AFB Names 2024 Migel Medal Honorees
2024年8月5日 - 9:54PM
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has announced that Kim
Charlson and Susan Mazrui are the winners of the Migel Medal, the
highest honor in the field of blindness.
“It is an honor to recognize these two outstanding leaders, who
have spent their lives making the world more inclusive and
accessible for those who are blind or have low vision,” said AFB
President and CEO Eric Bridges. “Both Kim and Susan have made such
a substantial impact on the field that their work will be felt for
generations to come.”
The AFB Migel Medal was established in 1937 by the late M.C.
Migel, AFB's first chairman, to honor professionals and volunteers
whose dedication and achievements improve the lives of people who
are blind or have low vision. The honorees will be formally
recognized during a special awards luncheon on Sept. 24th at the
Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis as part of the annual AFB Leadership
Conference.
About the 2024 Migel Medal Honorees
Kim Charlson is the executive director of the Perkins Library in
Watertown, MA. An Oregon native, Charlson joined Perkins in 1985
and was elevated to library director in 2001. In addition to
furthering the library’s mission to provide accessible reading
material to people who are blind, have low vision, or physical or
reading disabilities, Charlson also oversees iCanConnect, the FCC’s
National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, providing free
communication technology and training to eligible individuals. She
is the co-chair of the Federal Communications Commission’s
Disability Advisory Committee, and she serves as the co-chair of
the Coalition on Assistive Technology. A distinguished expert on
library and information services for people with disabilities,
Charlson serves on several committees for the Library of Congress’s
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
In 2013, she was elected as the first woman president of the
American Council of the Blind, where she spearheaded multiple
national campaigns covering a wide range of blindness-related
issues that significantly expanded access and inclusion for people
who are blind or have low vision. During this time, she served as a
member of the Accessible Books Consortium to support the Marrakesh
Treaty. Charlson is the president of the North America/Caribbean
Region of the World Blind Union (WBU) and the WBU’s World Braille
Council chair. She has a master’s degree in library science from
the University of North Texas.
Susan Mazrui serves as Director of Public Policy for AT&T
Services Inc. and has worked in communications for over twenty
years. Mazrui has previously served as the Co-Chair of the
Disability Advisory Committee for the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
During her time at AT&T, she was instrumental in
establishing the Corporate Accessible Technology Office (CATO), the
first-of-its-kind call center for customers with disabilities. Her
work contributed to the launch of the first mobile phone with
built-in text-to-speech and she also led AT&T’s disabled
employee's resource group.
Mazrui received her master’s degree in education from San
Francisco State University and taught graduate and undergraduate
courses in Special Education and Computer Literacy. She currently
serves on the Board of Directors for the US International Council
on Disabilities. Ms. Mazrui was inducted into the Spinal Cord
Injury Hall of Fame in 2008, received Careers and the disABLED
Magazine’s 2013 National Employee of the Year Award, and was named
Champion of Diversity at AT&T in 2014. She also received the
Stephen Garff Marriott Award from the American Foundation for the
Blind and a Digital Accessibility Leadership Award from G3ict in
2016.
About AFB
Founded in 1921, the American Foundation for the Blind creates
equal opportunities and expands possibilities for people who are
blind, deafblind, or have low vision through advocacy, thought
leadership, and strategic partnerships. In addition to publishing
the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB), AFB
is also the proud steward of the Helen Keller Archive, which is
available on the AFB website at www.afb.org.
CONTACT:
Tony Stephens
Assistant Vice-President, Communications
212.502.7627 | tstephens@afb.org