Remembering Leaders
in the Field of Blindness and Visual Impairment
Dr. Jose Rafael Santana
University of Puerto Rico
Passed Away August,
2006
In August Dr. Jose Rafael Santana, from the University
of Puerto Rico passed away, after a long illness. He was a distinguished
scholar and practitioner in the field of special education.Dr. Jose Rafael Santana was born and raised in Santurce,
Puerto Rico. In his youth he acquired a visual disability which he
confronted with courage and optimism.Dr. Santana made many contributions to the field. He
founded the first school for the Blind in Latin America in the town of
Bayamon, Puerto Rico. He was a founding member of the Mental Health
hospital, SJ Capestrano. He was also the first director of the Assistive
Technology Project and founded the project PR Opportunity Program that
offers independent living services to youth with severe disabilities and
school drop outs with disabilities. For ten years he was the administrator
and of the Vocational Rehabilitation office where he founded ATREVI, a
project for assistive technology in rehabilitation teaching and independent
living. For him the University of Puerto Rico was not a career
but a destiny. His love for the academy made him the recipient of the
recognition of his coworkers and students. He represented the University
and people with disabilities in many organizations including The
International Council for People with Visual Impairments, The World
Federation for the Education of Exceptional Individuals, and the State
Advisory Council for Rehabilitation. In 1999 he was selected for the
Executive Committee for the Governor’s Immersion to the Workforce State
Board. He was recognized with the Governor’s Medal of Honor for his
services, the National Award for distinguished services, the award from the
National Society for the Prevention of Blindness, and the award from the
Pan-American Committee for People with Blindness. Among his publications there are: The Manual for
Teaching the Braille System, The Education of the Exceptional
Individual in Latin America, and the Inclusive Educational
Administration: Challenges for Educational Systems in the New Millennium (all published in Spanish). It is significant that even with the health
difficulties he confronted he was able to finish and make a presentation of
this, his last book.
Many students have gone through his classroom and later went back to thank him for helping them be better teacher and persons. His memory will live in the hearts of the people who work with and advocate for rights people with disabilities, his friends and coworkers.