Dr. Tony Best took up the post of Chief Executive in August 2008, "excited by the tradition of innovation, the reputation for quality and the unique range of excellent services."
Tony moved to the Percy Hedley Foundation from his post as Chief Executive of Sense, a national charity that supports and campaigns for deafblind people. During his time there, he was particularly interested in developing quality- through research, evaluation and staff development.
Tony has spent most of his working life in the field of disability. A trained teacher of deaf and of blind children, Tony worked in special schools and then undertook research and teaching in special education at the University of Birmingham. He worked extensively abroad in Latin America, Caribbean, Africa, India and the Far East, advising on staff development, before taking up a post with the Royal National Institute of the Blind as principal of a centre for young people with multi-disabilities.
He has contributed to training courses and conferences within Europe and internationally, and has produced a number of training videos, books and articles, including a textbook on teaching children with visual impairments. He has contributed to a number of recent initiatives including membership of the DCSF Early Years Project Steering Group, chairing the Strategic Development Task Group of Deafblind International, and is governor of two special schools.
"I joined The Percy Hedley Foundation at a time when a number of developments are being planned. These are all designed to have an impact of the lives of disabled people and their families, and were chosen after consultation with some of the people who will directly benefit. This approach is part of the way the Foundation has always worked. It has resulted in a wide range of valued and innovative developments such as Conductive Education for children, the Sports Academy for young adults, and the recent introduction of therapeutic support for older people suffering from a stroke."
До 2008 года – директор английской школы Кондовер Холл Королевского национального института слепых.