Given that 8 March is International Women’s Day, I’m taking the opportunity to celebrate some of the women who have been wonderful leaders in special education. I’ve assembled a personal list of women whom I consider to be outstanding contributors to the education of children and youth with disabilities, their teachers, and families.

I emphasize that this is my personal list. I make no claim to it being exhaustive comprehensive, or authorotative. There are surely others whom I should have included, and perhaps some a reader or two would recommend that I not include. I recognized that it is a US-centric list and tilted toward researchers. Please help improve this list; add your nominations and provide links by commenting.

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Still, despite the potential inadequacies, I hope this list helps us to remember that women have been (and are) making magnificent contributions to special education. We shouldn’t let any of them (and others) be forgotten.

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• Margaret Bancroft, leader, administrator http://www.njwomenshistory.org/discover/biographies/margaret-bancroft/

• Barbara Bateman, researcher, legal scholar, and teacher

• Renee Bradley, author, advocate, and leader in the deep state

• Diane Browder, researcher and teacher

• Tanis Bryan, researcher and fine friend

• Marie Skodak Crissey, researcher

• Francis P. Connor, researcher and advocate

• Evelyn Deno, researcher, teacher, advocate, and mother to Stan

• Elizabeth E. Farrell, Founder and first president of the Council for Exceptional Children

• Lynn S. Fuchs, rocket scientist

• Eleanor Guetzloe, advocate

• Karen Harris, scientist, editor, advocate, leader

• Judith Heumann, advocate

• Asha Jitendra, researcher and teacher

• Beverly Johns, advocate, administrator

• June B. Jordan, editor and advocate

• Ann Kaiser, researcher and teacher

• Helen Keller, needs no tags But see https://www.afb.org/afb100/women-leadership

• Barbara Keogh, researcher, thinker, and teacher

• Holly Lane, researcher and leader

• Kathleen Lynn Lane, researcher and leader

• Margo Mastropieri, researcher and leader

• Romaine P. Mackie, researcher and leader

• Maria Montessori, developer and teacher

• Deborah Simmons, researcher and leader

• Deborah Speece, researcher and research leader

• Anne Sullivan, teacher

• M. Angele Thomas, editor

• Martha Thurlow, researcher, leader

• Sharon Vaughn, super scientist and leader

• Naomi Zigmond, goddess

Some places to look for more info (please suggest other sources):

• Top 10 Deaf Women in History You Need to Know About For International Women’s Day: Learn about these famous women who changed the course of history!—Deaf Niche,

• https://deafniche.com/top-deaf-women-in-history-you-need-to-know-about-for-international-womens-day/

• Research: How Bias Against Women Persists in Female-Dominated Workplaces—by Amy Diehl, Amber L. Stephenson, and Leanne M. Dzubinski https://hbr.org/2022/03/research-how-bias-against-women-persists-in-female-dominated-workplaces

There are, I hasten to note, many women who are active now and who are my superiors. I don’t mean to overlook them by focusing (mostly) on historical figures here. Please feel welcome to add contemporary contributors—or “rising stars”—in the comments, too. (And, to those listed here and who are still active: No, I don’t think you’re already over the proverbial hill!)

In the main, let us celebrate the substantial contributions of women to special education. There are many who have hoed a tough row, but they are making the world better.

Thank you.