Perhaps, you have seen Scott MacIntyre in American Idol? Yep, that's him in the pic! ;D
Scott MacIntyre's daily struggle with low vision can be compared to "looking at the world through a coffee straw."
Diagnosed with the rare genetic eye disorder Congenital Leber's Amaurosis, Scott is totally blind in dim lighting and only has two degrees of tunnel vision in the center of his field.
The accomplished pianist, who has performed with the Phoenix Symphony as well as internationally, is only able to see one note at a time on a sheet of music. "Some would view my visual impairment as a tragic loss," he says. "I don't view it in that sense any longer. My love for music has more than compensated for my lack of vision."
Before he began using RFB&D's recorded books, Scott dreaded reading any text, for it was cumbersome, time consuming and frustrating.
After he was introduced to RFB&D, however, he found recorded books to be much more efficient and enjoyable.
Sharing books such as Robinson Crusoe and Huckleberry Finn with his family became a bonding experience on long car trips.
Eventually all that listening to RFB&D's audiobooks paid off in a big way - Scott graduated from college at an age when most seniors are just graduating high school.
At 19 years old, Scott graduated summa cum laude at Arizona State University and was selected by USA Today as one of the nation's top 20 collegiate seniors of 2005.
Also named a Marshall Scholar, Scott is studying music at Cambridge University and Royal College of Music in England.
When not studying, Scott enjoys everything from musical theater and ballroom dancing to computer programming and skiing. "RFB&D has removed one of the most preventative barriers to my education," says Scott. "I am now liberated to enjoy virtually any printed material imaginable."
Though i'm not an avid fan of Americn Idol, I admire Scott for his resilience.
Resilience
March 2009