"Working with the visually impaired allows me to measure my success in very concrete ways," says Kathleen Byrnes, a teacher for the visually impaired and an orientation and mobility instructor for the Marin County Office of Education in San Rafael. Ms. Byrnes teachers 22 students at 13 school sites, and many others in their homes and various community settings. Active in the development of education for the visually impaired, Ms. Byrnes teaches a graduate level course at San Francisco State University that has helped many future teachers earn their credentials in this field. As vice president of the Via Foundation (for Visually Impaired Assistance), Ms. Byrnes provides services and equipment for visually impaired children at home and abroad, and also spearheads curriculum development for the project. The California State Department of Education recognized Ms. Byrnes as a California Teacher of the Year for 1995.
1973 Santa Clara University, B.A.
