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Chetek native isn't slowing down after losing 97 percent of sight
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| By: Rachel Westberg |
May 27, 2009 |
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Wright, left, is pictured with his father Al with a tandem bike at the Grand View Firehouse 50 bike race.
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Chetek native Chris Wright has traveled all over the country, earned his master's degree and owned his own business. At age 26, this may be a full plate in itself, but Wright has done it all while losing 97 percent of his sight in the process.
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Wright, a 2001 graduate of Chetek High School, was diagnosed at age 5 with retinal degenerative disease, known as retinitis pigmentosa. With RP, abnormalities in the rods and cones in one's retina generally lead to a progressive loss of vision. In its progression, many experience night blindness and tunnel vision.
In Wright's case, the RP did not affect him throughout most of his youth. He wore glasses and contacts to correct some of his vision and learned to deal with tunnel vision.
After graduating high school, Wright the son of Al and Judy Wright of Chetek, was accepted into the manufacturing engineering program at UW-Stout in Menomonie. Wright began classes in the fall 2001, even joining a national fraternity. He did well academically, but fatigue often became an issue with the strain he was putting on his eyes from the constant homework and reading.
The next summer, Wright was offered the opportunity to start his own business working on existing lighting and maintaining/inspecting coaxial antenna lines. He began CW Tower and Lighting in the summer of 2002 while continuing school.
In 2004, he noticed he was having more difficulty seeing. He soon discovered that a vein in the back of his eye had been leaking fluid. The leakage was controlled after surgery, but the RP progressed. His vision worsened to the point where he was legally blind. Wright struggled to finish his degree during his last year at Stout, but the visual impairment also threatened his ability to continue in engineering.
"By this point, I didn't feel I'd be able to fill [an engineering position] as I felt necessary," says Wright. "It wasn't like accommodations couldn't be made, but it is a very visual field."
Wright started looking at other options, but he still graduated in the spring of 2006 with the engineering degree. He decided to enroll as a master's student in a safety and risk control program at Stout, but after one semester, he realized that it, too, was a very visual field. At this point, he had lost nearly all of his functional vision.
"The RP had progressed very quickly," says Wright. "It was tough because I knew I wouldn't be able to use my degree. I was proud because I got an education and that couldn't be taken away and I had owned my own business through it all, but I was stuck. I was in this shadow of life with no idea where to go or what direction to turn. I didn't know what I'd be able to do as a blind individual."
Wright had previously applied for state services through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and after some research, he felt he could do some of the same things counselors in the DVR did.
The summer after graduating Wright attended a program at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau where there is a rehabilitation center for individuals with visual impairments. There Wright learned about software that reads aloud what's on a computer screen and other similar technology. He also learned to use a white cane.
Armed with newfound technology, Wright started the master's program at UW-Stout to become a certified vocational rehabilitation counselor. During his last year, he interned with Washington State's School for the Blind in Vancouver. After graduating from Stout that spring, Wright began job searching. He was offered a couple of opportunities, but none of them felt just right.
In October 2008, Wright was offered a position with the State of Texas' Division of Blind Services as a transitional vocational rehabilitation counselor. He moved to Austin and now works with visually impaired individuals ages 10-24 and their families to ensure they can be successful in school and post-graduation life. He also helps families receive funding to purchase assistive technology.
"It is a twist from being an engineer, but I really enjoy working with the families and kids," says Wright. "A lot of [the students] are like, 'What do I do now?' But to provide them with the knowledge and resources [is rewarding]. The students will be able to leave home at the same time as any other student-it might look differently, but I help make it happen."
Wright also understands what his kids are going through.
"I can connect with them," says Wright. "I know where they're at. I didn't accept it either. I was mad at life. I'm not a superman, though. I worked hard, and you get down on your luck. It sucks, but what else are you going to do? Just get out and make the best of it."
Wright says he is content where he is at right now, but he has definite intentions of furthering his education. He continues running CW Tower and Lighting, with the help of fellow CHS graduate Chad Wintrone. Wright has learned to do nearly everything he could do before he lost his sight-biking, skiing, traveling-just with a few modifications. It has all been a learning experience, to say the least.
"It's been a trip," says Wright. "Like they say, you don't always appreciate something until its gone. Use the opportunities in front of you, but don't ever not appreciate them. It all takes time, energy and the knowledge of available resources, but with those things, you can gain the abilities and skill sets you need."
Wright adds that anyone who wants to join the fight against blindness and degenerative retinal diseases can contact the Foundation for Fighting Blindness and visit www.blindness.org.
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©The Chetek Alert 2009
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