Bill Barkeley

deaf-blind adventurer, advocate, author & storyteller (public speaker)

605 Lovett Avenue Southeast East Grand Rapids, MI, 49506 United States

616-780-9432

Bill is a deaf-blind adventurer, advocate, author & public speaker (storyteller) that speaks and delivers adventure projects to inspire people around the world - disabled or not - on building a pioneering, adventuring spirit and overcoming the challenges in their lives.

Bill's work is about helping others get to a better place in this world and paying it forward in a life that has been rich and fulfilling beyond his wildest imagination.

Bill's groundbreaking climb as the first deaf-blind person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro was covered on Good Morning America.

The story was to share a personal journey about building a life within the context of your abilities and disabilities.

In Bill’s case, the journey is an inexorable march further and further into darkness and silence.

He is a pioneer with assistive technologies for the hearing impaired / deaf, the vision impaired / blind and those with dual sensory challenges -the deaf-blind.

Bill is one of 15,000 in the United States and 100,000 in the world with Usher's Syndrome which progressively robs its victims of both hearing and vision over the course of their lifetime. There are currently no treatments and cures.

See why in many ways he believes that it may be the best thing that ever happened to him.

With A Little Help From Our Friends

September 10, 2016  /  bill barkeley

As many of you know, Jack Smith from Great Lakes Scrip has been instrumental in helping pull off this hike of over 500 miles across Spain on the Camino de Campostela.  

What not many people do know is our project for the Usher Syndrome Coalition World Awareness Day #IUSHEQX has attracted a worldwide partner to vision!

VSP Global has close to 80 million members as the world's largest organization committed to vision health and wellness.

Jim McGrann @VSPVIsionCare is the VSP Global CEO and President and he  is joining our rope team tomorrow In Sarria, Spain to walk the last week of the Camino de  Santiago with us.

I will share more of the story about how we Jim and I came together at a later time.  In short, Jim has been inspired by the work we have been doing and has asked to join the rope team. The team is "all-in"!

Jim will spend the week with us and will share our story to hike across Spain for Usher Syndrome World Awarensss Day with people committed to vision health and wellness around the world.  

Jim has also asked me to give a keynote speech at his annual SHIFT vision industry conference in AZ and his global management meeting in CA.

Jim and Jack both embody what I have been talking about in my blogging as we walk across Spain.

They have vision, reach beyond themselves, are pioneering and elevate others in the world around them to reach their summits.

VSP Global has some exciting news about how assistive technology and vision are coming together.  As a deaf-blind adventurer, this is always of interest to me!

Jim's vision with the VSP organization is to change how people see the world and even how they seek solutions to their vision needs. 

Check out this cool video! 

This adventure project is to celebrate a life-long journey with Usher Syndrome - a devastating disease that robs its victims of their hearing and vision progressively decade by decade.    There are no treatments or cures. 

After 33 days of hiking, my guides and I will be arriving in Santiago on September 17th to celebrate Usher Syndrome World Awareness Day.

#USHEQX

#BILLSDEAFBLINDCAMINO

If you are interested in supporting this project. You can go to:  www.classy.org/billbarkeley

3 Comments