Chester “Spikie” Avery grew up on Shaw Street in Sanford.  Life changed dramatically for this young Sanford High School student when in the span of less than two years, he developed a severe vision problem leaving him completely blind.   Chet bravely did the best thing for himself, which was to leave his home to attend a Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Massachusetts where he learned skills such as Braille, typing and using a cane.  Despite being warned that public schools were no place for blind students, Chet defied the doubters and returned to Sanford High School, graduating with highest honors and earning a scholarship to Harvard.  He then earned a Master’s Degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  Wanting to become a teacher, he was not allowed an internship in public schools like other graduate students because state laws prohibited blind persons from working as teachers and counselors in public high schools.  This was just one example of discrimination Chet would face throughout his life. 

After Chet taught several years at a private school in Connecticut, the former Dean at Harvard arranged an interview for him with the U.S. Office of Education.  Jack Hughes, who later established the Title 1 Program, hired Chet and called it one of the best decisions he ever made at the agency.

Mr. Avery and his family moved to Washington D.C. where he rose the career ladder in a variety of executive positions.  Among them, he was a Planning Specialist in the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, and served in the Bureau of Higher Education.  While he was Director of the State Student Incentive Grant Program, Mr. Avery expanded the number of State Scholarship Agencies to include one in every state. 

In the 1970s, the U.S. Commissioner of Education appointed Mr. Avery Director of Handicapped/Disability Concerns.  He ended his career as the Director, Division of Blind and Visually Impaired where he provided guidance and direction to State Rehabilitation Programs for blind persons throughout the United States, provided guidance and management support for 3,600 businesses operated by blind persons in Federal buildings and other facilities, and was the Federal Program manager for the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf Blind Youth and Adults.

Mr. Avery has, and continues to serve on many, federal, state and local boards and commissions and has been honored and recognized numerous times at all of these levels.

Positions

Commissions & Boards

• Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities

• Alexandria Council of Human Services

• Alexandria Human Services

• Commission on Information Technology

• Consumer Advisory Group

• Friends of the Talking Book Service Alexandria Public Library (President)

• King Street (Alexandria, VA) Task Force

• King Street Garden Foundation Board

• Member of the Independence  Center of Northern Virginia

• National Captioning Institute, Advisory Committee on Audio Description

• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped's Collection Development Advisory Group

• Special Education Advisory Committee

• Special Education Committee, Alexandria Public Schools

• The Friends of the Alexandria Talking Book Service

• Virginia Assistive Technology Services Advisory Council (Chairman)Virginia Coalition of Mayors Commission and Boards

• Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired

• Virginia Human Rights Commission

• Virginia Patron Advisory Council Library and Resource Center

• Virginia State Rehabilitation Council (Chairman)

• Virginia Talking Book Advisory Council

• Virginia Task Force on Information and Communication Technology/Commission on Information Technology

• Washington Ear

• WGBH Media Access Group
   

Awards & Honors (partial list)

• Alexandria Commission on Persons with  Disabilities, Outstanding Leadership Award

• Alexandria Human Rights Award

• Alexandria Special Education Advisory Committee - Outstanding Leadership Award

• Commendations from Secretaries of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph Califano and Patricia Harris

• Hollis Scholarship Award (Harvard)

• Javitz, Wagner, O'Day Employment Award, 1996

• John Duty Collins Outstanding Advocate for Persons with Disabilities Award

• Maine Scholarship Award (2nd Place)

• President, State of Maine, Boys' High Y

• Randolph Sheppard Vendors of America,  Leadership Award

• State of Maine Leadership Award (1956)

• U.S. Office of Education, Handicapped Employee of the Year (1976)

• United Way Community Service Award