Like thousands of people every year, Rick Peterson lost his sight to diabetes. With the loss of his sight, Rick began one of life's toughest challenges: to accept his blindness and move forward with his life.

Rick began the process of rehabilitation, through which he learned the modern techniques used by active, competent blind people. After completing his rehabilitation, Rick returned to his hometown of Wellington, Missouri.

Before Rick became blind, he was the town's water plant superintendent and a volunteer ambulance worker. Rick's neighbors saw that his dependability, intelligence and effectiveness were not erased by his blindness. He was elected the Mayor of Wellington in 1990, and he has been re-elected twice.