Natalie Carter Barraga

Visitation will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 1st at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home on North Lamar. Services will be held at University Christian Church at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 2, 2015. Interment will follow at Capital Parks Cemetery in Pflugerville.

Dr. Barraga is survived by her daughter Karen; her nephews Dalton Carter of Austin and Robert Lee Carter of California; niece Don Annie Smith of Houston; two great nieces, Charleen Carter Adair and husband Michael, Kayla and Shawn of Austin; Catherine Carter Rodrique and husband Patrick, Emma and Jack of Austin; two great nephews Nathan Carter and wife Shannon and their four children and Chris Carter and family of Virginia. She is also survived by her special friends and extended family, Marcia and Mike Moore and their children David and Natalie of Oklahoma City and Marilyn and Spark Gregory of Austin.

Born in Troy, Texas on October 10, 1915 to Grovie and Bascom Carter' she was the fourth of five children. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Home Economics and Child Development from the University of North Texas (North Texas State Teacher's College) in 1938; a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology-Special Education from The University of Texas at Austin in 1957, and a Doctor of Education from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 1963, where she was honored as a Distinguished Alumna in 1988.

She joined the faculty at The University of Texas in 1963 where she advanced to Professor of Special Education in 1971, and retired as Professor Emerita in 1984. In addition to numerous Who's Who in America and the World, she received national and international awards from all professional organizations of which she was an active member: International Association for Education of the Visually Impaired (ICEVI); Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER); American Foundation for the Blind; American Printing House for the Blind; National Association of Parent of the Visually Impaired; Council for Exceptional Children; Delta Kappa Gamma Society International; American Academy of Optometry; and the American Optometric Association. Dr. Barraga was a member of the honor societies of Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi, and Pi Lambda Theta.

During her teaching career, she conducted pioneer research in visually impaired, and developed low vision assessment instruments and instructional materials for students with low vision. She taught courses and held seminars and workshops for teachers in 22 different countries around the world. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to spend a semester doing research and lecturing at The University of Zagreb in Croatia in 1986. She was active in several international organizations and her writings and materials are used all over the world. Her publications included books, monographs, book chapters, and numerous articles in professional journals. Her autobiography, entitled IF ANYONE CAN, YOU CAN was published by the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in 2007.

Dr. Barraga was long time member of University Christian Church where she served as a Deacon, Elder, Board President, and in 1997 was recognized as a Life Elder. She requested that thanks be expressed to all those friends who helped to make her life richer and happier. Special gratitude goes to all her former students who were her pride and joy as they have assumed leadership roles in their professional lives. She wanted to recognize her doctors who ministered to her for many years; Dr. Tom McHorse, Dr. David Pohl and Dr. James Marroquin.

Memorials may be made to the Scholarship Fund at University Christian Church in Austin; to Learning Ally; or to The College of Education – Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin.