Age, Biography and Wiki
Kenneth Jernigan was an American disability rights activist and president of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) from 1968 to 1986. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, and attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1948.
Jernigan was a leader in the disability rights movement, advocating for the rights of blind people to be treated as equals in society. He was a strong proponent of the philosophy of self-determination, believing that blind people should be able to make their own decisions and live their own lives. He was also a strong advocate for the use of Braille and other assistive technologies to help blind people gain access to education and employment.
Jernigan was a prolific writer and speaker, and his work has been widely cited in the disability rights movement. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998. He died in 1998 at the age of 72.
| Popular As |
Norman Kenneth Jernigan |
| Occupation |
President of the National Federation of the Blind |
| Age |
72 years old |
| Zodiac Sign |
Scorpio |
| Born |
13 November, 1926 |
| Birthday |
13 November |
| Birthplace |
Detroit, Michigan, US |
| Date of death |
(1998-10-12) Baltimore, Maryland, US |
| Died Place |
Baltimore, Maryland, US |
| Nationality |
United States |
We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 13 November.
He is a member of famous President with the age 72 years old group.
Kenneth Jernigan Height, Weight & Measurements
At 72 years old, Kenneth Jernigan height not available right now. We will update Kenneth Jernigan's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.
| Physical Status |
| Height |
Not Available |
| Weight |
Not Available |
| Body Measurements |
Not Available |
| Eye Color |
Not Available |
| Hair Color |
Not Available |
Who Is Kenneth Jernigan's Wife?
His wife is Mary Ellen Jernigan
| Family |
| Parents |
Not Available |
| Wife |
Mary Ellen Jernigan |
| Sibling |
Not Available |
| Children |
Not Available |
Kenneth Jernigan Net Worth
His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. So, how much is Kenneth Jernigan worth at the age of 72 years old? Kenneth Jernigan’s income source is mostly from being a successful President. He is from United States. We have estimated
Kenneth Jernigan's net worth
, money, salary, income, and assets.
| Net Worth in 2023 |
$1 Million - $5 Million |
| Salary in 2023 |
Under Review |
| Net Worth in 2022 |
Pending |
| Salary in 2022 |
Under Review |
| House |
Not Available |
| Cars |
Not Available |
| Source of Income |
President |
Kenneth Jernigan Social Network
| Instagram |
|
| Linkedin |
|
| Twitter |
|
| Facebook |
|
| Wikipedia |
|
| Imdb |
|
Timeline
THE BLINDNESS REVOLUTION: Jernigan in His Own Words, James H. Omvig, Information Age Publishing, Inc., 2005.
Jernigan died of lung cancer in October 1998. His tombstone in Baltimore bears the legend "He taught us it is respectable to be blind!"
Jernigan relocated from Iowa to Baltimore, Maryland in 1978 and became Executive Director for the American Brotherhood for the Blind (now the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults) and Director of the National Center for the Blind. Under his leadership, the Center became the focal point of civil rights activity for the blind. He continued as the political leader of the organization for the rest of his life.
In 1968, Jernigan was presented with a citation from President Lyndon Johnson for his outstanding work. Harold Russell of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped visited Des Moines on behalf of the President to present the award. In his speech, Russell said, "If a person must be blind, it is better to be blind in Iowa than in any other place in the nation, or the world!"
Also in 1968, Jernigan became President of the National Federation of the Blind upon the death of founder Jacobus tenBroek. Jernigan briefly stepped down in 1977 for health reasons, but was reelected the following year. He remained in that position until 1986, when he decided to retire and was succeeded by Marc Maurer, who held the position until 2014. After his presidency, Jernigan edited and contributed to over a dozen books of stories about blind people, known as "kernel books," which contain true stories about life experiences of federation members.
In 1958, Jernigan moved to Iowa to become director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind (now the Iowa Department for the Blind). While there, Jernigan developed and successfully implemented a new model for rehabilitating the blind known as “structured discovery.” Eventually, Jernigan's model was utilized by rehabilitation programs around the world.
Upon graduation from Peabody, he taught high school English at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville for four years. During this time, he joined the National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee, eventually serving as its Vice-President in 1950 and President one year later. In 1952, he was elected to the Board of Directors. He moved to Oakland, California in 1953 and joined the faculty of the newly established California Orientation Center for Blind Adults.
Kenneth Jernigan was born blind in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up on a farm in Tennessee. Beginning at the age of six, he was educated at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1945, he began attending Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee and graduated cum laude three years later. In 1949, he earned a Master's Degree in English from Peabody College in Nashville.
Norman Kenneth Jernigan (November 13, 1926 – October 12, 1998) was the longtime leader of the National Federation of the Blind, the largest and oldest blind people's organization in the United States.
