Hall of Fame for the Blindness Field

Hall of Fame for the Blindness Field The Hall of Fame honors the leaders and legends of the blindness field. Enjoy their lives and contributions and reflect upon your own list of heroes.

Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is a project of the entire field of blindness. It is curated by the American Printing House for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. These significant professional colleagues of the recent and distant past are a fascinating cross-section of heroes and pioneers who not only shaped our rich history, philosophy, knowledge and skills,

but also give us insights into current and future challenges. These giants shared their personal lives and showed us strategies to ensure that services for blind persons remain unique and specialized. The establishment of the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field was announced in Louisville, Kentucky, in October of 2001 at the 133rd Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and friends of the American Printing House for the Blind. The Hall, which has gained support from across the field, including AER, AFB, and CEC-DVI, is located in the 1926 wing of the APH building that has been renovated to also house the Barr Research Library.

08/07/2026

We wrapped up an incredible week of preview tours with Association for Education & Rehabilitation of the Blind & Visually Impaired International Conference attendees and held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Hall of Fame for the Blindness Field space. We appreciate everyone who joined us for this special preview and can’t wait to welcome more people into our museum experience.

Be sure to follow this page as we continue to install exhibits and prepare to open on October 30th!

08/07/2026

Congratulations to Penny Hartin, on her induction into the Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field! We are incredibly proud to have her leading Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada's Board of Directors.

Dr. Penny Hartin was honoured alongside fellow inductees Janet Barlow and Deborah Chen at this year's induction ceremony, held during the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) international conference in Louisville, Kentucky. A bas-relief plaque bearing her likeness now takes its place at the Hall of Fame, housed at the American Printing House for the Blind.

Penny is recognized globally for her tireless advocacy advancing access, inclusion, and the rights of individuals who are blind. As former CEO of the World Blind Union, she built alliances and coordinated action across organizations worldwide — work that has shaped the field for decades.

We are proud to have her steady, visionary leadership guiding VLRC's Board. Congratulations, Penny — this honour is richly deserved!



Image description: Two women, Penny in a navy dress and Diane Bergeron holding a white cane, wear a lilac blazer and a floral dress. They stand beside a black labrador guide dog.

07/21/2026

The Hall of Fame for the Blindness Field is collecting letters and notes to be included in individual scrapbooks for this year's inductees, Janet Barlow, Deborah Chen, and Penny Hartin. If you would like to have your note included, please send a Word, PDF, or RTF formatted note to [email protected]. Documents will be printed and added to the scrapbooks that we will give to the inductees next week.

The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is honored to announce the inductees for 2026: Janet Bar...
06/18/2026

The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is honored to announce the inductees for 2026: Janet Barlow, Deborah Chen, and Penny Hartin. To read more about their achievements and the induction ceremony that will be held on July 31 at AER’s International Conference in Louisville, KY, please visit the Hall of Fame website (https://www.aph.org/hof/).

For those interested in writing letters or tributes to be included in individual scrapbooks for each inductee, please send them by July 21 to Julie Hapeman at [email protected]. If you would like to make a financial contribution to the Hall of Fame to support the travel expenses for creating the bas relief plaques for the Hall of Fame and the travel for the inductees and their nominators who will participate in the induction, you may do so by sending a check made payable to Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends to:

Kay Ferrell, Treasurer
Hall of Fame Board of Directors
10806 Bear Cub Drive
Broomfield, CO 80021-2811

Donations may also be made via Zelle through the QR code in this photo.

Thank you for your support.

06/07/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Inductees

The Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field Hall of Fame is proud to announce the induction of three distinguished leaders whose contributions have significantly advanced services, advocacy, education, and opportunities for individuals who are blind or low vision: Janet Barlow, Deborah Chen, and Penny Hartin.

The 2026 induction ceremony will take place during a general session at the international conference of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) on Friday, July 31, 2026, at 1:45 p.m. in Louisville, Kentucky. A bas relief plaque of each inductee will be added to the Hall of Fame located at the American Printing House for the Blind.

The Hall of Fame honors individuals whose leadership, innovation, mentorship, and lifelong commitment have made a lasting impact on the blindness and low vision community. This year’s inductees represent decades of transformative work across education, rehabilitation, advocacy, orientation and mobility, and professional leadership.

About the 2026 Inductees

Janet Barlow
Janet Barlow is widely recognized for her leadership and advocacy in the field of orientation and mobility (O&M) and accessible pedestrian systems. Her work has helped improve accessibility, safety, and independence for individuals who are blind or visually impaired throughout North America and internationally.

Deborah Chen
Dr. Deborah Chen has devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities and professional standards for individuals with visual impairments, particularly students with deafblindness or multiple disabilities. Her leadership and mentorship have strengthened services and inspired professionals within the blindness field.

Penny Hartin
Dr. Penny Hartin is known for her tireless advocacy in advancing access, inclusion, and the rights of individuals who are blind at a global level. Her work as Chief Executive Officer with the World Blind Union positioned her to support and promote alliance building and coordinated action across organizations.

Address

1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY
40206

Telephone

(800) 223-1839 Ext 393

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