AER AWARDS 2016
About the McAulay Award
The John H. McAulay Award was established to honor professionals who have contributed outstanding efforts and achievements leading to the placement of people with visual impairments in productive employment.
About John Henry McAulay
John Henry McAulay, a pioneer in vocational rehabilitation of the blind, died in 1958 at the age of 59. Despite total blindness causd by an accident during his college days, Mr. McAulay served as a specialist in the Vocational Rehabilitation Department of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare from 1942 until 1953, when he retired because of Parkinson's disease.
Mr. McAulay's major work was in touring industrial plants to identify jobs that could be filled by blind persons, and in training members of state rehabilitation agencies. His book, Vocational Schools as Training Facilities for Blind Workers, was published by the American Foundation for the Blind in 1954. (Sources: Koestler, 1976; New Outlook for the blind, 1958)
John H. McAulay Award
This year's recipient is:
Dr. John Mascia
On January 1, 2013, John Mascia became the 17th President of the Alabamaa Institute for the Deaf and Blind, the most comprehensive education and service program for children, adults, and seniors with hearing and vision loss in the U.S.
Dr. Mascia received his doctorate in Audiology in 2004 from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He holds a Master's Degree in Audiology and B.A. degree in Speech Pathology/Audiology from Hofstra. He began his professional career as a Consulting Audiologist in New York and later became a Supervising Audiologist and Senior Audiologist with Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center. In 1989 he began employment with the Hellen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults as an Audiologist and went on to hold various positions there including National Director of Field Services.
In 2005, Dr. Mascia came to the AIDB as Executive Director, Gentry Facility and Regional Centers. He was named Vice President, Audit Services at AIDB in 2009 and President four years later.
He has received several AER Alabama Chapter Awards, the Alabama Association of the Deaf Alabama Citizen Award, and the Audiology Foundation of America Professional Leadership Award. He is a member and past President of Lions Club International.