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Lauren J. Lieberman Ph.D. is a Distinguished Service Professor in
the Kinesiology Department at The College at Brockport, State University of New
York (SUNY) in adapted physical education. She started her career teaching at
The Perkins School for the Blind in the Deafblind program. She is co-director
of The Institute on Movement Studies for
Individuals with Visual Impairments or Deafblindness (IMSVI)( See www.brockport.edu/IMSVI) . She is the
founder and director of Camp Abilities: An educational sports camp for children
with visual impairments. Camp Abilities has been replicated in 20 states and
eight countries. (www.campabilities.org
and www.campabilitiesworld.com)
She has published over 145 peer-reviewed articles and 20 books. Most recently
she has been awarded a Global Fulbright Scholarship to promote Camp Abilities
world-wide.
Neva Fairchild, MS, of Flower Mound, Texas, is the
National Aging & Vision Loss Specialist at the American Foundation for the
Blind, where she has worked since 2008. She was employed for over 15 years by the
state of Texas as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and as an Employment
Assistance Specialist. She began her career in vision rehabilitation at the
Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind as a Vocational Evaluator.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science in
1988 and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling Psychology in 1992 at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at
Dallas.
Maurice Belote is a graduate of the
federally-funded teacher training program in DeafBlindness at San Francisco
State University and has worked exclusively in the field of DeafBlindness for
39 years. Maurice has served as Project Coordinator for California DeafBlind
Services since 1992. Maurice provides technical assistance and training
throughout California and can tell you where to find the best tacos most
anywhere along California’s north/south highways. His passions are ensuring
that students leave school with functional, well-documented communication
systems, and that students are fully prepared to have the same kinds of
wonderful lives that any of us would wish for ourselves. Prior to joining the
state TA and training project, he served for ten years as a teacher of
DeafBlind young adults at the California School for the Blind, where he
developed a competitive employment training program and rehabilitated a vacant apartment
complex to open an independent living training program for transition-age
students. Maurice is a frequent presenter at state, national, and international
conferences and has written extensively on educational issues specific to
children and youth with DeafBlindness. He represents students with
DeafBlindness on numerous state and national groups and organizations,
including as the specialist in DeafBlindness for the California Transcribers
and Educators of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He also serves as Co-Chair of
the National Coalition on DeafBlindness, which has advocated for federal
recognition of interveners in IDEA. Maurice’s favorite quote is from renowned
implementation scientist Dean Fixsen: “Students cannot benefit from
interventions they do not experience.”
Hillary Keys is the DeafBlind Specialist for the Texas Sensory
Support Network (TxSSN) though ESC Region 11 in Fort Worth. Hillary
collaborates with the Texas DeafBlind Outreach Project and ESC 11 colleagues on
statewide initiatives and keeps the network of regional Education Service
Centers apprised. She is the current Chair of AER’s Multiple Disabilities and
Deafblind Division.
Leslie
Thatcher is the Director of College Success@Perkins, Perkins School for the
Blind's College Readiness Initiative. Leslie has been an educator for over 30 years. She taught for
20 years, after 7 years in college admissions and student life. She leverages her
background and leadership in student
development to create innovative programs in mainstream and blindness education
to move diverse students forward in their chosen environments after high school. Currently, Leslie is
leading a multi year project to launch a
national conversation about the college readiness crisis for students with
visual impairments. Leslie received her BA
in History from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR and her EdM from
Harvard Graduate School of Education, in Cambridge, MA.