ALUMNI STORIES
Fostering Independence in People with Blindness
After working in physical therapy for a year, Allison Hughes Burdett ’07 sought to serve people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. “I wanted to make a lifelong impact and help people facing barriers to their independence,” she says.
When she was younger, she volunteered with a therapeutic equestrian program in Moorpark that paired children with disabilities with gentle, retired horses. “I saw early on how these interventions made a difference for families, and it made an impression on me,” she says. “I saw the impact of supporting the whole family in rehabilitative activities. They learned how to communicate more and encourage their child’s independence. I felt I’d discovered my true vocation.”
While training people with intellectual and physical disabilities to use public transportation, Allison spoke with a woman who had a visual impairment and a guide dog. “I asked her, ‘What was the process to get a guide dog? How did you decide to seek one from guide dog school?’ She said, ‘My orientation and mobility instructor, who taught me how to use my long, white cane, changed my life forever.’ Wow. I went straight home and looked up how to become one of these specialists.”
Allison became a certified orientation and mobility specialist (COMS) through San Francisco State, where she also earned a Master of Arts in special education and teaching. She has worked for nonprofit organizations that empower both children and adults with visual impairments and developmental disabilities, including the Therapeutic Living Centers for the Blind and Wayfinder Family Services.
Allison began serving as chief program officer for the Braille Institute of America in August 2024. “I’ve found my calling — the intersection of a rewarding career that I love and helping people with disabilities reach their greatest level of independence,” she says.
The Braille Institute seeks to transform the lives of individuals with blindness and low vision. The non-profit, founded more than 100 years ago, offers a variety of free services, classes and workshops at seven centers throughout Southern California, helping people with vision loss embrace possibilities and independence. With the United States anticipating eight million blind or visually impaired people by 2050, she pursues strategies that position the organization for the future.
“We’re concerned about the increased prevalence of age-related vision loss, so we’re working to make services available that help everyone maintain their independence,” she says.
Allison and her husband, Jon ’07, met while running on Westmont’s cross-country team. She earned her degree in kinesiology, and Jon, a senior vice president for CRAIC Technologies, majored in chemistry. She says their liberal arts education has served them well. “Life is full of learning, and we need to embrace opportunities to adopt different perspectives and philosophies that will grow us so we remain open to different ideas and try new things,” she says. “Jon and I graduated in very specific areas, but then we broadened into organizational leadership. I’ve always wanted to help people, and I’m thankful for a great education I can use to serve others.”