August 26, 2008 – East Lansing resident Roberta McCall, a Rehabilitation Teacher at the Lansing office of the Michigan Commission for the Blind, has received the Elizabeth Lennon Meritorious Achievement Award from the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), Rehabilitation Therapy Division. The award was presented on July 23 at the AER's annual international conference, held this year in Chicago. The award is presented every other year to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the profession of vision rehabilitation therapy, rehabilitation teaching, general rehabilitation, or community affairs.

McCall didn't know about the award until she was called to the podium to receive it. The award was presented on behalf of AER by her colleague, Detroit MCB Rehabilitation Teacher Connie Henshaw.

The award's namesake, Elizabeth "Libby" Lennon, was one of the Michigan Commission for the Blind's original board members when the agency was first established in 1978. Lennon taught in programs for people who are blind or visually impaired in several other states before coming to Michigan. After a decade of teaching in Western Michigan University's Blind Rehabilitation Program, she retired in 1978. Active in the local community, she helped to establish the Kalamazoo Center for Independent Living and was a board member of the Voluntary Action Center of Greater Kalamazoo. She received the Handicapped Professional Woman of the Year Award in 1971 and the Irving S. Gilmore Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She passed away on May 11, 2007, at the age of 97.

McCall said of receiving the award, "It's very exciting and humbling. It's a nice connection that it's named after someone with such close ties to Michigan and MCB."

McCall has worked with the Michigan Commission for the Blind for 23 years, serving people who are blind and visually impaired in the Saginaw area and surrounding counties from 1985 to 1995, and then in mid-Michigan from 1995 to the present.

The Michigan Commission for the Blind provides training and other opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired to achieve independence and/or employment, annually serving more than 4,500 state residents. During 2008, MCB is celebrating its 30th year of providing services. For more information about MCB, call toll-free at 1-800-292-4200 (voice) or 1-888-864-1212 (TTY), or visit the website at www.michigan.gov/mcb.

The Michigan Commission for the Blind is part of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG), which is investing in Michigan's future by helping to create the jobs of today and tomorrow, ensuring that our children and adults have the skills these jobs demand, making Michigan a better place to do business, and training and placing those who need jobs now. DLEG is an equal opportunity employer/program. For more information about DLEG, visit the department's website at www.michigan.gov/dleg.

Read more Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth press releases.