Lighthouse AbilityOne BSC Employee Mike Soriano
Mike Soriano was in his thirties, living in Guam, when he lost his vision.
“I took it hard,” he says of the diagnosis he received in the 90s. “At first I didn’t believe it. I went to a specialist for a second opinion, and they confirmed it.”
Mike has retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder that causes a breakdown of cells in the retina.
“I used to surf, I used to drive… My life was going downhill when I lost my eyesight. I was drinking, taking drugs, and almost took my life.”
Life was looking bleak for Mike, but when he moved to Tacoma to be with his sister in 2003, he learned new skills from the WA State Department of Services for the Blind, and got his job at the Lighthouse, where he’s been employed ever since.
“Whatever comes into receiving, sometimes six to ten pallets, I handle it,” he says. Mike uses a CCTV to read the barcodes necessary to record incoming inventory.
“I used to depend on government assistance, but now I’m on my own two feet. If you’re blind or visually impaired, don’t give up,” he says. “There’s always a second chance.”
