Deborah (Debbie) Gleason is Senior Advisor, International at Perkins School for the Blind. Debbie has more than four decades of global experience providing leadership and support to build the capacity of local organizations, training teachers, advocating for national-level policy change, and collaborating across sectors to support organizations in expanding access to education and services for children with disabilities.

She is skilled at applying technical skills across cultural contexts and adapting strategies to support children with complex disabilities. An established thought leader with dozens of publications and international presentations, her work informs and advances inclusive development and has transformed the lives of generations of children. Debbie’s career has focused on helping children with complex disabilities around the world learn and thrive, claiming their rightful place as valued members of a family, school, and community. “Children—and their parents and teachers—have always been my best teachers.”