June E. Downing, Ph.D.
June E. Downing, Ph.D., was a national leader in the field of special education who
focused her expertise, time, and energy researching best practices and advocating for
individuals with severe and multiple disabilities. She was a steadfast promoter of inclusive
education, viewing access to the general education program and peers without disabilities as best practice, as well as an issue of social equality and civil rights. Dr. Downing
was an exceptionally productive scholar who published numerous articles, chapters,
monographs, and textbooks focusing on the education and inclusion of students with severe and multiple disabilities. Her publications are used by many educators and
parents to learn how to provide quality education in inclusive classrooms to students
with severe and multiple disabilities. Dr. Downing provided numerous professional
development trainings in many regions of the world and served as the
keynote speaker at several national and international conferences. She was known
for her practical, invigorating, and humorous presentations and workshops. Dr.
Downing's career in the field of special education began as a teacher of students
with visual impairments and multiple disabilities including deafblindness. She
was Associate Professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson and Professor at
California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She directed or codirected several
federally funded personnel preparation, research-to-practice, and technical assistance projects and was committed to preparing exceptional, highly qualified teachers, whose role she saw as change agents for the future. Through Dr.
Downing's teaching and hands-on guidance, her students developed a passion for
teaching and a strong commitment to supporting quality lives for students with
disabilities and their families. While at CSUN, Dr. Downing contributed to the
development of the CHIME Institute's Charter School and was instrumental in its
high-quality inclusive educational practices. Dr. Downing served on the National
TASH Board of Directors for six years and was Past President of Cal-TASH
and AZ-TASH (the California and Arizona state chapters of TASH). She also served
as an associate editor of Research and Practices for Persons with Severe Disabilities. Dr. Downing retired from CSUN in 2007 and returned to Tucson,
where she lived until her death in July 2011. Her indomitable spirit, passion, and
determination have been a driving force in our field, and her work continues to
inspire and create positive and successful learning outcomes for students.