Business and Professionals

Jaime Silva, Redesigning life goals towards productivity in blindness - By Monalinda Cadiz

As a young, full-fledged architect in the Philippines, Jaime Silva dreamed of owning a successful design firm and a fast car. But congenital glaucoma caused his eyesight to deteriorate quickly in his late 20s, turning him totally blind before 40. Now in his 60s, Silva’s path with blindness led him to becoming a corporate executive, civic leader, advocate, and motivational and technical speaker. Conquering a condition commonly perceived as debilitating, Silva’s hard work seems to mimic a mythical king who turns everything he touches into gold.

Christopher Downey

In 2008, surgery to treat a brain tumor left San Francisco–based architect Chris Downey blind at the age of 45. Today, he is dedicated to creating more helpful and enriching environments for the blind and visually impaired.

Cristine Ha

Christine Hà American chef and writer from Houston, Texas, is the first blind contestant of MasterChef and the winner of its third season in 2012.

Sacha Van Loo

Blind Detective

This is the story of a Belgian detective; he is a detective with a difference. And the difference is - he is blind. Now you are sure to wonder as to how a blind person can be a detective.

A small statured man who has been blind since birth, Sacha van Loo, born in 1971, is one of the six blind police officers of the pioneering unit specialising in transcribing and analysing wiretap recordings during criminal investigations. These blind detectives are popularly referred to as counter terrorism weapons.

John Metcalf

Road Builder

John Metcalf, or Blind Jack of Knaresborough, as he was commonly known as, was one of the first of his kind of professional road builders to emerge during the Industrial Revolution. Despite being blind, he became famous as the builder of roads and bridges using techniques that in the 18th century were revolutionary.

John was born in a poor family on August 15, 1717, in Knaresborough, Yorkshire. An infection of smallpox at the age of six, took away his eyesight and John became blind.

Yang Jia

Professor of English

Visual impairment : Macular degeneration

Born : April 1963

Elizabeth Jackson

A Business Woman

Visual impairment : Retinitis Pigmentosa since childhood

Born: May 11 1973

Elizabeth Jackson was born on the Isle of Sheppey, in Southern England. As a child, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a severe eye disorder. Doctors told her family that she would be blind by the age of five.

Peter White

Radio broadcaster and journalist

Visual impairment : Born blind

Born: 1947

Peter White is an exceptional person. Blind since birth, he is a successful journalist with B.B.C. and a radio presenter with BBC Radio Solent. His determination earned him his job with BBC radio when the station was launched in 1971. He was then just 24 and had no prior experience.

Tim Cordes

Tim Cordes
Medical Doctor

Visual impairment: Blind

"Things are only impossible until they are done." Tim Cordes is a living proof to this statement.

Tim Cordes is blind. However, this did not stop him from mastering Jujitsu (a genre of Martial Art) and water skiing. Besides composing wonderful music, Tim shows a keen interest in the subject of Bio Chemistry as well. Any one of these accomplishments would be impressive, but together they are dazzling.

Vikram Dalmia

Business and Entrepreneurship

Visual impairment: Retinitis pigmentosa

Born: April 4, 1969

"My struggle and impediments in life came more from my family than the outside world,” says Vikram Dalmia. A successful entrepreneur and cricketer, he had to fight attitudinal barriers within his family to make a mark for himself. His conviction proved him right.