edited by Cynthia G. Hawkins
The announcement of products and services in this column does not represent an endorsement by the American Council of the Blind, its officers, or staff. Listings are free of charge for the benefit of our readers. “The ACB Braille Forum” cannot be held responsible for the reliability of the products and services mentioned.
To submit items for this column, send a message to [email protected], or phone the national office at 1-800-424-8666, and leave a message in Sharon Lovering’s mailbox. Information must be received at least two months ahead of publication date.
Lighthouse Guild Awards Scholarships
Lighthouse Guild recently announced the recipients of its 2021 scholarships.
In the undergraduate category are:
- Elizabeth Adamson, Isle of Palms, SC, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) National Technical Institute for the Deaf
- Kaleigh Brendle, Freehold, NJ, Villanova University
- Liam Cruz, Flushing, NY, New York University
- Cameron Fox, Northport, NY, Sacred Heart University
- Joel Gomez, Encinitas, CA, Purdue University
- Joshua Hoffman, Plantation, FL, Virginia Tech
- Glory Leachman, San Antonio, TX, Texas A&M University-College Station
- Ryan Maxwell, Brooklyn, NY, Binghamton University
- Olivia O’Connell, Commerce Township, MI, University of Michigan
- Grace Patterson, St. Petersburg, FL, The Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University
- Noah Schickler, Beaufort, SC, Furman University
- Kathryn Sevier, Fishers, IN, Harvard University
- Emily Smith, Hattiesburg, MS, University of Southern Mississippi
- Emily Tollar, Jamesville, NY, St. John Fisher College
Graduate student recipients are:
- Muhammad Abubakar, Hartford, CT, University of Hartford
- Emily Eagle, Keller, TX, University of Texas Law School
- Teerra Gillespie, Richmond, VA, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- Tabitha Kenlon, Virginia, VA, University College Dublin, Ireland
- Syed Rizvi, Longmeadow, MA, Harvard Law School
- Maitraeya Shah, North Olmsted, OH, University of Pennsylvania Law School
ASCO Award Recipients
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) recently announced the recipients of its 2021 Special Recognition Awards.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is Dr. Douglas J. Hoffman. He has served ASCO in several capacities including as co-chair of the Residency Educators Special Interest Group, chair of the ORMatch Committee, chair of the Residency Titles Task Force and a member of the Residency Affairs Committee.
The winners of the Dr. Jack Bennett Innovation in Optometric Education Awards are Dr. Linda Casser and Dr. Gary Chu. Dr. Casser currently serves as a tenured professor at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry as well as Coordinator of Interprofessional Education for Salus University in Elkins Park, Pa. Dr. Chu is the founding Chair of ASCO’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Special Interest Group and was the guest editor for the Journal of Optometric Education’s theme issue on diversity and cultural competency in 2017.
Dr. Katherine Green is the recipient of the ASCO Rising Star Award. She is an Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry (NOVA) where she serves as the Director of the Acquired Brain Injury Visual Rehabilitation Clinic as well as the coordinator for the Pediatrics and Binocular Vision Residency Program. Dr. Green precepts students in both the Pediatrics and Binocular Vision and the Low Vision Rehabilitation clinics.
This year’s Dr. Lester Janoff Award for Writing Excellence was presented to Dr. Elena Z. Biffi for her article, “Interactive Multimedia Learning vs Traditional Learning in Optometry: a Randomized Trial, B-scan Example” (https://journal.opted.org/article/interactive-multimedia-learning-vs-traditional-learning-in-optometry-a-randomized-trial-b-scan-example/). The paper was published in the Summer 2019 issue of “Optometric Education.” She is currently an Associate Professor of Optometry at NECO and an Attending Optometrist at NECO Center for Eye Care/South Boston Community Health Center Eye Clinic.
The ASCO Student Award in Clinical Ethics went to Mr. Tam Tran, a 2021 graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry. His winning essay, “The Ethical Muddle of Sick Notes: Can We Do Better?” will be featured in an upcoming issue of ASCO’s journal, “Optometric Education.”
DOL Announces Theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the theme for this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month: “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.” Held each October, the annual commemoration raises awareness about disability employment issues, and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.
EEOC Sues Hiland Dairy for Disability Discrimination
Hiland Dairy Foods, a Missouri-based producer and distributor of dairy products, violated federal law when it refused to hire a man to work in its Norman, Okla. plant because he was visually impaired, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (EEOC v. Hiland Dairy Foods Company, LLC, Civil Action No. 5:21-cv-00483-H), charges that Hiland Dairy violated the ADA by refusing to hire an applicant because of his disability and because he required a reasonable accommodation. For more information, visit www.eeoc.gov.
Vanderbilt’s Critical Design Lab Seeks Submissions
The Critical Design Lab is starting the Remote Access Archive, which will gather stories, documents, and other information about how disabled people have been using technology to connect since before the pandemic. Got something to share? Visit https://www.mapping-access.com/the-remote-access-archive.