Baltimore HQ National Federation Of The Blind Helps Those Who Go Blind Transition To New Life

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Teaching those without vision unique ways to see their world is a life lesson that is taught at the National Federation of the Blind.

It starts with punctures on a page; brail is just one of the many ways for blind people to learn and communicate.

It's taught at the Baltimore Headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind.

Anil Lewis, the Executive Director of Blindness Initiatives, went blind at the age of 25 from a condition called retinitis pigmentosa.

"Able to see working at a bank and working on my college degree on Friday, to Monday not being able to see my computer screen," Lewis said.

It wasn't the end of his life, but the beginning of an adverse way to live.

"I don't want to perpetuate blindness is a death, it is a significant transition," Lewis said. "But luckily I had people around me that said, 'Nope, you don't have to leave school. You can still achieve employment. You can still live the life you want.'"

Lewis said learning brail was one of the most frustrating parts of his transition.

"Being able to understand brail code and develop sensitivity in my fingers to read it, and I was frustrated about that, but the reality is it was frustrating learning to read as a child," Lewis said.

Lewis helps members of the organization get jobs and said that although they might not have their sight, they have control of the life they want to live.