I am a teacher in a school for blind and visually impaired children. When someone inquires about my job, I get the same reaction almost every time. They express concern and pity for my students and comment on how difficult it must be to work with children who have such a life-altering disability.

Instead of telling them not to feel sorry for my students, I invite them to drop by for an afternoon. Few take me up on the offer, but when they do, they leave changed. I love to watch their astonished expressions when they see us practicing for track events and basketball, or for the school play we put on each spring. They are amazed that we surf the net, read the classics, and participate in statewide science fairs.

My students are a group of the most determined and bright children I know. They solve complex problems with remarkable insight and creativity. They have to work not only against their inability to see, but also against the stereotypes in the minds of those around them. And when my kids set their mind to something, stand out of their way. Their resolve to succeed in an often-unfriendly world makes what might have been a difficult life, a truly extraordinary one.