Phil Hatlen

Phil received his undergraduate and master’s degrees at San Francisco State University (SFSU), majoring in elementary education and special education with an emphasis in the education of students with visual impairments, and his doctorate in education at the University of California, Berkeley.

He began his career as a teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired who were included in regular classrooms. He served as principal of the California School for the Blind from 1962 until 1966, when he accepted a position as professor at SFSU. During his 24 year tenure at this university, he prepared students and orientation and mobility instructors for work with students who are blind or visually impaired. In 1990, he left SFSU to become Superintendent at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

He has served as president of the Division on Visual Impairments of the Council for Exceptional Children and as president of the Association for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (AEVH) during the last two years this organization was in existence. He was very active in the formation of the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER). He has also been actively involved in guiding legislation and setting policy which is beneficial to blind and visually impaired persons and has written extensively on curriculum for students with visual impairments and on education placement issues.

In 2003, the Division on Visual Impairments, Council for Exceptional Children, honored Phil with its Distinguished Service Award, and in 2004, CEC awarded him its Outstanding Leadership Award.

Phil’s Advice on the Expanded Core Curriculum