Dedicated to Improving the Lives of Blind and Visually Impaired People

Writers’ corner

Guiding Eyes for the Blind sent along this blogpost by a graduate of their special needs program which has been partially funded by RDPFS for many years. Dr. Paul D. Ellner is writing great stories at 95-years-old in his blog “Visions of a Blind Writer.” He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, received a Ph.D. at the University of Maryland College of Medicine and went on to teach microbiology and infectious diseases to medical students at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons as Professor of Microbiology and Pathology. An internet search for Dr. Ellner turned up references to his many articles and several medical books, some of which are available on Amazon. Dr. Ellner became deaf twenty- five years ago and blind fifteen years later. In addition to his medical writing, this prolific writer self-published four novels, a biography, and a collection of short stories. He has a blog “Visions of a Blind Writer.” Ray, his guide dog, is the subject of this brief ray-memoirwzxhzdk394by-paul-d-ellner”memoir.
Ellner’s memoir is included in the Fall/Winter 20/21 volume of Magnets and Ladders , an online publication of Active Voices of Writers with Disabilities which is published by Behind Our Eyes, Inc. a non-profit that is “enhancing the opportunities for writers with disabilities”. The current volume includes 60 submissions of short nonfiction, poetry, memoirs and fiction by writers with disabilities, many of whom are blind or low vision. Writers may submit up to three pieces for each volume; next deadline is February 15, 2021 for inclusion in the Spring/Summer issue.