Natalie's Everyday Heroes: Visually impaired teacher shows how to be seen
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Tony Long is a popular English teacher at Milwaukee's Washington High School of Information Technology.
He told us he has wanted to be a teacher ever since his fourth-grade teacher, Mr. Tennyson, inspired him.
But he had to overcome a major challenge to stay in the classroom. And now he's the one who inspires others.
"Three minutes. Grab your folders," Tony Long announced to his students.
Standing in front of his classroom, Mr. Long is ready to go.
"We're going to ask Miss C. to read the first question," he said as the students settled in.
He is leading a discussion in his English class on the book Kindred.
"What happened to Alice?" he asked.
The students are clearly engaged by his teaching style.
"Personality is a 10 out of 10," said senior Xavier Goff.
Goff has had him for years.
"You can ask him any questions, or if you needed help, he would always be there," Goff said.
There was a time, though, when Long wasn't sure he could stay in the classroom.
"I didn't know that I would go through this. But unfortunately, I did," he said.
Long lost his sight in 1999.
"I took it upon myself to continue teaching because I had much more to offer the students," he said.
Now it can be hard to tell.
"Sometimes students don't believe that I'm visually impaired," Long said.
Technology helps. He wears Meta smart glasses, and his assistant, Clementine Penner, helps him in the classroom and in navigating the halls.
He also uses other senses.
"So I have to use the techniques of listening and asking questions," he explained.
His perseverance is changing the perception of what people with vision loss can do.
"He is just an incredibly powerful and compelling individual," said Jaclyn Borchardt, CEO of the nonprofit Vision Forward.
Long is one of 10 advocates in Vision Forward's "Be Seen" campaign.
Borchardt said he is a perfect fit.
"I hope that we can break some of the stereotypes of what jobs are possible for people with visual impairments," she said.
Vision Forward serves people who are blind and visually impaired with education, training and support.
Those things kept Long in the classroom, where he says it helps him relate to his students.
"They have difficulties. They have challenges. And I know exactly what they're going through," he said.
Knowing there's always more than meets the eye.
"Be seen for your success. Your accomplishments. Be seen for who you are," Long said.
Long says as far as he knows, he's the only visually impaired teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools.
He is also quite a singer. He's the lead singer at his church.
For more information on Vision Forward and the Be Seen campaign, click here.
If you'd like to nominate an Everyday Hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].