An incredibly talented woman who has contributed so much to the
promotion of published braille.
National Braille Press Announces Departure of Publisher Diane Croft
National Braille Press today announced that Publisher Diane Croft will
step down in April 2016. After 34 years of service to NBP and to the
blindness community, Diane is excited to embark on this next stage in
her career, devoting full-time to publishing under a new imprint,
Interleaf Press, and the release of her book on the collective
unconscious this summer.
"I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to have had the
privilege and honor of working in this community for so many years,"
said Diane. "At NBP, I work alongside a group of enormously talented,
hardworking individuals, who care deeply about braille. Stepping away
from what I know and love is hard, but change also brings new energy
and creativity."
After receiving her master's degree from Harvard University, Diane was
hired by then-NBP President Bill Raeder to oversee NBP's publishing
efforts and new product development. Among her first accomplishments
were the launch of the first Children's Braille Book Club, a weekly
editorial newspaper, Syndicated Columnists Weekly, and the start of
NBP's self-help books on access technology. Since then, her commitment
to the promotion and advocacy of braille is renowned throughout the
world.
The blindness community has recognized Diane for her contributions to
the field with numerous awards, including the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award
and the Jacobus tenBroek Award from the National Federation of the
Blind, the 1990 Book Award from the President's Committee on Employment
of People with Disabilities, the Uncommon Vision Award, and the Bay
State Council of the Blind Outstanding Service Award. She received the
Hands On! Award from NBP in 2012 for her efforts to promote braille
literacy, an award that has also been given to Former First Lady Laura
Bush, J.K. Rowling, then Senator John Kerry, and Sabriye Tenberken.
Diane is a published author and editor of dozens of publications,
including the award-winning biography of the inventor of braille, Louis
Braille: A Touch of Genius, which has been translated into seven
languages.
Brian Mac Donald, President of NBP said, "Diane is a brilliant writer
and editor, and she is loved and admired in this community because she
has been a passionate, thoughtful, and caring advocate for the blind
and visually impaired. Her creative leadership in supporting braille
literacy programs for children has left a permanent mark in the history
of braille."
NBP has established a search committee to identify Diane's successor.
