Little Rock Man With Visual Impairment Succeeds in Life, Is Nominated for Award

Robert Chiaro of Little Rock has been nominated as a candidate for the Annual Consumer of the Year Award to be presented by Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of State Services for the Blind (DSB). The overall winner will be named at the end of the year.

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Terra Patrom nominated him saying, “Chiaro is a true testiment to the rehabilitation process. He had excellent follow through and completed his (vocational rehabilitation) plan as agreed. His continued effort has shown that hard work does pay off in the end.” Chiaro earns competitive wages and receives health insurance and other benefits from his employer.

“Thank you very much for nominating me for Consumer of the Year. It's a great honor,” said Chiaro, who is the warehouse manager at Lighthouse for the Blind and an inventory control manager trainee.

“A few years before becoming a consumer of DSB, I had a good job and was well on my way to becoming a successful land surveyor with an engineering firm. My vision started deteriorating and it was to the point where I could no longer perform my duties. I thought it would be an easy fix by seeing the eye doctor. However, he said he could not help me and sent me to a specialist. After examining me, the doctor informed me of a program with Division of Services for the Blind where I could obtain a scholarship and further my education, which would enable me to continue being an independent individual.”

“I was reluctant about going to college, because I was very depressed and felt I could not handle the workload required of a full-time student. To further complicate matters, my mother was battling emphysema and was very close to death. She did not live to see me graduate, but I know she would have been proud. My sister was there for me from the beginning. When I graduated, she said, ‘You are so different now than you were at the time you were diagnosed. You were so negative then. I love who you are now’,” Chiaro said.       

Chiaro was about 30 years old when began noticing his vision was decreasing. His rapid vision loss forced him to obtain a formal education, so he could become more employable. He graduated with an overall 3.13 grade point average (GPA) from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Professional and Technical Writing and Psychology.

Chiaro’s degrees fell right in line with his employment opportunity at the Lighthouse for the Blind. The technical writing degree helped him in planning the equipment layout and product line, so he could streamline the inventory process. His psychology degree has enabled him to deal effectively with difficult situations and employees. It has also given him insight into working with others with disabilities and provided him skills to better cope with his own vision loss.

Chiaro is well aware of resources that are available to him. “At the beginning of my college career, my computer was already seven years old. Windows 95 was the operating system and it had no USB port. Although it did have Word, it was still technologically behind the times. I simply asked my counselor if she could help me with my problem, and a few weeks later she had a new computer for me with updated software. I was still struggling with my studies, as I had to do a lot of reading. I approached my counselor again to request accommodations. She saved me with another sophisticated technological device called a CCTV. This was my savior when it came to reading from the textbooks. I improved more than a letter grade after receiving the CCTV.”

 “I feel that I have taken full advantage of the accommodations provided by DSB and look forward to adding to my accomplishment by successfully completing my education and becoming a counselor or teacher for underprivileged children. I have always wanted to help others, and DSB has enabled me to form a strong foundation on which I can build a very satisfying career,” says Chiaro.

He strives to be a mentor to others in the visually impaired and blind community and accepts roles on panels and discussion groups to show other inviduals who are blind and visually impaired that they, too, can succeed in the academic world and work force. This summer he spoke to high school students in the Jump Start program who are blind and visually impaired, encouraging them to plan for their future and believe in themselves.

Chiaro is more than a number to DSB; he’s a success and an inspiration. DSB is privileged to recognize Chiaro for a job well done and trusts that success will continue to follow this deserving individual, who has demonstrated that with determination, blindness is not a barrier to competitive employment. Hundreds of Arkansans with a disability return to work each year after receiving vocational rehabilitation services.

DSB provides vocational rehabilitation services to individuals who are blind or severely visually impaired and whose goal is successful employment. DSB also serves youth and older blind individuals. People wanting information about DSB’s programs and services can call 1-800-960-9270 or 501-682-5463 or visit the DSB website at http://www.arkansas.gov/dhs/dsb/NEWDSB/index.htm.

2025 Fall NCSAB Conference

November 5–7, 2025
Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, CA

Theme: Waves of Change — Advancing Public Policy for the Blind

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

All times Pacific

8:00 am

NCSAB Exhibit Hall & Registration Opens

11:00 am

CSAVR / NCSAB Concurrent Session

Noon

CSAVR Closing Session

12:30 pm

Lunch (On Your Own).
NCSAB Executive Committee Lunch with RSA (Invited).
Committee Members Only.

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm

Opening, Welcome & Introductions
Facilitator: Dorothy Young
Presenter: Dorothy Young, Director, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services and NCSAB President

2:00 pm – 2:25 pm

California Success Story
Facilitator: Dorothy Young
Presenter: Susan Pelbath, MS, Deputy Director Specialized Services Division, Department of Rehabilitation

2:25 pm – 2:45 pm

General Session #1: Active Participation
Facilitator: Dorothy Young
Presenter: Andrew Shumacher

2:45 pm – 3:00 pm

Networking Break — Visit exhibits and connect with peers.

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

General Session #2: NCSAB Policy Update
Facilitator: Dorothy Young
Presenter: Catriona Macdonald, NCSAB Policy Analyst and President of Linchpin Strategies

4:00 pm – 4:45 pm

General Session #3: Update on Department of War & Randolph-Sheppard Act Arbitration
Facilitator: Greg Trapp
Presenters: Terry Smith, Nicholas Gacos, and Catriona Macdonald

4:45 pm

Networking Break — Visit exhibits and connect with peers.

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Welcome Reception & Exhibitor Showcase
Kick off your NCSAB conference experience with a reception featuring exhibitors and networking opportunities.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

8:00 am

NCSAB Registration & Exhibit Hall Opens

9:00 am – 10:00 am

General Session #4: A Decade of Reflection — Observations and Recommendations for Older Blind Services
Facilitator: Cynthia Speight
Presenters: Kendra Farrow and Stephanie Welch-Grenier

10:00 am – 10:15 am

Networking Break

10:15 am – 11:30 am

General Session #5: Wearable Technologies and Resources — The Coming Revolution Has Arrived
Facilitator: Shirley Robinson
Presenters: Troy Otillio, David DeNotaris, Fan Zhang

11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Networking Break

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Working Lunch Facilitated by Dr. Cassondra Williams-Stokes
My Rehabilitation Journey — Presenter: Susan Pelbath
Keynote: Empowering the Blind Through STEM — Dr. Cary A. Supalo

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

General Session #6: Managing Programs in Challenging Times
Facilitator: Dr. Bernice Davis
Presenters: Dorothy Young, Greg Trapp, Natasha Jerde, Dacia Johnson, Robert Doyle III, Ashley Townsen

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm

Break

2:45 pm – 3:45 pm

Committee Breakout Sessions
• Employment — Facilitated by Darline Graham
• Independent Living/Training/OIB and Technology — Facilitated by Cynthia Speight
• Randolph-Sheppard Act — Facilitated by Ashley Townsend & Rachel Hollen

3:45 pm – 4:00 pm

Networking Break

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm

General Session #7: How Self-Service Technologies Are Reshaping Employment and Business Opportunities for People Who Are Blind or Low Vision
Facilitator: Greg Trapp
Presenter: Matt Ater

4:30 pm – 5:00 pm

General Session #8: From Assessment to Launch — A Customizable Approach to Preparing Aspiring Blind Entrepreneurs for Success
Facilitator: Darline Graham
Presenters: Jonathan Lucus and Marianne Haegeli

5:00 pm

Adjourn for the Day

Friday, November 7, 2025

8:00 am

Executive Committee Meeting (Committee Members Only)
NCSAB Registration & Exhibit Hall Opens

9:00 am – 9:30 am

Business Meeting, Committee Reports & Election

9:30 am – 10:00 am

General Session #9: A Client-Centered O&M Model in Action
Facilitator: Carlos Serván
Presenter: Leslie Hoskins

10:00 am – 10:30 am

General Session #10: Partnering for Possibility — Helen Keller National Center’s Role in Empowering the DeafBlind Community
Facilitator: Natasha Jerde
Presenters: John Filek and Ryan Odland

10:30 am – 10:45 am

Networking Break

10:45 am – 11:30 am

General Session #11: Why Certification Matters — Success Through Structured Discovery Apprenticeship
Facilitator: Juanita Barker
Presenters: Amy Porterfield and Edward Bell

11:30 am – Noon

Closing Session
Dorothy Young, NCSAB President and Director, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services

Noon

Conference Adjourns