Hasley and Johnson aren’t blind to life’s possiblities

March 26, 2004
by Samantha Carr
Staff Reporter

He’s been playing his violin since he was 9. She’s been singing since she was 5. Andrew Hasley, Grand Junction, Colo., first-year and Karen Johnson, Muskegon first-year, are both blind.

Hasley is legally blind, seeing only approximately five to ten percent of what someone with perfect vision can.

“I can see what is straight in front of me, but as for peripheral?” he siad laughing. “Hah! That’s not even there.”

His humor about his disability is something that he feels helps to make living with it easier.

“People tend to be scared of me because they don’t know what to do about my being blind,” Hasley said. “Other people find it funny to joke around with me about it. Those people are the ones who I tend to like because I can have fun with them without having to worry too much about myself.”

Hasley is a biology major and plans to go into veterinary work. He is involved in many activities on campus including the Briton Broadcasting Group, Honors Institute, and orchestra. However, he said he would like to be more involved.

Hasley learned to play the music by ear and also had private lessons. His talent put him in the first chair section in the orchestra.

“I love playing the violin,” Hasley said. “Everyone is very supportive and accommodating of me and my playing music. Most people are just amazed, but they shouldn’t be. My stand partner is really helpful, as well as Dr. Ball, too.”

Karen Johnson’s love is singing.

“I would love to become a solo performer,” Johnson said.

Along with singing, Johnson also loves to read, write, and hang out with her friends.

“I probably do too much hanging out, though,” Johnson said. “But I am a college student, so I guess it is an expected thing of me.”

Johnson is a political science major, but is unsure what field she wants to go into.

“I do know that I do not want to run for an office position,” Johnson said. “I am not a politician.”

Neither student knows the specific cause of their blindness.

Hasley said his blindness is a genetic defect.

“It is a one in 100,000 chance of getting it,” Hasley said. “It’s like, my genes started working, and then they all of a sudden decided they didn’t want to grow anymore. So now, they are just sitting in there, doing nothing.”

Johnson’s situation is a little different.

“I came over from Korea when I was eight months old,” she said. “I don’t have much history on record, so we aren’t really sure.”

Both students chose Albion College because of the acceptance shown toward their disabilities.

“They have helped out a lot in things such as getting new programs for our computers and schoolbooks,” Johnson said.

These programs turn things such as e-mails into vocal mail and AOL Instant Messenger conversations into vocal conversations. If Braille books aren’t available, the college finds other ways to interpret their work.

“The technology is so expensive and hard to find,” Johnson said. “The fact that Albion would help out, and do it so willingly, meant a lot and really stood out to me to come here.

“Our books are huge. Two hundred-fifty pages written are about six hundred pages written in Braille. It’s a lot of work [for the college] to go through and get everything like that.”

Hasley and Johnson said professors have been very kind them.

“Everyone is very honest in welcoming me and helping,” Hasley said. “The professors have been really great in doing what they can and it means a lot. In high school, people were scared and didn’t know what to do. I felt kind of brushed off. Here, though, it’s nice.”

For both Hasley and Johnson, living blind is not something that limits their experiences as college students.

“Albion has just gone above and beyond what other places probably would have,” Hasley said. “I’m really lucky to have chosen to come here.”