Visually Impaired Glendale Heights Man Earns High School Diploma

Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired has recognized Anthony Dorsey of Glendale Heights as a graduate of the Hadley High School Diploma program.

Born with Bardet-Biedl syndrome which affects many parts of the body, Dorsey was able to see well enough to read books until he was 26, when he became visually impaired.

"I first heard about Hadley through my mobility Instructor," said Dorsey. "I hadn't been in school for over 20 years, so this was quite a change for me. The classes were hard; a lot tougher than I thought they'd be. But as I received my graded lessons back, I was surprised to see my grades were pretty good. The classes became fun."

Dorsey enjoyed the courses Basic English 1 & 2, Spelling, Punctuation, and Science. When he had trouble with the delivery of his last two sets of class materials, he credits his teacher with helping to find them. He is thankful for his instructors who were very responsive, returning grades and feedback quickly. "I just always felt like all the instructors at Hadley were behind me 100%, helping me complete my courses."

"This is a big accomplishment," gleamed Dorsey. "It has shown me that there are no limits, and if I work hard and commit myself, the sky is the limit."

Asked about his future plans, he responded: "I'm hoping to find a job to contribute to my family's savings. My wife and I would love to be able to take a cruise and enjoy life. Having a job makes this dream much more attainable. I'll forever be grateful for the education I received at Hadley. Education truly is priceless - and it has opened so many doors for me."

Founded in 1920 by William Hadley and Dr. E.V.L. Brown, Hadley offers learning opportunities free of charge to adults with vision loss and their families, and affordable tuition to blindness professionals. Today, Hadley is the largest provider of distance education for people who are blind or visually impaired around the world, serving more than 100,000 learners annually in all 50 states and in 100 countries. Hadley is also the largest educator of braille worldwide. A 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, the school relies on contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations to fund its programs.