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Member Bravos

Index of Members Saluted

RFB&D proudly congratulates the following
members on their outstanding accomplishments

photo of Erik Weihenmayer by Didrik Johnck

Erik Weihenmayer, the first person who is blind to scale the highest point in the Americas (Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina), became the first person who is blind to summit Mount Everest when he and his team reached that point on May 24 (progress of the climb was chronicled at www.2001everest.com). Climbing Everest is part of Erik's goal to reach the highest peak on each of the seven land continents. He'll then join an elite group of 100 climbers who have scaled the Seven Summits. Mt. Everest is the fifth such peak and the two remaining are Elbrus and Carstenz Pyramid.

Erik spent three years as a board member of RFB&D's Arizona Unit. He relied on RFB&D textbooks throughout his academic career and during his years spent as a teacher. He still borrows RFB&D books for pleasure reading and has taken our recorded texts with him on several climbs (see photo). He even planted the RFB&D flag on Alaska's Mount McKinley.

Erik chronicled his adventures in Touch the Top of the World, the incredible, inspiring story of his life, from the diagnosis that foretold of the loss of his eyesight, to his dream to climb mountains, and finally his quest to reach each of the Seven Summits. Erik recalls his struggle to push past the limits placed on him by his visual impairment — and by a seeing world. He speaks movingly of the role his family played in his battle to break through the barriers of blindness: the mother who prayed for the miracle that would restore her son's sight; the father who encouraged him to strive for that unreachable mountaintop. For more information, visit Erik's website.

Touch the Top of the World -- available in bookstores and through Erik's web site -- is in the RFB&D recorded library, shelf number GM649.

"Great ideas from the United States" is the theme of the Trans Atlantic Idea Competition, better known as USable, of the Keorber Foundation in Hamburg, Germany. The competition encourages high school and college students to write about American programs or services that would also benefit German society. Thomas Hahn, an RFB&D member from Marburg, Germany, recently won a flight to the United States for his winning ideas, which included a description of what RFB&D does, as well as the Free Telephone Operators for the Blind program and a Peer Helpers for the Blind program that enables blind students to attend mainstream schools. Hahn first became aware of the services of RFB&D while studying as an exchange student in Minnesota. Legally blind due to albinism and retina degeneration, Hahn feels that a recorded book "pulls" him along the text, helping him to imagine the letters on the page. When he returned to Germany, he took English as an accelerated second language course, using books from RFB&D. Hahn is preparing to take American college entrance exams with the goal of soon studying genetics at an American university. Eventually, he hopes to initiate a program similar to RFB&D in Germany.

Oxford, England, is the next destination for Zachary Battles, a recent graduate of the Schreyer honors program at Penn State University. Battles was one of only 32 students chosen as Rhodes Scholars, one of the most prestigious fellowship programs in the world. Battles graduated in May, 2001 with three degrees: a bachelor's in math, a bachelor's in computer science and a master's in computer science. He also minored in French. In addition to his Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, Battles was honored with Penn State's Eric A. Walker Award, presented for an exceptional contribution by a student that enhances the reputation of the University through extracurricular activities. He is credited with modifying and simplifying teaching techniques and technology for people who are blind at Penn State, and for bolstering the awareness of disabled students' needs and abilities. Battles was previously a DO-IT (Disabilities Opportunities Internetworking and Technology) intern working with inner city children with disabilities, and he taught English as a second language in the Ukraine during his last winter break. People Magazine recently featured a story about Battle's remarkable academic success.

Also featured in a recent People Magazine was California's Dionne Quan, an actress and RFB&D member who landed the role as the voice of "Kimi" in Rugrats in Paris. The magazine quoted Quan's voice teacher, who pointed out that, although Quan is blind, "she sees more, if you will, than most of us do." She has used her voice both for singing and for speaking - talents that helped her beat out over 200 others to win the role. The popularity of the character in the movie has turned into a recurring role in the television series and inspired Quan to hone her autograph-signing skills.

Once unsure of her ability to succeed in school, Yvette Cuara is now a college student in California. Recently, RFB&D's Inland Empire/Orange County unit featured her in an article highlighting student descriptions of dyslexia. "Having dyslexia or any learning disability is like having to learn a new language … now that I have become a member of RFB&D, the language in my textbooks makes sense." According to Cuara, using recorded textbooks has given her the confidence to continue her college education. In her first university semester, Yvette earned straight A's. "I never had received straight A's before," she said. "RFB&D has been a real blessing."

If you have an RFB&D success story of your own, please e-mail us about it (one page or less) at success@rfbd.org. By doing so, you grant us permission to possibly use this information in future publications. Please include your phone number, so we can call you for further information, if needed.

RFB&D works for them -- it can work for you or someone you know! For further information, please call RFB&D's national headquarters at (800) 803-7201.