StemCell Therapy

Past city planner pens memoir to help others with impairment

By Rich Lopez jrlopez@mrt.com

Walter Ashby

Walter Ashby

Blindness is not an obstacle for former Midlander

Although Walter Ashby wasnt born in Midland, he quickly accepted it as his home. The then-smaller city was his springboard into his thriving career and a happy family. With his wife, Gail, and their two daughters, Ashby served as a senior city planner for the city, as vice president of First National Bank and as president of the citys Special Education Advisory Board.

In his new book Impaired But Empowered: A Memoir of Faith, Fortitude and Fortune, Ashby, who now lives in McKinney, recounts his life growing up legally blind but also embracing and empowering himself.

MRT: What made you decide to tell your story?

Ashby: I decided to write this long ago. Ive worked on it at different times. It was ready to go back in 1992 and accepted by a publisher but that company collapsed. I had lost my manuscript for a long time. My daughter Beth urged me to get it back out a couple of years ago.

MRT: Did the timing then and now change anything for you?

Ashby: I did come back to my story with more wisdom. This allowed me to tell my experiences not only in school but in my career and also the issues I dealt with. The principle was to be helpful to other impaired children and families of impaired children.

MRT: Your book starts in Mineral Wells where you were born, but your chapters on Midland read fondly of the city.

Ashby: I really liked Midland. Im quite drawn to it. I think it was Gods providence that took me there to carve out a nice career. A lot of things about Midland appealed to me.

MRT: Your wife was a big reason you came here.

Ashby: She had a job waiting for her, yes.

MRT: You thrived as an adult but as a child, you werent immediately thought of as an exceptional student.

Ashby: In grade school my eyesight was terrible from onset in early childhood. I was awful at spelling, I had terrible writing and both are characteristics of a poor student. Limitations were projected onto me. It wasnt until my sophomore English teacher saw something in me. I carried this idea that I was a stupid kid but she saw more.

MRT: You finished and left Texas A&M and came to Midland in 1971. You then found quite a lot of success.

Ashby: I became the senior city planner shortly after. As planner, I implemented aerial photographs of impacted areas, upgraded the zoning process and worked on maps and materials for city council to make better decisions. I also contributed significantly to the update of the city master plan. I think that was very worthwhile.

MRT: Not only in civic and business, but you also served on the nonprofit side.

Ashby: I served on the board of the Recording Library of West Texas for years. They produce recorded materials for free so I was also a user of their services. Im also a big advocate. Being able to drop off material and have it read for you is a wonderful thing. You cant do that in a lot of other places.

MRT: Do you miss Midland?

Ashby: I left kicking and screaming. West Texas people are so friendly, and it really afforded much in the way of culture. Midland is relatively small, but look at the community theater, the symphony the airport -- the quality is so much better than what youd expect. .

MRT: Beyond your life story, what else do you want this book to say?

Ashby: I really want families dealing with disabilities to understand the situation. Your assessment of your child is most important. I want them to have the self-confidence to advocate for their children and encourage their education. Most people grossly underestimate children with impairments. Im saying to those families -- dont let them.

For more information about Ashby and his book Impaired, But Empowered, visit walterashby.com. His book also is available on amazon.com.

Go here to see the original:
Blindness is not an obstacle for former Midlander - Midland Reporter ... - Midland Reporter-Telegram

This entry was posted on March 13, 2017 at 1:43 am and is filed under Blindness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |