I am a fully trained long-cane traveler, having learned under four different Orientation and Mobility Specialists, each with a different travel technique emphasis. I have been a strong advocate for accessible pedestrian signals both in my hometown at municipal meetings and nationally in the pages of THE BRAILLE FORUM, monthly periodical of the American Council of the Blind. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Washington State University, Pullman, with a pre-law emphasis. I was the first Computer Skills Instructor at the Washington State School for the Blind, Vancouver, Washington.

Currently, I am a graveyard shift houseparent at the school, a transfer I made with the advent of so-called graphical user interface (GUI) in the early 1990's, which temporarily made mainstream computer instruction by blind people to blind people an insurmountable challenge, until the requisite screen reading assistive technology was developed and widely disseminated by the mid- to late-'90's. I have been an active advocate for blindness issues and for other causes at the local, state and national level, as well as a precinct committee officer in a local political party.

As a former member of the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, I was chairperson of the Operations Subcommittee, which coordinated committee and subcommittee activities. With a strong interest in public speaking, I completed the Speech Craft program in Toastmasters International, an organization that sharpens both public speaking and organizational leadership skills. I am a 48-year-old husband and father of three grown children, with one son currently ranking second in his class at naval nuclear school.