Blind Ambition

Chad Foster suffers from a genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa. He lost his eyesight before his 21st birthday.

In 1996, not long before his 21st birthday, Chad Foster went permanently blind.  Due to the genetic condition retinitis pigmentosa, Foster’s eyesight had been deteriorating since he was a small child. 

Prior to his full blindness, Foster lived a largely normal life. Still, at times, particularly when reading, Foster found his vision reduced to an indecipherable “sea of black and white bubbles.” Though these attacks became more frequent as he entered his teens, thanks to determination and hard work, Foster became an excellent student in high school, and competed on his school’s soccer and wrestling teams.

After high school, Foster attended the University of Tennessee (UT). He studied biology and chemistry with the goal of becoming a medical professional. But as Foster’s vision deteriorated further, he realized this goal wasn’t practical. Rather than succumb to feelings of hopelessness, Foster switched his studies to business administration and began the herculean task of adjusting to life as ...