The preamble to a story run in the Indiana Gazette in 1979 is a good beginning to this story.
Perhaps we sighted people inadvertently form a mental picture of a "blind" person. But to get the true impression, read Tom P. Mittelhouser's story on Chuck Vidunas, employee cafeteria manager at the Indiana Season-all plant.
Vidunas' outlook on life and his mastery of recreational and other goals supposedly reserved solely for the sighted is a fresh approach to our problems, big or small. -- (Newspapers.com, 1979)
1979
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| Chuck Vidunas and co-worker at Season-all's Employee Cafeteria |
Chuck isn't just the worker-bee, here, he is the manager. His attitude about it is "Hey, I'm just like you -- I just can't see, that's all!" He is not only a successful business manager, but also one of the best blind chess players in America, an accomplished computer programmer, certified technician in CPR; a better-than-average bowler. You know what? That's not the same as me, at all! I can't claim any of those things other than CPR.
Apparently, he's been blind since birth with some sort of retinal degeneration which was only going to get worse as he got older. He was born 1949 in Pittsburgh. Oops, that shows that I should actually read these articles before I spout off. He was one of eleven children, not the only one as I originally thought. His dad William worked as a meat-cutter during tough times. His mother was devoutly faithful, and she took him to a healing service at about age 4 or 5. At the moment the healer announced that there was a young boy with an eye problem, he turned around to his mother with astonishment, saying "Mommy, my eyes are burning!" Turns out, the retinal degeneration stopped getting worse, and as of 1979 the doctors still are unable to explain the remission. He had a small amount of vision left for which he was very grateful (Newspapers.com, 1979, p. 27)
.
Juvenile Macular Degeneration
This condition is inherited, and is sometimes called macular dystrophy. The macula is a light-sensitive part of the retina responsible for central vision, allowing for fine details. It is caused by one of three disorders, all of which share similar characteristics, all are rare, and as of 2017 there is still no treatment to prevent vision loss. -- (Boyd, 2015)
He was at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children from age 5 to 17 or 18. During this time, he played in varsity wrestling, was President of the Key Club, and he became a champion chess player.
Hey, you're only handicapped if you feel you are. -- Chuck Vidunas, (Newspapers.com, 1979)
After graduation, he became a qualified computer programmer. After this, he learned food management at a business program for blind persons. He started by managing several employee cafeterias in several Pennsylvania areas, but each one closed soon after that. "They used to call me the Undertaker." Finally, he was at the Campus Sportswear cafeteria for over a year, then found his "forever" home at Season-all.
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| Chuck Vidunas 1979 manager Employee Cafeteria |
Sure, I can't see very well, but I know and understand people. maybe I can see other people better than they think I can. -- Chuck Vidunas, (Newspapers.com, 1979, p. 27)
1989
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| Charles Vidunas installed as President of the White Township Lions Club |
1990
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| Chuck Vidunas, outgoing Lion's Club President 1990 |
1996
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| Charles Vidunas in weight loss campaign 1996 . (Newspapers.com, 1996, p. 4) |
Charles participated in this program, a fund-raiser targeted to sighted people so they can raise money for the Indiana County Blind Association. For 63 days participants work to lose weight, with sponsors paying a certain amount for each pound lost. All proceeds benefit the blind and visually impaired. This has been an annual event since 1986.
2000
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| Charles Vidunas competes in National Blind Chess Players' Championship |
In this championship, Charles played for three days of matches. Players compete in divisions according to experience, with Chuck the winner for Class E. People from all over the US participated, 18 legally blind players. These players used specially designed chess boards and pieces to help them identify their pieces and their locations on the board
2007
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Bibliography
Boyd, K. (2015, October 14). What is Juvenile
Macular Degeneration? Retrieved from Juvenile Macular Degeneration:
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/juvenile-macular-degeneration
Newspapers.com. (1979, January 13). Indiana
Gazette (Indiana, Pennsylvania). Retrieved from Newspapers.com.
Newspapers.com. (1989, June 13). Indiana Gazette
(Indiana, Pennsylvania). Retrieved from Newspapers.com.
Newspapers.com. (1990, June). Indiana Gazette
(Indiana, Pennsylvania). Retrieved from Newspapers.com: date indexed as 3
October 1989
Newspapers.com. (1996, April 11). Indiana Gazette
(Indiana, Pennsylvania). Retrieved from Newspapers.com.
Newspapers.com. (2000, July 10). The
Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky). Retrieved from Newspapers.com.
Newspapers.com. (2007, January 24). Indiana
Gazette (Indiana, Pennsylvania). Retrieved from Newspapers.com.
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