New York’s new governor highlights what the blind can accomplish

Governor Patterson exemplifies the goals of the Vision 5K

At the Vision 5K, sighted athletes soon learn that visual impairment doesn’t have to hold anyone back. It’s an especially easy lesson to grasp as blind runners not only finish throughout the pack at all levels of ability, but win the race year after year. And it’s a message being sent in solidarity by all our sighted participants in the CEO and Blindfold Challenges.

The entire nation gained some insight into the capabilities of the blind and visually impaired this winter when David Paterson – who has been blind since infancy – made the transition as the governor of New York. Two recent articles highlight some important aspects of the attention attracted by Patterson’s status as a blind person in high office.

In the Seattle Times article Don’t shortchange the blind, Kirk Adams points out that the biggest barrier to employment for the blind is not their lack of vision—it’s the assumptions that others make about their abilities.

In the New York Times article A Blind Governor Adjusts, and So Does Albany, Jeremy Peters reports on the adjustments, strategies and skills Paterson and his staff employ to allow the Governor to carry out his day-to-day responsibilities.

Join us at the 2008 Vision 5K to support important programs that make personal and professional success possible for the blind and visually impaired. Register to walk or run today!.