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M. C. Migel Home > Events > Migel Medal Awards

Migel Medal Awards

The 2007 Migel Medal Recipients Are In!

The AFB Migel Medal—the highest honor in the blindness field—was established in 1937 by the late M.C. Migel, the first chairperson of AFB, to honor professionals and volunteers whose dedication and achievements have improved the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired.

The 2007 M.C. Migel Medals will be presented on March 24 during the Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute in Dallas, Texas.

The 2007 Professional Award Recipients is Berdell (Pete) Wurzburger.

Berdell "Pete" Wurzburger has been a premier leader in the field of orientation and mobility (O&M) for more than 40 years. Under his leadership guidance, in 1966, San Francisco State University established the nation's first program to teach instructors in O&M for children as well as adults. In the early 1980s, under Pete's leadership, San Francisco State University broke with tradition by accepting the first blind student into the graduate program, demonstrating Pete's strong belief in the capabilities of people who are blind. His pioneer work over 40 years has improved the lives of thousands of children and adults throughout the nation.

The 2007 Migel Lay Volunteer Award recipients are Jim Bliss and David Holladay.

Jim Bliss has for more than 35 years blazed a trail in technology, beginning with the development of the Optacon, a device that converts print into raised shapes that can be read tactilely. This device, and many others that followed, opened new horizons in education, employment, and daily living. Jim was truly one of the pioneers in the development of access technology which today still has a positive impact on the lives of blind people.

David Holladay's creativity and perseverance enabled braille users, particularly blind and visually impaired students in school, to have access to information through the development of braille translation software. He realized many people in the field needed brailled instructional materials and his programs made this possible in an efficient and effective way. David continues to pursue his career by serving as a product manager for Duxbury Systems, a leading producer of software for braille

For questions please contact:
Adrianna Montague-Gray
(212) 502-7675 or
amontaguegray@afb.net




Migel Medal Awards

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