Yvonne Franz

Yvonne is the Co-Lead Teacher for the Visually Impaired for Equalize Sensory Services. She grew up in Southern California and started volunteering in a resource room for students with visual impairments in 1976. Yvonne soon fell in love with braille and all things associated with visual impairments and continues that passion today. After her high school graduation, she received her braille transcriber license and was working for the same schools that she volunteered in. Yvonne got her Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Northridge, with a Minor in Music. After a few years, and with the encouragement of the vision teachers she worked with, she pursued her Master’s Degree and teaching credential from California State University, Los Angeles in Visual Impairments and Blindness including Deaf/Blind.  In 2006, she moved to North Carolina and worked within the school system as the Lead Teacher for the Visually Impaired and the Assistive Technology Coordinator for 19 years. Yvonne has been on the NCAER board, as well as the recipient of the AER Rachel Rawls Award and APH Scholar Award for her dedication and knowledge in the field of visual impairments. 

Yvonne travels to California to visit her two children and grandson as often as she can. On a sunny day, you can generally find Yvonne working outside in her gardens or walking her dog.