Meet Ron

Meet Ron, who utilized the Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley Vision Services program to help maintain his independence as he began to lose his sight due to a severe medical condition. The Vision Service provides individuals with low vision or blindness with assessments and life and computer skills training, along with job placement services.

Ron Tillman grew up as a standout athlete, a baseball player with two state championships and a college scholarship. He was also a dedicated member of his
community and a hard-working professional. But one day at work, everything changed. His vision blurred. He couldn’t read his computer screen. Concerned, Ron scheduled an eye exam, expecting to leave with a new prescription. Instead, he was sent for an MRI. The diagnosis was devastating: a 4cm brain tumor was cutting off blood flow to his optic nerve. “I don’t know if I have
the words for the other side of fear,” Ron said.

Emergency brain surgery saved his life, but it couldn’t save his sight. Ron was left physically and emotionally shaken. “I was dangling at the point of not even wanting to try anything,” he shared. “Your life stops and then you’re physically stopped.”

That’s when his eye doctor referred him to Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley (GESMV). Through GESMV’s Vision Services program, Ron received training in mobility, adaptive technology, and assistive software. He learned to walk with a cane, use screen readers and magnifiers, and rebuild his typing skills. But more than that - he found hope. “I never anticipated the motivation that came with it,” Ron said. “Goodwill is like a train that helps you keep going. They recognize your efforts. I don’t know if I’d be as enthusiastic about employment if the people I’ve worked with at Goodwill weren’t so helpful.”

Today, Ron is preparing for an administrative role in the local workforce. In July, he was honored as the Empowering Independence award winner at a special concert at The Fraze Pavilion, a celebration of his resilience and determination.