Befitting its role as a national leader on blindness issues, the Lighthouse is taking the lead in pushing for legislation to protect and expand employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Lighthouse President James Kesteloot has forged successful associations with key federal, state and local officials to promote an ambitious agenda on behalf of people served by the agency and other disability-related organizations.

He worked closely with then Senator Barack Obama, for example, in attempting to strengthen existing federal law that had required government agencies to purchase clocks from the Lighthouse. 

Cultivating elected officials on the state level won the agency approval to launch a groundbreaking model to assist blind vendors in finding jobs.

Kesteloot’s proven track record at the Lighthouse persuaded Mayor Daley to clear the path for the agency to operate a store at Midway Airport that would employ blind workers.

Those efforts have been continued by the agency’s new executive director, Dr. Janet Szlyk, who has lobbied Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Danny Davis and others for a piece of the national stimulus money to aid Lighthouse programs.

In addition, Dr. Szlyk also met with the Mayor to urge his support for the Blind Vendors program, a store at O’Hare Airport to employ additional blind workers, and any opportunities for our program participants that could ensue from the 2016 Olympics should Chicago win the summer games.