Accessible World

Born: August 20, 1928
Died: February 1, 2009

In Pat’s Own Words

She had experienced perfect sight, deaf-blindness, severe hearing loss, low vision, and total blindness for many years. Pat once commented that she has learned first-hand that information provides hope and empowerment. For those reasons she has felt compelled to focus her attention on providing not only relevant and timely information on all aspects of life, but also providing it in all accessible formats.

An Uncommon Life is an interview conducted by Talking Communities Lorn Bergstresser in 2004.

Pat (Patricia) Price: An Uncommon Life

Founder, President & 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'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

Pat was very proud to have received the 2003 Vernon Henley Memorial Media Award. You can read about the award and Pat below.

Listen to the Presentation

On July 6, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Vision World Wide founder, president and managing editor Pat (Patricia) Price was awarded the prestigious 2003 Vernon Henley Memorial Award for her lifelong endeavors to make a positive difference in the media -- in radio, TV, magazines, daily newspapers and Cyberspace -- which have resulted in changing public attitudes to recognize the capabilities of people who are blind.

When presenting the award, Charles S. P. Hodge, Chair of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) Board of Publications, cited the many ways in which Ms. Price has creatively and uniquely used her talents and journalistic skills to make a positive difference in the lives of those experiencing vision loss for the first time, as well as those who have been meeting the challenge of blindness for years. Mr. Hodge said, "Not only did she serve as a member of the ACB Board of Directors from 1981 to 1989 and as the ACB National Secretary from 1989 to 1995, she has also led numerous other national and international organizations in many leadership capacities. Tonight, however, she is being recognized for the role she has played in the media to present a positive image of people with visual impairment by emphasizing their capabilities and concerns rather than focusing on outdated stereotypes and misconceptions."

"Through the use of her web site, the Internet, numerous publications in print, large print, audiocassettes, computer diskettes, CDs, Braille, and electronic formats," Mr. Hodge continued, "Ms. Price has distributed information worldwide about programs, products, and services that are designed to motivate, encourage, and empower those with vision loss, including the totally blind, deaf-blind, and partially sighted, to live meaningful and productive lives."

When accepting the award, Ms. Price commented that since she has experienced perfect sight, deaf-blindness, total blindness for many years, and now severe hearing loss and low vision, she has learned first-hand that information provides hope and empowerment. For those reasons she has felt compelled to focus her attention on providing not only relevant and timely information on all aspects of life, but also providing it in all accessible formats.

She also said that because she knew Vernon Henley personally, receiving the award was most meaningful and significant because of the many ways his life had impacted her goals personally and professionally. In closing, she said, "Thank you so much ACB for this great honor. Please know that by presenting this award to me you have given me another goal for which to strive, and for that I shall be forever grateful."

The Vernon Henley Memorial Award was established in 1988 to honor a sighted individual who created and first produced ACB Reports, a radio presentation distributed to radio reading services around the country. Mr. Henley, a resident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma until his untimely death, dedicated his life to encouraging and training visually impaired journalists.