Membership Awards and Recognition Page
The Recognition of Excellence in Direct Service in Education is for an active professional who provides excellent direct instruction or support to children with visual impairments ages birth to 21.
The Recognition of Excellence in Direct Service in Rehabilitation is for an active professional who provides excellent direct rehabilitative service or support to enhance the lives of individuals with visual impairments. Accomplishments may include facilitating independence, self-advocacy, vocational and/or life goals, etc.
The Recognition of Excellence in the Field of Blindness and Visual Impairment is for a person or group who has made outstanding contributions to the field of blindness. Accomplishments may be in such areas as administration, advocacy, development of policy or curriculum, contributing to the body of knowledge with research or publications, lifetime contributions in education or rehabilitation, etc.
Friend of the Blind and Visually Impaired Community is to recognize contributions of an individual or a group affiliated with, but not primarily involved in, the education or rehabilitation of individuals with visual impairment. Accomplishments should include providing goods or services which help foster independence and self-worth within the blind and visually-impaired community. Examples may include a supermarket assisting in teaching a group class how to effectively shop, a community group donating white canes to an agency, an airline making an effort to hire blind personnel in customer service, etc.
Past Recipients:
2017 Winners:
Excellence in Education — Karen Ehrhardt Lloyd
Excellence in Rehab Teaching — Marilyn Ward-Tluszcz
Friend of Visually Impaired — Joe and Barbara Staniewski
Excellence in the Field — J. Kirk Walter
The Recognition of Excellent Direct Service in Education is for those who provide or have provided excellent direct support or instruction to children with visual impairments ages birth to 21.
The Recognition of Excellence in the Field of Blindness and Visual Impairment is for those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of blindness. Accomplishment may be in such areas as administration, advocacy, development of policy or curriculum, contributing to the body of knowledge with research or publications, etc.
The Recognition of Excellence in Direct Service in Rehabilitation is for those who provide or have provided excellent direct rehabilitative service or support to enhance the lives of individual adults with visual impairments. Accomplishments may include facilitating their independence, self-advocacy, vocational and/or life goals, etc.
It should be noted that the nomination can only be submitted by a current DC/MD AER Chapter member. The recipient does not need to be a DC/MD AER Chapter member or an AER member. The past three years the recipients have had strong ties to the DC/MD area.
2016
Excellence in Education – Ray Peloquin
Excellence in Rehab Teaching — Sue Schaffer
Excellence in the Field — Rodney Timmons/Lions Club
2015
Loretta McGraw – Excellence in Education
Chris Ball – Lifetime of dedication
Shirley Riffle – Rehabilitation
2014
Education: Colleen Calhoon
Rehabilitation: Tanda Hunter Payne
Overall Excellence: Lisa Wright
2013
Education: Nancy Patton
Rehabilitation: Janet Morrison
Overall Excellence: Deam Blazie
2012
Education: Ellen Croucher
Rehabilitation: Beverly Kolk
Overall Excellence: Duane Geruschat
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