KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A fundraiser at J. Reiger and Company Friday night is helping raise money for Alphapointe, a company that provides employment opportunities and essential services for people who are visually impaired or blind.
According to Alphapointe, 70% of people who are blind are unemployed.
“That number is pretty staggering and its very unfortunate,” Scott Thornhill of Alphapointe said. “Because what it is, is a large group of loyal individuals who are on the sidelines.”
Thornhill said that the perspective on blind people needs to change.
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“Start to change how you think about the possibilities. Don’t limit someone based on your own thoughts of what someone else can do,” he said.
Thornhill was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at 8 years old.
“It’s a degenerative retinal disease, so at 15 I was told I would be blind by 40,” he said. “My mother and I were in a vehicle behind a truck that had a word on it and she asked me to read the word and I couldn’t see it.”
“We need more space,” Chairman of the Board Danny Davies said. “We have a lot of contracts going on.” He says that Alphapointe is looking to expand their facility on Prospect Avenue. “It’s adding jobs, storage, etc.”
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Thornhill says everyone that loses their vision faces a different journey. He told FOX4 about his.
“That journey frankly has been incredibly difficult. In the beginning, it’s much more difficult to realize that you’re losing a part of yourself,” he said. “For me I had to get through that. I’m an outgoing individual so I found myself staying at home and you just can’t live like that. Understanding what’s possible in life helps you get through that emotional transition in a way that staying by yourself and alone doesn’t do it for you.”
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