Sight-impaired photographer stays focused on bright future

Eric Glasser has never been one to make excuses.

Since kindergarten, the Port Washington senior - who was born legally blind - has gotten by largely with the help of note-taking classroom aides, special-education teachers, and large-font books and cassette tapes. This year, he further challenged himself by taking six college-level advanced placement courses and achieving a 4.06 grade-point average.

In short, he's refused to let his spirit be impaired by his vision.

"It's like everyone else has a 12-megapixel camera, and I have three megapixels," said Glasser, 17, who has a congenital defect known as Foveal Hypoplasia, a condition in which the fovea is underdeveloped. "It's just something that I've dealt with since I was a child. I don't let myself get upset by obstacles."

But Glasser's success story goes beyond the classroom setting. Earlier this year, he was one of 69 Long Island semifinalists in the Intel science contest and won a $1,000 prize for his project on hydrogen storage in a three-dimensional hybrid framework.

Despite his blindness, he's also a photographer for his school's yearbook and news-paper.

"It has always been a hobby of mine," said Glasser, who uses a Nikon digital camera. "The autofocus helps me, because I'm not able to see the details. I rely more on composition."

In addition, Glasser is a member of his school's National Honor Society, Model UN, Students Against Destructive Decisions, and photography and art clubs. He's also a tutor and a founding member of the Bridge Club, a student group designed to combat racism.

"Eric is an exceptional student who has overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve great things," said Assistant Principal David K. Miller. "He has never seen his eyesight as an excuse. Instead, he sees his disability as part of issues embedded in his daily life."

Earlier this year, Glasser was one of 15 legally blind seniors nationwide to receive a $15,000 college scholarship from the Jewish Guild for the Blind. He plans to pursue a career in business or engineering this fall at Vanderbilt University.