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Lachelle Smith, MS ’04, director of the Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) program in the University's College of Education and Rehabilitation, was recently honored with the Charlyn Allen Award. She received her award on March 3 at the 2017 American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference, which took place at the Association of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (AVRT) annual conference and business meeting in Washington, D.C.
“Receiving the Charlyn Allen award was such an honor,” Smith said. “I am both blessed and humbled to be recognized for doing the work I absolutely love to do. I am very passionate about the work of VRT and the blind/visually impaired people who ultimately benefit from VRT service.”
According to the AVRT, the awardpresented annually to professionals who exemplify leadership in the VRT field—was named in honor of Charlyn Allen, “a remarkable woman who happened to be blind, who exemplified dedication and service to the rehabilitation of persons who are blind.”
According to Smith, who is also visually impaired, educating and training students and clients in strategies, skills and approaches to overcoming barriers to live an independent and quality life in spite of blindness and visual impairment is her greatest joy She is also grateful for the mentorship of other VRT leaders who have inspired and influenced her throughout her career.
“The VRT profession is very small; however, the impact of its work is far reaching,” Smith said. “This award further encourages me to continue to work and empower others (my colleagues and students) to do the same.”
