Marc Maurer facts for kids
Marc Maurer was the president of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) for many years. The NFB is the largest group in the U.S. that helps blind people. He led the organization from 1986 until 2014. Marc Maurer is also a lawyer who works on civil rights cases, especially those related to blindness. He helps make sure blind people have equal rights.
Marc Maurer's Early Life and School Days
Marc Maurer was born in 1951 in Iowa. He has been blind since he was a baby. When he was a teenager, he started helping out with the Iowa chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
He went to the University of Notre Dame and graduated in 1974. While he was there, he was very involved in campus life. He was even chosen for the Honor Society, which means he was a top student.
After Notre Dame, he went to law school at Indiana University. He earned his law degree in 1977. This degree allowed him to become a lawyer. Later, in 2010, he received special honorary degrees from the University of South Carolina Upstate and the University of Notre Dame. These degrees recognized his important work.
His Career and Leadership
Marc Maurer has worked as a lawyer in several states, including Ohio, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. His legal work often focused on helping people with disabilities.
In 1985, the president of the NFB, Kenneth Jernigan, decided to step down. He suggested that Marc Maurer should be the next president. The very next year, in 1986, the members of the NFB voted for Marc Maurer to be their new leader.
During his time as president, Marc Maurer helped the NFB achieve many important things. One big accomplishment was building the Jernigan Institute. This institute is a special place for research and learning about blindness. He also worked with inventor Ray Kurzweil to create the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. This device helps blind people read printed text.
Marc Maurer is licensed to practice law in several states, including Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, and Maryland. He is also allowed to argue cases in the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court of the United States.
