My name is Luis Perez I'm a visually impaired gentlemen

Luis Perez 

Hello my name is  Luis Perez and I am an educator, speaker and author focusing on accessibility and inclusive design. As a person with a visual impairment I know firsthand how technology can be a powerful tool for empowerment. In my early 30s I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that has left me with less than ten degrees of central vision. Since then, I have become an advocate for the adoption of new technologies to transform the lives of people with disabilities. I consider myself an Inclusive Learning Evangelist.

I have a doctorate in special education from the University of South Florida (USF), and while I pursued my graduate studies I worked for the Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) at USF. At FCIT, I had the privilege of being on the staff for both the Laptop Initiative and the iTeach Initiative, two programs that provide training and support on Apple Technologies to faculty and students in the USF College of Education. I was also the project manager for Tech Ease for All,  a collection of free assistive technology and web accessibility tutorials for teachers.

In recognition of my accomplishments in the field of educational technology, in 2009 I was one of 52 educators in the U.S. selected to join the 2009 class of the Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE)Program. ADEs are a select group of K-12 and higher education professionals with an identified expertise in educational technology. In early 2013, I was named to the Advisory Board for the ADE program. I also serve as a board member for the Inclusive Learning Network (formerly  (SETSIG) of the International Society for Technology in Education.

In addition to technology and accessibility, another passion of mine is photography. On my Instagram page, you can see some of the photos I take with my favorite camera, my iPhone.  You can also read an interview featuring my mobile photography work on The App Whisperer, and my YouTube channel has a video that discusses my vision of  “photography for all.”

In the news:

• Sydney Morning Herald Digital Life: Luis Perez finds blindness caused by retinitis pigmentsa no barrier to enjoying photography(6/4/14)
• Tech Guide: Meet Luis Perez, the master iPhone photographer who is legally blind (5/26/14).
• Media Access Australia Access IQ: Q&A: Inclusive Learning Evangelist Luis Perez (5/19/14)
• News Corp Australia: How to take amazing pictures on your iPhone: Three  photographers reveal their top tips (5/16/14)
• New York Times: Disruptions, Visually Impaired Turn to Smartphones to See Their World (9/29/13).
• Salt Lake Tribune: At Salt Lake seminar, visually impaired learn how high tech can unleash creativity (3/24/12).
• Centro Tampa: Sus hojos sin lumbre, pero su mente deslumbra. (08/11/11).