‘A Memoir of Blindness and Justice’ author talk set June 18

\The Lewes Public Library and Seaside Jewish Community will present an online conversation with Judge David S. Tatel about his new memoir, “Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice,” at 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, via Zoom.

Tatel will be in conversation with SJC member Joan Churchill, a retired immigration court judge.

Tatel heard and wrote opinions in many crucial cases dealing with voting rights, net neutrality, environmental issues and First Amendment rights of journalists. And he has been blind for the past 50 of his 80-plus years. “Vision” chronicles his legal career, his journey in coming to terms with his loss of sight, the technological advances that he mastered, and his relationship with Vixen, his guide dog.

“Judge David Tatel's book is a fascinating, compelling memoir of his 30 years on the second-highest court of the land, the U.S. Court of Appeals for DC, while suffering from an eye disease that gradually turned him totally blind,” said Churchill. “Passionate about civil rights, he observes that civil rights are an issue for persons with disabilities as well as for racial minorities. His story of navigating a successful career while learning to cope with his disability is an inspiration to others.”

Registration is required. To learn more, go to tinyurl.com/LPLAuthorEvents or call 302-645-2733.

“One of the most educational parts of Judge Tatel's story is learning about how advances in technology changed the way he worked and interacted with his staff. For him, text-to-speech applications were a real game changer,” said Enid Zafran, SJC book group leader. “But the icing on the cake is the part devoted to his guide dog, Vixen. The amount of training required of both the dog and the blind person gave me a new respect for them both.”