​My father lost his sight progressively beginning when he was young. By the time he retired, he was completely blind. So, I grew up understanding the challenges faced by those with visual challenges.

 

I began teaching as a special education teacher at a school serving severely challenged children, many of whom had visual impairments.

 

I received my PhD in Biological Psychology from The University of Chicago (1992) where I did research on visual perception. I soon realized that what I was learning could be used to help visually impaired children like those with whom I worked years before.