Percy Hedley Chief Executive to Receive OBE

The Board of Trustees, Staff, pupils, service users and all supporters of the Percy Hedley Foundation were delighted to learn of the Award of an OBE to Dr Tony Best in the New Year's Honours.

Nick Swales, Chairman of the Percy Hedley Trustees said "Whilst Tony has only been at the Foundation for a short time he has already demonstrated his commitment to the advancement of the cause of Deafblind and other disabled people which builds upon the great work he has done during his career in this area".

"We would all like to offer our congratulations to Tony on his award which is in recognition of all he has achieved."

Tony Best said: "I am absolutely thrilled to receive this honour - although it feels a little strange to receive this for work which has brought me so much enjoyment and satisfaction. Like many of my colleagues, I feel privileged to be able to work both with people with disabilities, and in the charity sector where values and passion are so important".

Tony Best started work a teacher, first at the School for the Blind in Benwell, Newcastle then moved to teacher training and research at the University of Birmingham. He set up the first course in the education of deafblind children, and introduced distance education into special education courses. He spent some time working for a US-based charity developing new services for disabled people in different parts of the world. After a time as headteacher of schools for children with multi-disabilities, he was appointed as chief executive of the national charity, Sense, which has successfully campaigned for better services for deafblind people and their families. He has always had a particular interest in deafblindness and his OBE citation mentions his international contribution to the education of deafblind children.

He said "It has been great to be part of some dramatic changes over the past thirty years. My early research work was in mental handicap hospitals which were isolated in the countryside, and today, disabled people are seen as citizens with the same rights as other people. We now support people with disabilities, rather than helping them because they are seen as disadvantaged. That is a great development."

"As Chief Executive of Percy Hedley Foundation, I am now able to continue my work in an organisation that has a fantastic record of innovation and high quality support for disabled people and their families."

"I think it is great that, through this award, there is recognition for the work that is done to support disabled people. It is an indication of how caring our society is. And I feel immensely proud that this work, such as our achievements at Percy Hedley Foundation, is being recognised."

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