Blindness doesn't define Henry

The incoming president of the Bentonville Noon Lion's Club knows about visual impairment. At age 13, David Henry had cataracts and then in 2007 he lost his remaining vision to glaucoma. But that's not something he wants to talk about.

"The blindness doesn't define me, I define it," he said. "It's how you handle things. It's the way of adapting just like people who lose a limb."

In spite of his condition, he travels, enjoys skiing and rock climbing.

Although the Lion's Club has other projects, they are known for their work with people who are visually impaired. It was Helen Keller who gave the international organization their mission, according to the website www.lionsclubs.org. She addressed the group in 1925 and asked them to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness."

Henry retired from his career as an accountant when he lost his vision and became an advocate for the blind. He's the state legislative director of the National Federation of the Blind. He also works on the national level on some of the same issues.

In recent years, some veterans have returned with vision problems and they can fall through the cracks. The NFB is helping to ensure that doesn't happen.

Henry spent most of his life in Bentonville and has always believed in community service. He actually started with the Lion's Club in 1995, before the glaucoma. Since then, he's been helping the club prevent blindness and working with people who have vision problems.

There are several Lion's Clubs in the area, Dick Willows, the current president of the club said. The Bella Vista Lions Club actually meets in the evening. Another Bentonville Club meets for breakfast. Both Willows and Henry prefer the noon time meeting and so do many other Bella Vistans. About half the noon club is from Bella Vista, he said.

As first vice-president, Henry was in charge of the donations of glasses. The club has receptacles all over the city to collect used glasses. Any glasses can be reused, Henry said. They are sent to a processing center where they are sorted according to prescription strength. Most of those glasses are sent overseas where people are happy to receive them, even if they aren't the precise prescription they need.

In some places, the need is so great that people receive only one lens, Willows said. They are grateful for even one lens.

The club also does vision checks for preschoolers and is in the process of buying their own equipment, Henry said. In addition they can help pay for necessary surgeries and donate towards research.

They have two major fundraisers each year. One, White Cane Days, happened just last weekend when Lion's Club members collected donations in front of grocery stores.

The club also contracts with local businesses to put American flags out on holidays.

The Lions Club, like other service groups, is always recruiting new members. The noon club meets at the Acropolis restaurant in Bentonville from noon to 1 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month.

As the contact for both the NFB and the Noon Lions, Henry can be reached at 479-464-8015.