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Volo, IL – The Association of Education Publishers (AEP) has selected Don Johnston, CEO and founder of the special education company that bears his name, for induction into the 2011 Educational Publishing Hall of Fame.
The prestigious AEP Hall of Fame pays tribute to industry leaders who have made remarkable and lasting contributions to K-12 education and educational publishing. Since 1980, Don Johnston has pioneered several assistive technology (AT) products and was instrumental in popularizing assistive technologies that support children with physical, cognitive and learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and autism.
“I am honored to be recognized by my peers and colleagues,” said Mr. Johnston. “Our philosophy has always been that students with learning difficulties just learn differently and we design products that address those learning differences UNTIL they are successful. As students build up their confidence, they break the cycle of failure and succeed in school and in life. This award is a tribute to all of our employees and customers who tirelessly work to ensure that more students with disabilities reach their true learning potential.”
For over 30 years, Johnston’s commitment to special education has paved the way for numerous publishers, educators and researchers to create new tools and learning expectations for students with disabilities. He is well known for his advocacy on disability issues and for bringing a literacy focus to assistive technology tools that accommodate students with disabilities.
The AEP non-profit organization plays a leadership role in the advancement of supplemental educational publishing and represents a common voice in government education policy. Each year, members recognize colleagues at the Hall of Fame ceremony to be held this year in New York City on December 1, 2011. Previous honorees include Dr. Fred Rogers, founder of Family Communications Inc.; Joan Ganz Cooney, Co-Founder of Sesame Workshop; Peter Jovanovich, former Chairman and CEO of Pearson; and Richard Robinson, CEO of Scholastic. This year, three individuals will receive the 2011 AEP Hall of Fame award. Joining Don Johnston is Dr. Charlotte Frank of McGraw Hill Education and Paul McFall at Pearson School.
"AEP is thrilled that Mr. Johnston will be a part of the Class of 2011," said Charlene Gaynor, CEO of AEP. "Don's life-long commitment to ensuring that students with learning differences have access to the tools and materials that give them the best chance to succeed truly exemplifies the spirit of our Hall of Fame award. In addition, his philanthropic work in Kenya and continued advocacy shows his dedication to children around the world."
Don Johnston’s company offers more than a dozen assistive technology tools including Read:OutLoud, an accessible text reader that reads digital content and the Internet aloud and Co:Writer, a word predication writing tool that helps students write with proper grammar and spelling. The company’s products support thousands of educators and families across the U.S., Canada and the UK. Don and wife, Cheryll are also involved in humanitarian projects, most recently sponsoring students and schools in Kenya, Africa.
Don Johnston develops accessible and emerging reading and writing technologies to support K-12 and postsecondary students with cognitive, physical, and learning disabilities. Since 1980, the company has partnered with literacy experts, AT specialists, SLPs, OTs, special education teachers, university researchers and DSS coordinators to improve access to learning and to increase writing independence. Students and individuals with dyslexia, autism, dysgraphia, down-syndrome and diverse learning challenges will benefit from software and hardware devices that accommodate their learning needs in schools , the workforce and at home. Learn more about all of Don Johnston’s reading and writing products.
The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) (www.AEPweb.org) is a nonprofit organization that advances the industry of supplemental educational publishing. The membership of AEP represents the breadth of educational content developers delivering progressive educational products in all media and for any educational setting. AEP's thought leadership and market insight had created ground-breaking opportunities for its members. Founded in 1895, AEP now assists its members in navigating the global realities of educational publishing in the 21st Century.
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