Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award Presentation

Presented by Carla McQuillan

From the Editor: Carla McQuillan is a longtime leader in the National Federation of the Blind. Although she stepped down from the board of directors last year, she continues to be active as board chair of the Minnesota Center for the Blind and as chair of the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award Committee. It is in that latter capacity that she made the following presentation at the board of directors meeting that took place on the morning of Thursday, July 10, as part of the 2025 National Convention. Here are Carla’s remarks followed by those of the award recipient:

Thank you all. It’s great to be back with our Federation family. I’d like to begin by thanking the members of the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award Committee in no particular order: Emily Gibbs from Texas, Corey Grandstaff from Washington, Michelle Chicon from New Mexico, and Cassie McKinney from Tennessee. So this year we had nine nominations for the Distinguished Educator. In my ten years on this committee, we have never had nine people nominated and it deserves applause. And I’ll tell you who else deserves applause; Karen Anderson and the Education Department for the Teachers of Tomorrow Program because I believe this is truly going to make a difference in the educators we see in the future. So it was a difficult decision for the committee. We had nine very, very good applicants, many of whom were well known to members of the committee. And so then we had to stop and think to ourselves, what is it that we consider distinguishing characteristics of the people that we want to represent us in this organization in that capacity? Well, we took a look at these people and we’re really looking for something more than just that they’re good teachers, they’re good in their field, their students appreciate them. It’s got to be above and beyond. And I’m going to tell you, I believe that this year’s winner is a winner. He represents exactly that, the above and beyond. As the plaque says, this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award goes to Dan Kelley of Ohio.

[Applause] Now, I’m not done yet. He’s like, is it my turn? No, no, I’m not done. So one of the things that distinguishes Dan from his colleagues is that he was the sports coach at the Ohio State School for the Blind for years. In fact, Corey Grandstaff was one of his students. So I called Corey and I said, “Hey, give me some stories..” And he goes, “Well…” (Dan’s over here chuckling.) I said, “Give me some stories.” And he says, “Well, he was the soccer coach, the hockey coach, the goal ball coach.” And he said, “I don’t know that I have any stories that are appropriate for a crowd like this.” And I said, “Come on, give something up.” So for your interpretation, Corey said something about teenage athletes, athletic cups, and a baseball bat. So that’s great, draw your own conclusions.

But in addition to being active coaching students at the school for the blind in Ohio, Dan also was a mentor to teachers in training and got rave reviews about his incredible knowledge of technology and assistive devices. But in my opinion, what distinguishes Dan above and beyond was that he created a marching band at the Ohio State School for the Blind. Oh, but it gets better. It gets better. So I didn’t know this, so I’m going to tell you who may not know this. So Ohio State University at their games, the marching band comes out and forms Ohio with the members of the band in cursive writing. And the tuba player is the dot on the I. I did not know this. Well, Dan got his blind marching band—the best blind band in the land is what they call themselves—to march out on the field at Ohio State. And guess what? They spelled out Ohio in Braille. But wait, there’s more. Dan received an award from the Accessibility and Disability Commission for the city of Pasadena, California, for bringing his best blind band in the land to march at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. So I’m going to close with a comment that was in one of his letters of recommendation: “I could go on for pages telling stories about Dan, but I’d like to close with this. It is my firm belief that every student, whether elementary, college, or adult, will be better for having worked with, learned from, and been mentored by Dan Kelley.

So I now would like to present Dan with a plaque, and give me one second so I can switch off technology. I probably should have asked Dan for some advice on this. All right, we have a plaque and a check for one thousand dollars, and Dan will be presenting for the Parents of Blind Children meeting this afternoon. Here. Dan, I’m going to let you hold this plaque up. I’m sure they’re going to want to take some photographs. And the plaque reads in both print and Braille: “The National Federation of the Blind Honors Dan Kelley, Distinguished Educator of Blind Students, for your skills in teaching Braille and other alternative techniques of blindness and for empowering your students to perform beyond their expectations. You champion our movement, you strengthen our hopes, you share our dreams. July 10th, 2025.” And now the man himself.

Dan Kelley: Good morning everyone. Good morning. Thank you so much. Today I’m deeply, I’m deeply honored. I’m grateful, and I’m very humbled. And being recognized as a distinguished educator of blind students by the National Federation of Blind has very deep meaning for me. I’m so proud to be carrying out our mission for our young students to be able to live the lives that they want to live. As a teacher—we talked about this earlier—it’s more than just teaching a skill or a concept. It involves how to apply those skills in life. As I reflect on the work that’s brought me here, one word rises above all the rest. And that’s collaboration. I’m not talking about cooperation. Cooperation is important too, but true collaboration. Cooperation says “I’m going to help you do your thing.” And we’re not going to do cup checks this week, just so you know.

Collaboration says, “Let’s build something bigger and better together.” Everything that I’ve been part of, every project, every success has come from bringing people together, not just to share space, but to share vision and to share ideas, and whether it’s families or educators, advocates or the remarkable individuals that we serve. The magic happens when we bring our unique strengths to the table. We challenge one another and we create something that none of us could do on our own. This award may have my name on it, but it belongs to all of us who make the choice to lean in, to listen deeply, and build something intentionally. To my colleagues, my mentors, my partners in this work, I just want to thank you for showing me what’s possible when we stop asking “How can I help?” and we start asking “What can we create together?”

Nine people were nominated for this award this year, and that is incredible. Nine of us were able to read those letters of recommendation that our colleagues wrote on our behalf, and that was very special, not only to me, but to all of us who had that experience. And we will increase that number, right? Next year we’re going to have eighteen, right? Because it’s so important that people who live the expanded core curriculum are certified and they’re able to provide instruction, mentoring, and helping our young people grow. So with utmost gratitude, I accept this award and I will continue to work personally and professionally to build quality education teams at our district level, work with students and their families so that they are empowered, they strive for excellence in and out of the classroom, and promote advocacy and self-determination. Thank you, National Federation of the Blind for this. And I want to thank you all for the work that you do every day that allows all of us that opportunity to live the life that we want to live. Thank you very much.