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About
us
An Exclusive Interview
with Pat Price
On March 23, 2004 Talking
Communities Host, Lorn Bergstresser, premiered his
new series "Ordinary People with Extraordinary
Stories." His first guest was Pat Price.
To listen to the live
interview, click
here.
Event
Description:
TODAY FEATURING PAT
PRICE
Pat Price is an
"achiever" ... everything about her reflects a
victory of the human spirit. In large part, her
personal victories are but a reflection of how much
she has given to the world around her. "A humble
woman who cares" says all that needs to be said
about Pat. Yes, she has received accolades and
recognition at the highest levels, including the
prestigious Vernon Henley Memorial Award for her
lifelong efforts to "make a difference" in the
media ... differences which have changed public
attitudes to the blind. But she, like many others,
is just an ordinary person ... with an
extraordinary love for others.
Pat
(Patricia) Price
Founder,
President & Managing
Editor
If you were to
define an uncommon life, where might you turn for
examples? Those who know Patricia L. (Pat) Price
would look no farther than her. Pat's life of
ability despite disability is uncommon indeed.
Those who scoff at the efforts of one individual
are silenced by Pat's ongoing legacy of service to
others, a basic belief in the inherent goodness of
people everywhere, and an optimism that has been
the driving spark of her uncommon and productive
life.
Raised by a great
aunt and uncle, Pat became intimately acquainted
with adversity at 16. When a speck of dirt became
lodged in her iris, she felt the pain of it; but,
she had no idea at that moment that the pain would
ultimately evolve into total blindness and
deafness. The deafness would last for five years;
the blindness for many more. But she never allowed
her world to become one of hopeless silence and
darkness. Indeed, it was during this period when
she developed a keen understanding of the
importance of service to others. While she was
totally blind, she attended college and ultimately
received a Bachelor of Education degree. She then
embarked on a long and productive career in the
insurance industry.
After nearly two
decades of total blindness Pat began to see the
first intimations of returning sight. Ultimately,
with help from various types of low-vision
technology, she was able to read some printed
materials. Her revitalized vision expanded her
career opportunities. She obtained a management
position with an Indianapolis life insurance
company -- a post she held for 20 years.
Today, literally
thousands of blind and vision impaired people
recognize Pat as a woman of integrity and
competence. She reaches out on a constant basis to
those who struggle with vision loss. She learned
long ago that the best way to dispel the darkness
of an unknown future is to provide information that
can help a low-vision person cope with sight loss.
To that end, she founded and currently directs
Vision World Wide, Inc., an Indianapolis-based
nonprofit organization dedicated to providing
information and outreach to men and women
throughout the world who must learn to live with
vision loss.
One of the vehicles
Vision World Wide, Inc. uses to disseminate
information is Vision Enhancement, a
quarterly publication that includes announcements
and articles targeted to blind and visually
impaired people. The how-to and information pieces
are written by men and women who have experienced
sight loss firsthand, and under Pat's masterful
editing, the magazine is alive with timely
information designed to help its readers enhance
both their remaining vision and their
lives.
"I look forward to
that publication," says Nolan Crabb, assistant
editor at Blindskills, Inc., publisher of
Dialogue Magazine. "Vision Enhancement's
style is easy to read, and although it is targeted
to a vision impaired audience, totally blind
readers can find an impressive amount of
information that will assist them as
well."
While Pat's many
achievements are impressive indeed, she would be
the last to suggest she has accomplished all she
has single handedly. Her husband Marvin has been a
tremendous support to her for more than 40 years.
The two met when he was assigned to help Pat solve
some on-the-job logistical and technical problems.
He was her rehabilitation counselor at the time. As
Pat recalls, "He solved my typing problems in short
order. That was the end of it for several years.
Then, when I was President of the Indiana
Association of Workers for the Blind, I appointed
Marvin as one of the Committee Chairs. The rest is
history."
Pat succeeds in
marriage the way she has succeeded in her life of
tremendous service -- by paying attention to the
details. "During our years of marriage, we
celebrate every month in a special way. Sometimes
it is small gifts, a nice dinner out, etc. When we
were first married, it often was a hot dog and pork
and beans by candlelight. It has done much to keep
the honeymoon in our marriage," Pat comments. "It's
been a great 43 years, believe me!"
While Vision World
Wide consumes much of her time these days, service
to blind and visually impaired people has always
been a vital part of Pat's life. She currently
serves as the web master and treasurer of Library
Users of America, an affiliate of the American
Council of the Blind. She and her husband founded
the American Council of the Blind of Indiana and
Pat has served in a variety of positions with the
group. She served as the executive director of the
Council of Citizens with Low Vision International,
and was vice president of the National
Accreditation Council of Agencies Serving the Blind
and Visually Handicapped. In the early '90s, Pat
completed three terms as national secretary of the
American Council of the Blind headquartered in
Washington, D.C.
Pat has been a part
of the Lighthouse International Advisory Committee
and chaired a governor-appointed advisory committee
at the Indiana School for the Blind. She has
co-founded and served in a variety of capacities
with numerous special interest groups of the
American Council of the Blind.
While her service
to organizations representing visually impaired
people is significant, it is just part of who this
dynamic woman is.
She currently
serves as a Virginia M. Woolf Foundation board
member. She's been the membership chair and
treasurer of the Indiana Policyholders Service
Association, and she was president of the
Indianapolis Insurance Women's
Association.
She continues to
edit a variety of newsletters and magazines in
addition to her work as managing editor of
Vision Enhancement. She has also done
some columns editing for the Indianapolis Star
News.
Pat was the first
recipient of the Patricia L. Price Distinguished
Service Award, an honor given her by the American
Council of the Blind of Indiana. The award was
created in her name and honors "blind and visually
impaired people who have contributed to the
improvement of life for their peers." She has also
been named Business Woman of the Year, and is a
recipient of the Jefferson Award. She received the
prestigious George Card Award from the American
Council of the Blind for her international outreach
efforts. Additionally, she is the recipient of
three Sertoma Service to Mankind Awards.
For more information, go
to Pat Price Receives National Media Award and
listen to a recording of the live presentation of
the Vernon Henley National Media Award Pat received
in 2003.
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