Kay A. Ferrell
Inducted 2022

Dr. Kay A. Ferrell is Professor Emerita at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). She has served as Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Special Education at UNC; Assistant Dean of the UNC College of Education; Coordinator of the Early Childhood Special Education Program, and Coordinator of the Program in Visual Impairment. She served as Associate Director of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Policy Research Center in Washington, DC. Ferrell also had a long career at Columbia University, where she was Coordinator of the Program in Education of Blind and Visually Impaired Learners. She began her service to the field of blindness and visual impairment as an Education Specialist at the Virginia Commission for the Blind. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, School of Education’s Doctor of Philosophy program in Special Education in 1983.

Dr. Ferrell has led approximately 48 research or personnel preparation grants (totaling external funding support of nearly $19M), including co-authoring two federally funded and nationally recognized leadership grants which enabled the field of blindness and visual impairment to recruit and prepare doctoral-level leaders in all aspects of service to blind and visually impaired children and adults.

One of her five books, Reach Out and Teach, is the standard text for all university programs in early childhood education for students with visual disabilities and she was a lead or second author on countless others. She has presented many influential papers at conferences on topics of research and education of individuals with visual disabilities at the regional, national, and international level. She has also served as a U.S. Delegate to the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment.

Dr. Ferrell has served as research advisor and committee member for 52 doctoral graduates at both UNC and Columbia University. She is the recipient of the 2014 Warren G. Bledsoe Award from the AER and the 2013 Migel Medal from the American Foundation for the Blind. She has received the Virgil Zickel Award from the American Printing House for the Blind in 2016; the Alan J Koenig Research Award from the Getting in Touch with Literacy Conference in 2015; the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh in 2015; the Mary K. Bauman Award from AER in 2012; the American Foundation for the Blind Corinne M. Kirchner Research Award in 2009; the Distinguished Scholar Award from the UNC in 1999; and the Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions to Research in Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1997.

Adapted from the letter of support by George Zimmerman. Dr. Ferrell was nominated by Stuart Wittenstein, Madeline Milian, and Julie Durando.