Who is Eligible?
An individual from North America (i.e., Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, United States), either living or deceased, shall be eligible for nomination when the nomination, as prepared and submitted, clearly establishes a consistent record, for a period of at least 25 years, that satisfies the criteria below. Individuals are eligible five years after departure from positions where their significant lifetime body of work was made. The Board, at its sole discretion, may deem an individual eligible whose nomination demonstrates substantial, but not full, completion of the 25-year requirement but who is deceased.
Criteria
A nominee has made transformative and sustained contributions to improve the lives of persons who are blind or visually impaired.
Nominations should demonstrate how the individual has met the principal criterion through their contributions in at least one or two of the following criterion areas:
- Body of Knowledge
- Leadership and/or Advocacy
- Mentorship or Role Model
- Professional Practice
- Innovative and Pioneering Contributions
A list of the criteria with exemplars can be found here
Exemplars with auto download to your computer
Timeline
Nominations are being accepted through Thursday April 30, 2026. Individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the International Conference of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired in Louisville, Kentucky, July 29-August 2, 2026.
Nomination Process
To nominate an individual for consideration to be inducted into the Hall of Fame please submit the following to the Hall of Fame, Kim Zebehazy, Secretary, at kim.zebehazy@ubc.ca by the deadline. Please put 2026 Hall of Fame Nomination in the subject line of your submission and send all materials together.
- Cover letter that specifies the one or two criteria areas that best captures the nominee’s contributions to the field of blindness and visual impairment.
- Completed Nomination Form organized around the principal criterion. Click one of the links to auto download your format of choice to your computer:
- A resume or curriculum vitae, if available.
- Two letters of support that concisely emphasize the criteria recommendations.
Adjudication Process
All received applications will be adjudicated by the voluntary Hall of Fame Governing Board using a rating sheet to come to final selections. All nominators and selected Inductees will be informed of the results.
Nominations not selected for the Hall of Fame are retained and reconsidered the following year. Nominators are allowed to update and refresh the original nomination.
Current Hall of Fame Governing Board
Mike Bina, Chair; Julie Hapeman, Vice Chair; Kay Ferrell, Treasurer; Kim Zebehazy, Secretary; Bill Wiener, Past Chair; Bernadette Kappen, Mary Nelle McLennan, Mark Richert, Lee Nasehi, Members-at-Large
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.
