Natallie Barraga was awarded the Lifetime Contributions to the Field of Low Vision Award by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Dept. of Graduate Studies in Vision Impairment at an awards evening, November 9, 2001. Congratulations.
William Heisler. Congratulations are in-hand to the former editor of The Lantern as he recently got married. The Lantern is the newsletter from Perkins School for the Blind.
Kevin Lessard, announced in January that he plans to retire as soon as a successor is selected. He has worked at Perkins School for the Blind for nearly 35 years as mobility instructor, program head, assistant director and director since 1985. Mr. Lessard has also been for the past years editor of The Educator. We wish him a very happy retirement.
M.N.G. Mani, in January, 2002 our Regional Chairperson for Asia, was awarded the Ruston Alapaiwalla Award instituted by the National Association for the Blind, Mumbai, India, This premier National Award has been instituted in the memory of the Founder of the NAB and Blind Welfare Services in India. The award was in the Professional Worker for the Blind category. Dr. Mani has had a distinguished career as an eminent educator of persons with visual impairment and multiple disability. He has a doctorate in education and multiple disabilities. In the course of his career he has been responsible for developing syllabuses in various rehabilitation areas. Dr. Mani has professionalized the field of visual impairment by standardizing courses for various cadres of rehabilitation of rehabilitation personnel.
Kicki Nordstrom, president of the World Blind Union, was recently presented with the award "Botilda of the Year by the Swedish Unifem Committee, UN Women’s Committee. "In the name of equality we would like to give this award to a person who during the past year has actively and in a meritorious way contributed to moving forward women’s positions and to strengthen the status of women in society."
One of Kicki’s goals is to get more women into leading positions in the World Blind Union. Her motto is "In the time of opportunities. From words to actions."