Toastmaster Dana LaMon has a very different outlook in life from most visually impaired persons in the field of massage business in Taiwan. Dana became blind at the age of four. He got mathematics degree from Yale University, and law degree from Southern California. Dana joined Toastmasters in 1989, won the world champion of public speaking in 1992, and aspired to be a professional speaker in Toastmasters. Dana is blind, but he proves visually impaired persons can achieve just as much if not more.
When D67 turned to Toastmasters International for potential keynote speaker candidates at D67 Fallcon 2009, Dana was the first accredited professional speaker who answered the call. He responded in less than two hours when D67 Jame Lin placed the request on line. Dana stood out and won himself the chance to inspire Toastmasters in Taiwan for the first time.
Sitting by an outstanding Toastmaster and a world class motivation speaker at dinner, I watched him analyze the Chinese food with his fingers, I imagined him drawing the picture of a big table of mouthwatering seafood in his mind. I couldn't help being curious about the life master deprived of visual capacity from childhood. Dana's sense of humor brought a full house of laughter. Dana's powerful recognition of people around him impressed us. In addition to many touching stories, Dana also demonstrated that blind is what he was, but not who he was.
One week before Dana came to Taiwan, I walked into Taipei City Library for Visually Impaired for the first time. I wanted to know more about the world of the blind, so that I could serve as a better interpreter for Dana's one-hour motivational speech "The Driving Force" at Taipei School for Visually Impaired to talk about what drove him achieve the things he did. Luckily I opened the door of the Parents Association of Visually Impaired. In the end, I bought one of the donated pianos at the Association. It was Dana who added a new dimension to my life in 2009. Thank you, Dana!
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