National organization to recognize blind teacher

YAKIMA, Wash. -- To Annee Hartzell, confidence comes first, then skills.

Blind children are no different.

"Once you give them a positive attitude about themselves and their blindness, then the skills will follow," said the vision specialist who teaches blind Yakima Valley students.

Blind since birth, Hartzell plans to say that to the audience next week in Detroit when she receives the National Federation of the Blind's "Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award."

Hartzell, 39, lives in Walla Walla, but teaches computers, Braille and other skills to blind students in Granger, Sunnyside and Mabton school districts.

With the help of a driver she hired, Hartzell visits the three schools three days a week to work with a total of 12 visually impaired students. She teaches some in pull-out classes, others by helping them with their general education.

One of her students is totally blind, while others have varying degrees of vision problems.

She started in March, contracted as one of six educators for the blind for Educational Service District 105. The district, which serves 25 school districts stretching from Goldendale to Easton, has 63 blind students.

Nationwide, the country has a "pretty severe" shortage of educators for the blind, said Chris Danielson, a spokesman for the federation. The organization has been trying to convince more universities to offer training programs.

Teachers of the blind are difficult to recruit, just like most special-education teachers, said David Goehner, a spokesman for the Educational Service District, especially those who are blind themselves and can "identify with what the kids live through," he said.

Hartzell said blindness doesn't necessarily make her a better teacher, though it may make her better able to instill a positive attitude.

Hartzell was raised on a farm in Connell being told by parents and teachers she could do anything she wanted. Blindness was a nuisance, at worst.

"I grew up doing the same things as (my two sisters) did and having the same expectations as they did," she said.

She attended Whitman University, traveled to Japan with a study abroad program, earned a law degree from the University of Washington and has helped establish blind education programs in Honduras.

She began her teaching career in Pasco, then moved to California's Santa Ana Unified School District, where she was named the district's Teacher of the Year this past year. She helped write the state's math education standards for blind students, and taught day-long Braille classes for parents in California so they could help their children.

Hartzell has spoken at many federation conferences. She also works privately for families, helping them develop individual education plans for their children. A group of parents in California with whom she has volunteered nominated her for the award, she said.

She and her husband, John, recently moved from California to Walla Walla with their children, ages 13 and 15.

* Ross Courtney can be reached at 509-930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.

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