, Refsnaes School for the Visually Impaired in Denmark, retired this summer as principal of the school after 27 years of devoted work. Mr Stochholm will fulfil his term as the Deputy Regional Chairperson of ICEVI Europe. Ms Ellen Gertz has been appointed the new head of Refsnaes.
Audrey Smith, executive director of the Institute for the Visually Impaired at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, recently received the Faculty Member of the Year Award.