Connecting Seniors
Michael Hingson · 52 min
Born blind and a survivor of the World Trade Center on 9/11, Michael Hingson's story of navigating life without sight — guided by trust, teamwork, and faith — challenges every assumption we hold about disability and human capability.
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Michael Hingson was born blind in Chicago and grew up in Palmdale, California, where he learned early that blindness itself wasn't the barrier. What mattered was how he chose to move through the world. At nine years old, he met a blind teacher with a guide dog and knew that was what he wanted. His first dog, Squire, taught him something that would shape the rest of his life: a guide dog doesn't lead you around. You lead. The dog keeps you safe while you give the commands and make the decisions. That meant learning teamwork with a living being who didn't think like him and didn't speak his language. It meant real trust.
On September 11th, 2001, Michael was working on the 78th floor of the North Tower with his fifth guide dog, Roselle. When the plane hit above them, he didn't panic. Instead, he watched Roselle. The dog showed no fear, which told him they could evacuate safely. He refocused his panicking colleague David by pointing to Roselle's calm. As they descended 78 floors, Michael kept praising the dog loudly so others around them could hear confidence instead of despair. When the second tower collapsed as he ran, he heard words in his head telling him to focus on what he could control and trust he would be okay.
After that day, Michael and his wife Karen made a choice. Teaching people what he had learned about fear, trust, and what blind people could actually do felt more important than managing a corporate sales team. He became a speaker and author, and he still travels today with Alamo, his eighth guide dog. His message is simple: blindness is not the problem. The assumptions sighted people make about blindness are.
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