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Awards, by Year

(Note: Not every award was given out in every year, and in some years none were presented. Winners for some years were not available.)


2024

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Michael Garrett

Robert S. Bray Award: Jonathan Mosen

George Card Award: Mitch Pomerantz

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: The Hull Foundation and Learning Center

Margarine G. Beaman Volunteer Award: Leslie Spoone

Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award: Gary Legates

Vernon Henley Media Award: Jaime Tanner

Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award: ACB Next Generation

Affiliate Growth Award (both percentage and numbers): Blind Information Technology Specialists

Affiliate Outreach Award: not given

 

2023

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Carla Ruschival

Robert S. Bray Award: Brian Hartgen

George Card Award: Sandra Troiano

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: JPMorgan Chase

Margarine G. Beaman Volunteer Award: Sheila Young

Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award: Maria Kristic

Vernon Henley Media Award: Steve Dresser

Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award: not given

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs (52.63%)

Affiliate Growth Award (numbers): Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (38)

Affiliate Outreach Award: not given

 

2022

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Janet Dickelman

Robert S. Bray Award: not given

George Card Award: not given

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: David Goldfield

Margarine G. Beaman Volunteer Award: Rhonda Trott

President’s Award: Judy Heumann

Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award: Anthony Corona (“9-11 20 Years”)

Vernon Henley Media Award: Cheryl McNeil Fisher and Kathleen King (for Writing Works Wonders)

Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Not given

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): D.C. Council of the Blind (469.56%)

Affiliate Growth Award (numbers): Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America (125)

Affiliate Outreach Award: not given

 

2021

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Allan Peterson

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Kim Crowell and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award: Nicholas Giudice

Vernon Henley Media Award: the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Committee, Martin Wilde and Bridget Melton

Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Sally Benjamin and Florida Council of the Blind

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): ACB Next Generation (136.67%)

Affiliate Growth Award (numbers): Blind Information Technology Specialists (81 new members)

Affiliate Outreach Award: Friends ‘N Focus, Medina, OH

 

2020

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: not given

Robert S. Bray Award: Karen Keninger

George Card Award: Camille Caffarelli *

Ned E. Freeman Excellence in Writing Award: Meka White “Shrimp, Drinks and the Bill”

Vernon Henley Media Award: Don Hardy, Dana Nachman and Disney+ (For “Pick of the Litter”

Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Heather Meares, Reginald George and the Washington Council of the Blind, “WCB Newsline”

Margarine G. Beaman Volunteer Award: Michael Smitherman

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): Kansas Association of the Blind & Visually Impaired (28.8%)

Affiliate Growth Award (numbers): North Dakota Association of the Blind (37)

 

2019

Robert S. Bray Award: Aira Technology Corporation

Ned E. Freeman Award: John Buckley

Vernon Henley Media Award: Objective Ed and Blindfold Games, Marty Schultz, President

Hollis Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Ralph Smitherman and the Braille Revival League

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award:  Dr. Khosrow “Caesar” Eghtesadi

Margarine G. Beaman Volunteer Award: Patti Cox

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage and number): ACB Students

 

2018

Robert S. Bray Award: American Printing House for the Blind

Ned E. Freeman Award: Richard Rueda

Vernon Henley Media Award: NBC Olympics

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Microsoft

President’s Award: Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired

Affiliate Growth Award (highest number): Mississippi Council of the Blind

 

2017

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Dr. W. Aubrey Webson

Robert S. Bray Award: The Jerry Kuns and Theresa Postello Media and Accessible Design Laboratory

George Card Award: Cindy Hollis

Margarine G. Beaman Volunteer Award: Sally Benjamin

Ned E. Freeman Award: Jamie Pauls

Vernon Henley Media Award: Mike Duke

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Dr. Helen Lee

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): Visually Impaired Veterans of America

Affiliate Growth Award (highest number): Utah Council of the Blind

 

2016

Robert S. Bray Award: Apple and Sarah Herrlinger

George Card Award: Ward Bond *

Margarine Beaman Volunteer Award: Margarine Beaman

Ned E. Freeman Award: Allen Casey

Vernon Henley Media Award: Larry Johnson

Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Sue Lichtenfels and the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Father John Sheehan

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): ACB Government Employees (175%)

Affiliate Growth Award (highest number):  Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (49 new members)

 

2015

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Christine Ha

George Card Award: Walter Spillum *

Ned E. Freeman Award: Susan Glass (for “Best Audio Holiday Season Ever,” printed in the March 2015 issue of the Forum)

Vernon Henley Media Award: Comcast

Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Vicky Prahin, Nolan Crabb, and the ACB of Ohio

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Dorothy “Dot” Taylor*

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage):  Blind Information Technology Specialists (%)

Affiliate Growth Award (highest number): Guide Dog Users, Inc. (92 new members)

Affiliate Outreach Award: ACB Ohio-Columbus chapter

Innovation and Inspiration Award: Shubham Banerjee

 

2014

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Oral Miller

George Card Award: Paul Edwards

Ned E. Freeman Award: Jan Lavine (for “How Braille Changed My Life,” printed in the April 2013 issue of the Forum)

Vernon Henley Media Award: Joel Snyder

Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Victoria Bartlett and the Houston Council of the Blind

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Chris Gray

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): American Council of the Blind of Colorado (82.6%)

Affiliate Growth Award (highest number): California Council of the Blind (242 new members)

 

2013

Robert S. Bray Award: Weight Watchers

Ned E. Freeman Award: Beverly Clifford (for “Touching Childbirth,” printed in the fall 2012 issue of "The Blind Californian")

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Brian Charlson

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): South Dakota Association of the Blind (29.4%)

Affiliate Growth Award (highest number): ACB of Texas (54 new members)

 

2012

Robert S. Bray Award: Regal Entertainment Group

Ned E. Freeman Award: Carl Jarvis ("Old Attitudes Die Hard," July-August 2011)

Vernon Henley Media Award: American Cancer Society

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage and highest number of new members): Nevada Council of the Blind

 

2011

Robert S. Bray Award: Christopher Toth and the Qwitter development team

George Card Award: Pratik Patel

Ned E. Freeman Award: Carmella Broome

Vernon Henley Media Award: Major League Baseball

Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award: Washington state

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Rep. Edward J. Markey, Sen. Edolphus Towns, Rep. John Kerry and Sen. Mark Pryor

Affiliate Growth Award (percentage): Nevada Council of the Blind (78.9%)

Affiliate Growth Award (highest number): Utah Council of the Blind (247 new members)

 

2010

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Vernon M. Crowder

Robert S. Bray Award: Judy Dixon

George Card Award: Dan & Brenda* Dillon

Ned E. Freeman Award: Lisa Brooks, "How Forgiveness Got Me a Job"

Vernon Henley Media Award: ACB of Texas (for its public service video on white cane safety)

Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award:  June Horst and the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind's "PCB Advocate"

Affiliate Growth Award: South Dakota Association of the Blind

 

2009

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Kathy Nimmer

Bray Award: Barry Levine *

Card Award: John Horst

Freeman Award: Rebecca Kragnes

Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award: CCLVI "Vision Access"

Affiliate Growth Award: Mountain State Council

Affiliate Outreach Award: Middle Tennessee Council of the Blind

 

2008

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Ed “Doc” Bradley*

Bray Award: Tuck Tinsley, APH

Card Award: Patricia Beattie*

Freeman Award: Alysia Wells

Hollis K. Liggett Braille Free Press Award: California Council of the Blind “The Blind Californian”

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Jim Kutsch

Affiliate Growth Award: ACB of New Mexico

 

2007

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: MJ Schmitt*

Bray Award: Norma Schecter* and Frank Kurt Cylke*

Card Award: LeRoy Saunders*

Freeman Award: Ed* & Toni Eames

Special Achievement Award: Linda Dardarian and Lainey Feingold

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Leroy Johnson*

Affiliate Growth Award: American Association of Visually Impaired Attorneys

 

2006

Bray Award: Adrian DeBlaey*

Card Award: Charles S.P. Hodge*

Freeman Award: Katie Sacca

Henley Award: Michael Mellor

James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award: Rachel Ames

Affiliate Growth Award: BITS

Affiliate Outreach Award: Donna Rose (Michigan Council of the Blind & VI)

Special Achievement Award: Friends of the Hadley School for the Blind

 

2005

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Brenda Dillon*

Card Award: Marlaina Lieberg*

Freeman Award: Carl Jarvis

Henley Award: Lynn Manning*, in recognition of his work with the staff and cast of "Blind Justice"; Ron Eldard, for his work as Det. Jim Dunbar on "Blind Justice"; Steven Bochco Productions, for excellence in the concept and production of "Blind Justice,"; and GW Micro, for sponsoring the audio description

Distinguished Service Award: James R. Olsen* (Name of the award changed this year to honor Jim)

Affiliate Growth Award: Louisiana Council of the Blind

 

2004

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Bashir Masoodi

George Card Award: Warren Toyama

Robert S. Bray Award: Kim Charlson

Ned E. Freeman Award: Rebecca Shields

Vernon Henley Award: Mark Ashby and Potomac Talking Book Services (recorded version of "People of Vision")

Distinguished Service Award: Dot Taylor*

Distinguished Service Award: Lee Robinson (accepted by Vicki Flake)

Affiliate Growth Award: Vermont Council of the Blind

 

2003

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Ed Walker*

George Card Award: Winifred Downing*

Robert S. Bray Award: Maxine Dorf*

Membership Growth Award: BFLAG

Ned E. Freeman Award: Michael Godino

Vernon Henley Award: Patricia Price*

Distinguished Service Award: Ida Scotti*

Distinguished Service Award: Jim & Marjorie Megivern (both deceased)

Distinguished Service Award: Bruce Benzler

25 Years of Service: James R. Olsen*

Affiliate Outreach Award: Southern Maryland Chapter

 

2002

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Paul Sauerland*

Bray Award: Jim Fruchterman (Bookshare.org)

Card Award: Abraham Nemeth*

Freeman Award: Barry Levine*

Henley Award: “Prunella’s Special Edition,” executive producer Carol Greenwald and writer Matthew Lane

Distinguished Service Awards: David A. Kuemmel (Fox TV Broadcasting Network), and Guide Dog Users, Inc.

Affiliate Growth Award: ACB of New Mexico

 

2001

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Sandy Sanderson*

Bray Award: Schwann’s Enterprises

Card Award: John Taylor*

Freeman Award: Lisa Mauldin

Henley Award: Jonathan Mosen

Affiliate Growth: NABS

Exceptional Achievement: Marie Boring*

Distinguished Service: Shirley Keller (Creative Adaptations for Learning)

 

2000

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Leonard DuBoff

Card Award: Raymond (Bud) Keith*

Freeman Award: Ken Stewart

Affiliate Outreach: CCLVI

Affiliate Growth: CCLVI

Exceptional Achievement: Hollis Liggett*

Outstanding Service: Margarine Beaman

 

1999

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Roger Petersen

Bray Award: David Andrus

Card Award: Paul Ponchillia

Freeman Award: Larry Johnson

Affiliate Growth: ACB Lions

 

1998

Card Award: Charles Crawford*

Freeman Award: George A. Covington

Henley Award: Kyle E. McHugh*

 

1997

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Scott Marshall

Freeman Award: Deborah Grubb

Henley Award: Seeing Eye, Inc.

Distinguished Service: Kathleen Megivern

 

1996

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: David Krause*

Bray Award: Mary Roatch*

Card Award: Arnold Auch*

Freeman Award: Walt Stromer*

Henley Award: Tom Brokaw and NBC Nightly News

Special Certificate: Gene Green

 

1995

Bray Award: Jim Stovall

Card Award: John Brockington*

Freeman Award: Kathy Nimmer

Henley Award: Department of Justice

 

1994

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Dawn Flewwellin

Bray Award: Stephen Dwornik*

Card Award: Carl R. Augusto

Freeman Award: Mary Jane Owen*

Henley Award: Deborah Kendrick

 

1993

Durward K. Ambassador Award: Louise Rude*

Bray Award: William Wilson

Card Award: Eugene Lozano

Freeman Award: Jenine McKeown

Henley Award: Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind of Smithtown, New York

 

1992

Freeman Award: Jennifer Sutton

Henley Award: Diane Croft

Outstanding Service Award: Phyllis Stern

 

1991

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Ewa Brantley*

Card Award: Mary Jane Schmitt*

Freeman Award: Billie Jean Hill *

Henley Award: Barbara Moyer

 

1990

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Harriet Fielding*

Freeman Award: Walt Stromer*

Henley Award: Laurie Everett

 

1988

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: LeRoy Price*

Bray Award: Cloetta Mullen

Card Award: Geraldine Pye*

Freeman Award: Max Edelman*

 

1987

Freeman Award: Harriet Fielding*

 

1986

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Richard B. Teitelman*

Card Award: Floyd Cargill*

Freeman Award: Winifred Downing*

 

1985

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Billie Elder*

Card Award: Roy Ward*

Freeman Award: Rose Resnick*

 

1984

Durward K. McDaniel Ambassador Award: Arthel L. “Doc” Watson*

Bray Award: Jesse Anderson*

Card Award: Mae Davidow*

 

1983

Ambassador Award: Durward K. McDaniel*

Bray Award: James Chandler*

Card Award: Elizabeth Lennon*

Freeman Award: Deborah Kendrick

 

1982

 

Ambassador Award: Charles (Chick) Crampton*

Bray Award: C. Stanley Potter

Card Award: Patricia Price*

Freeman Award: John Dashney*

 

1981

Freeman Award: Eugene Saumier*

 

1980

Ambassador Award: Fred Lilley*

Bray Award: Charles Gallozzi*

Card Award: Esther V. Taylor*

 

1979

Ambassador Award: Ann Chapman

Card Award: Alma Murphey*

Freeman Award: Kathleen Megivern

 

1978

Ambassador Award: Juliet Bindt Esterly*

Card Award: Charles Buell*

Freeman Award: James Chandler*

 

1977

Ambassador Award: Carl Dotson*

Bray Award: Charles La Casce*

Card Award: George Burck*

 

1976

Ambassador Award: Roy Kumpe*

Card Award: Bill Ferrell*

Freeman Award: William B. Campbell* and Otis H. Stephens*

 

1975

Ambassador Award: Brad Burson*

Card Award: Trudie Musier*

Freeman Award: Oral O. Miller

 

1974

Ambassador Award: Charles Boswell*

Card Award: Fred Lilley*

Freeman Award: Billie Elder*

 

1973

Ambassador Award: Edna Schmidt*

Freeman Award: Karen Gearreald

 

1972

Ambassador Award: Bob Riley*

Freeman Award: Bettye Krause*

 

1971

Ambassador Award: Travis L. Harris

Card Award: Stanley Doran*

Freeman Award: Kenneth Hinga*

 

1970

Freeman Award: Loretta Freeman*

 

1969

Ambassador Award: Clyde Ross*

 

1968

Ambassador Award: George Card*

Card Award: George Card*

 

1967

Ambassador Award: Jerry Hall

 

1966

Ambassador Award: Coleman C. Cates*

 

1965

Ambassador Award: Walter McDonald*

 

1964

Ambassador Award: Eben Whittlesey*

 

1963

Ambassador Award: Jearldine Noeller


* = deceased