Lifetime Achievement Award
For some time it has been a matter of discussion that Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities (Round Table) should institute a Life Membership category for people who have made an outstanding contribution to the Print Disability sector.
As the Executive pondered the matter it became apparent that it was not appropriate to create a Life Membership category for individuals as Round Table doesn't have membership for individuals at all. It is an organisation of organisations. However, the idea of public recognition for outstanding service was both appealing and long overdue. This was the genesis of the Round Table Lifetime Achievement Award.
At the 2009 Annual Conference Dinner held in Sydney it was the proud privilege of the President of Round Table, Brian Conway, to announce and present the inaugural awards to two individuals who have not only made outstanding contributions to the print disability sector but who are, in fact, icons in their field, not just in Australia and New Zealand, but across the globe.
The two Lifetime Achievement Award recipients for 2009 were Bruce Maguire and Mary Schnackenberg. They were both presented with a memento in the form of a plaque. Each memento comprises 2 separate rosewood timber circular plaques, 24 cm in diameter. The plaques are connected by a metal hinge allowing, if preferred, the 2 plaques to stand upright when rested at an angle. On the front of the plaques is a silver metal plate on which the Round Table logo and the following words are written: "Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities, Lifetime Achievement Award, the person's full name, 2009".
Why 2 attached plaques? Because on one plaque the words are written in print and on the other they are embossed in braille.
A wonderful evening as befits the honouring of these deserving recipients was had by all including the cutting of a celebratory cake which was wonderfully endowed with a message written in edible braille.
It is intended that the Round Table Lifetime Achievement Award will be regarded as a prestigious award, conferred on only a few. The inaugural awardees, Bruce Maguire and Mary Schnackenberg, are certainly prime examples of individuals truly deserving of this recognition. Outlined below are summaries of the nominations received by the Executive in relation to these most worthy awardees.
Bruce Maguire
Bruce Maguire has been a leader in the field of print disability for approximately 25 years. He was one of the early members of Round Table holding a number of positions on the Executive including President in 1995. Bruce's lasting footprint, however, has been cast in the development of Braille codes. This commenced in the mid 1980s with the recognition by the ABA for Australia's need to upgrade its technical braille codes. Bruce played a leadership role working as an active member of the Mathematics, Science, Computer Science Committee of the Australian Braille Authority to produce the Australian Braille Mathematics Notation, 1987 and subsequent technical documents.
Bruce's reputation as a highly intelligent and committed individual has also transferred to the international arena where he has been actively involved. He is held in high regard by all member countries of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB) and has played a leading role in ensuring that Australia's voice has been heard in the development of Unified English Braille (UEB) since approximately 1992. Bruce has had the passion and commitment in ensuring that braille remains a lasting legacy for people who are blind. Through his untiring efforts he has had the vision to look to the future for young braille readers in particular, to ensure that braille remains the cornerstone of literacy for blind children. Bruce has recognised the harmony required between braille and technology and has advocated for the importance of both mediums: that they are not in conflict but are a compatible marriage of the two. He has always been available to assist any person requiring advice on braille or access provisions sometimes at great personal cost and for many years without the support of a major organisation.
As we in 2009 reflect on what Louis Braille gave to the world with the use of braille, at a more local level, we also in contemporary Australia could look to what Bruce Maguire has given to the youth of today and the generation of braille readers to come through his passion, his absolute dedication and commitment to ensuring people who have a vision impairment have equitable access to information both now and in the future.
Mary Schnackenberg
Mary worked for the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind for over 35 years. In that time, she managed the library, talking book studios and transcription services, introduced adaptive technology services, and managed other teams including volunteer services and equipment services. With the Foundation's I.T. manager, she developed the award-winning Telephone Information Service, and introduced an automated library system which significantly increased the library's service performance. More recently, Mary managed the world-leading digital talking book pilot which delivered DAISY books over the internet, to a player specially designed for older borrowers with no computer experience. She has been a staunch advocate of global cooperation between libraries for blind people, and a supporter of international networks including Round Table. Through travel and strong international networking, she has kept New Zealand on the map and been a strong Australasian voice. She has been a mentor to agencies embarking on service innovation.
Mary has served on the board of the DAISY Consortium, was instrumental in setting up the Australia and New Zealand Accessible Information Group (ANZAIG), and was an early enthusiast of structured audio and the DAISY format.
Mary is the current president of the International Council on English Braille, and has provided ongoing service and guidance to the Braille Authority of New Zealand. She is a past President of the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand. She was one of the initiators of New Zealand's innovative copyright provision to facilitate accessible format production, section 69 of the Copyright Act 1994, which became the basis for legislation in other countries. She has made a significant and lasting contribution to the accessibility of public transport through advocacy, submissions and ongoing involvement with the Auckland Regional Transport Authority. Her involvement encouraged transport providers and legislators to think about the information aspects of accessible travel.
Mary has been a passionate advocate for information access issues in formats popularly used by blind people including telecommunications, radio, music and the internet. She was a member of the Telecom Special Needs Advisory Panel between 1994 and 1997. She was part of a team that piloted a radio reading service for people with print disabilities in 1986. Mary's contribution to the community is well recognised. In 2007, Mary was appointed as a Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to the vision-impaired community. She was appointed a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in 2001, and received a Distinguished Alumni Award from University of Auckland in 1996.