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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>The 2017 Blind Educator of the Year Award<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> A number of years ago the Blind Educator of the Year Award was established by the National Organization of Blind Educators (the educators division of the National Federation of the Blind) to pay tribute to a blind teacher whose exceptional classroom performance, notable community service, and uncommon commitment to the NFB merit national recognition. Beginning with the 1991 presentation, this award became an honor bestowed by our entire movement. The change reflects our recognition of the importance of good teaching and the impact an outstanding blind teacher has on students, faculty, community, and all blind Americans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> This award is presented in the spirit of the outstanding educators who founded and have continued to nurture the National Federation of the Blind and who, by example, have imparted knowledge of our strengths to us and raised our expectations. We have learned from Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, and Immediate Past President Marc Maurer that a teacher not only provides a student with information but also provides guidance, advocacy, and love. The recipient of the Blind Educator of the Year Award must exhibit all of these traits and must advance the cause of blind people in the spirit and philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> The Blind Educator of the Year Award is presented at the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Honorees must be present to receive an appropriately inscribed plaque and a check for $1,000.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> Nominations should be sent to Dr. Edward Bell, Director, PDRIB, via email to </span><a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>ebell@latech.edu</span></a><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>, or post mail to PDRIB, 1500 W. Barnett Springs Ave, Ruston, LA 71270. Letters of nomination must be accompanied by a copy of the nominee's current résumé and supporting documentation of community and Federation activity. All nomination materials must be in the hands of the committee chairman by May 1, 2017, to be considered for this year's award. For further information contact Edward Bell at (318) 257-4554, or <ebell@latech.edu>.</span><span style='font-family:Courier'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Edward C. Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Director, Professional Development and Research<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Institute on Blindness<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Louisiana Tech University<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>210 Woodard Hall <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>PO Box 3158<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Ruston LA 71272<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Office: 318.257.4554 Fax: 318.257.2259 (Fax) Skype: edwardbell2010<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:dotted windowtext 3.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='border:none;padding:0in'><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:ebell@latech.edu"><span style='color:blue'>ebell@latech.edu</span></a> <a href="http://www.pdrib.com"><span style='color:#0563C1'>www.pdrib.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>**************************************************************<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>"I am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>-- Stephen Jay Gould<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>