Josephine L. Taylor Award
The Personnel Preparation Division of AER invites submissions of nominations for the Josephine L. Taylor Award. This award was named for Jo Taylor, who has been inducted into the Hall of Leaders and Legends and was a strong advocate for high-quality personnel preparation programs.
This award is presented to an individual who has significantly contributed to the preparation of personnel in the fields of rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, and teaching students with visual impairments through innovative practices that have led to increased or improved services, pre-service training of parents, professionals, or paraprofessional, and in-service training of parents, professionals, or paraprofessionals.
Past recipients of this prestigious award include:
M. Cay Holbrook, Sandra Lewis, Amanda Hall Lueck, Kay Ferrell, Kathleen Huebner, Anne Corn, Toni Heinz, Susan Spungin, Ruth Kaarlela, Patricia Smith, Gideon Jones, Sally Mangold, Phil Hatlen, Verna Hart, and Georgia Lee Abel
Award Selection Criteria:
- Professional practice: Contributions made while preparing pre-service practitioners to work with persons who have visual impairments, including education and/or rehabilitation services, early intervention, orientation and mobility, or other instructional roles.
- Research: Systematic investigation that has improved education and rehabilitation services and policies.
- Writing: Publication of peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, chapters, position papers, and other works
- Leadership: Providing leadership to improve professional practices
- Participation in the division and/or AER: Served as an active member of the Personnel Preparation division and/or AER as an organization.
How to Nominate:
Nominate someone you know or yourself by selecting the link below to complete the nomination form: Taylor Award nomination or email to [email protected]. Your responses will be used to document the nominee’s professional impact in alignment with the award criteria. The submission deadline is April 20, 2026.