Julie Jennings is a trained teacher who has specialized in the care and education of children with special educational needs and disabilities. Her postgraduate training has been in working with children with learning difficulties, and with visual impairment. She is also a Froebel trained early childhood teacher. Having taught for many years in special and mainstream schools and early years settings, Julie was head of a LA visual impairment service before joining RNIB as Family Services Officer, then as National Development Officer for Early Years. She is now RNIB Manager: Children, young people and families, taking the lead in promoting services for children and young people with a visual impairment from birth to twenty five years, and their families. She chaired the Early Childhood Forum for three years and has recently been elected as Chair of the Special Educational Consortium.