Patrice Maginnis: How Tech—High & Low—Is Changing the World of the Blind & Visually Impaired

Dastardly Cleverness in the Service of Good

Patrice Maginnis has experienced life as someone who can see, and as someone who can’t. She was born with retinitis pigmentosa and gradually went blind, losing all usable sight at age 60.

Patrice has learned to adapt and to thrive. And she helps others do the same, through her work with the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a nonprofit with locations in Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, and San Jose, California.

Vista Center’s mission is to empower people who are blind or visually impaired “to embrace life to the fullest.”

Often that involves technological solutions that a sighted person might never think of. A smart phone, for example, takes on a whole new meaning by providing a means of "seeing" everyday objects like groceries or currency.

And sometimes, the Vista Center’s approach is very low-tech — like clients being made to feel welcome in a supportive community.