Dr. Gaylen KappermanGaylen Kapperman holds the position of professor and coordinator of the Visual Disabilities Program. He began work at Northern Illinois University in 1974. Before coming to NIU, Kapperman graduated from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, in 1974 with a doctorate in special education administration and research. Previous to his entrance into the doctoral program at UNC, he had taught students who were blind and visually impaired at the Kansas School for the Visually Handicapped in Kansas City, Kansas from 1969 through 1972. At that school, he taught mathematics and German. Before beginning work at the Kansas School, he spent one academic year in 1968-69 as a Fulbright Scholar studying special education at the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany. He was the first person who is visually disabled to be awarded a Fulbright Fellowship. Before going to Germany, Kapperman graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 1968 with a master's degree in special education for children who are visually disabled. Previous to his admission to UNC, he graduated from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska where he majored in mathematics and German and was awarded a secondary teaching certificate. He graduated from that institution in 1967 at the rank of Magna Cum Laude.
His professional work has focused on preparing personnel to work with persons who are visually disabled to enable them to meet the challenges which they must overcome to lead productive, independent lives. Kapperman's major interest focus on the development of strategies and methods for increasing the effectiveness of mathematics instruction for students who are visually disabled and the development of methods for providing effective instruction in the use of assistive technology for persons of all ages who are visually disabled. He uses an array of assistive technologies for carrying out his work because he is severely visually disabled himself. He reads braille and uses a guide dog. The reader can view a picture of Kapperman's faithful dog, Judd, on the departmental faculty web page.
Jodi StickenMs. Jodi Sticken holds the rank of instructor in the Department of Teaching and Learning. She is the director of the orientation and mobility component of the visual disabilities program as well as the coordinator of clinical experiences in this program, where she is responsible for program planning, undergraduate and graduate advisement, and clinical supervision in addition to full time teaching. She received her baccalaureate in special education and elementary education in 1973 from NIU. In 1976, she earned the master's degree in special education with emphases in emotionally disturbed/behavior disordered and multiple disabilities. She holds Illinois certification in Elementary Education and Special Education (Blind and Visually Impaired, and LBSI). In 1994, she obtained national certification as an orientation and mobility instructor. In 1996, she completed a graduate program in educational administration and was awarded the Illinois Type 75 certificate in school administration, and endorsement as a Director of Special Education in 2004. She has had many years of experience as a mobility specialist, an itinerant and resource teacher of students with visually disabilities, an autism consultant, and a special education administrator; and has been teaching at NIU since 1982.
Dr. Kim ZebehazyDr. Kim Zebehazy is an assistant professor in the visual disabilities program within the Department of Teaching and Learning. She graduated in 2006 from the University of Pittsburgh with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in special education with an emphasis in visual impairment. She is certified as an orientation and mobility specialist and a low vision therapist through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Educational Professionals (ACVREP). She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in special education for students with visual impairments, elementary education, and Spanish in 1997 from Western Michigan University at the rank of summa cum laude. Additional university honors included being named the 1996 Presidential Scholar in Special Education and the 1998 Presidential Scholar in Foreign Languages and Literatures. In 1998, she obtained her master's degree in orientation and mobility from the same institution. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., she worked from 1998 through 2002 as an itinerant teacher of the visually impaired and orientation and mobility specialist in Vermont. There, she served children with visual impairments with and without additional disabilities from birth through high school age. She also has many years experience working in the area of special recreation for children with disabilities.
Dr. Zebehazy’s areas of interest include effective teacher preparation, educational issues affecting children with low vision, accessibility issues related to the assessment of students with visual impairments with and without additional disabilities, and effective orientation and mobility instruction including the use of technology to improve outcomes. She also has a strong interest in international work within the field of visual impairment and blindness. She has been a member of several Volunteer Optometric Services for Humanity (VOSH) vision clinic trips to Costa Rica and Nicaragua where she has assisted in various capacities including working with individuals with low vision and blindness coming through the clinics. She hopes to continue collaborative work and research at both a national and international level to improve the services and opportunities of children and adults with visual impairments.