Special Thanks to Jason Baker:
Wild Willpower would not have been possible without patient and caring guidance from Jason Baker.
Jason donated numerous hours and money when I first started building the websites and publications for Wild Willpower because he believed in the long-term goal, he believed in me, and he was passionate about helping Richard Lonewolf teach very important “ancestral skills” to the world.
Jason Baker & his “seeing-eye pup” Trish:
You may have wondered, “How can a blind person be a computer wizard??” Jason worked very hard to overcome his visual impairment. He zooms way in and puts his face close to the screen, and from there he has no problem applying his skills. Jason is passionate about making websites user-friendly for people with sensory impairments. That is the reason Wild Willpower uses larger font on all our websites.
Jason has shown patient kindness, professional quality, and a genuine interest in helping indigenous people regain access their traditional ways of life – just like everyone here at Wild Willpower is. He lit up when I first showed him what Lonewolf and I were working on, and how it could help others. Jason even came down to “Bakersfield and Lake Isabella , and came to Miracle Hot Springs to learn skills with us. He said it was the first time he’d ever been camping!
A firsthand message from Jason:
“I have gone through life being legally blind and having faced challenges head on. During mainstream school I faced humiliation, verbal abuse, sometimes physical abuse, and degradation. Having to get up on weekdays to go to school was something that I always dreaded.
Going to school meant that I would have to face being bullied, being called names like “four-eyes”, and so on. Trying to fit in with glasses as well as just being a kid was hard to do. I remember going home every day hurt and dejected wondering when the teasing would stop. To my surprise the teasing, taunting, and bullying drastically reduced when I started going to The Indiana School for the Blind & Visually-Impaired during my junior & senior years. Through meeting truly helpful teachers & new friends that were “just like me”, I felt empowered & comforted knowing that I was not alone.
Going to college, however, was a different story altogether. The teasing, taunting, and bullying stopped and was replaced with long periods of studying, many projects & groups that I could not get things done (it was hard to keep up!). The humiliation and teasing soon were replaced with feeling stressed and tired alongside evening classes lasting until 10pm.
Having graduated college and moving into the workforce had its own set of challenges as well– never mind the hours it took to get anywhere on my town’s bad bus system… taking mental jobs just to pay the bills didn’t cut it either. I felt the life draining from me the longer I stead as a deli clerk at a local grocery store. I knew something had to change immediately. That is when I decided to start my own business.
Though starting my own business was freeing and invigorating, I still had obstacles to overcome. Cheap clients and low-paying gigs plagued me for the first 2 years. Now, after some years in business, I thoroughly enjoy working with clients. We have created a worthwhile business relationship based on respect, trust, and honesty.
As of last year, I have been blessed to be gifted with my guide dog Trish, a 2-year-old black lab. She is soulful, attentive, laid back, and a loving companion. We graduated on October, 2011 from Guide Dogs for the Blind after 3 intense weeks of training. When we first met, it was an instant bond. Now of course, after having her for 6 months, that bond his increased 10-fold! To be honest, I don’t know what I would do without her. She is quite literally a life saver!
Though I don’t own a car or have to pay car insurance, I am happy to be living in Texas with my guide dog Trish, running my own business. I truly feel humbled, grateful, and honored to be gifted with the task of assisting others in similar situations as mine.
As a vision-impaired entrepreneur, I have traveled a road of courage and persistence. I’ve always known that God was with me, keeping me positive and grateful. I am now ready to go all the way with my guide dog Trish by my side and God having my back to be a top handicapped entrepreneur who knows how to get the job done! Don’t believe me? Well, I helped Distance build these websites, didn’t I? I look forward to hearing from you & helping to make more dreams come true. If you feel you would like to work with a website consultant or small business advisor with similar values, lets talk!“
Wild Willpower proudly presents our hero who has been there in our time of need, Jason Baker, with The Geordi LaForge Award:
Also a very special thanks to coresearch.wordpress.com AND to everyone who made all the wonderful & educational years of Star Trek available; we’re using this graphic under Fair Use ALSO thanks to The Supreme Court of The United States AND The United States Veterans & Soldiers! Geordi LaForge was played by LeVar Burton, who also starred in Reading Rainbow!
ALSO because Jason is such an AmAzInG blue wizard, we’re going to throw in ONE MORE award for “Jace” Baker thanks to everyone over at Wizards of the Coast AND Magic; The Gathering:
