Ray Charles: A Blind Man Sees a World of Possibilities In a world of darkness, misunderstanding and confusion, there was a light of hope. Ray Charles was able to stand up and face this world and decided to pursue the impossible. Ray Charles overcame his disabilities by becoming a musician despite his blindness, quitting heroin and performing despite segregated audiences and unfair treatment. For starters, Ray Charles overcame his disabilities by becoming a musician despite his blindness. Charles remained strong, no matter what life threw at him. His disability only made him stronger. After forming a close bond with his mother and family for seven years, Charles was forced to go off on his own when he moved to a school in St. Augustine for the deaf and blind. Without the support of his family, he was left to fend for himself. Considering he was only seven, that was a lot to take in. There was a lot of stress and pressure, but he remained courageous and fought to overcome it all (Charles 20). In his autobiography "Brother Ray", Charles explains how he had a bad time on the train ride to the new school. For the first few weeks, Charles cried because he was homesick, and the other children were spiteful and rude to him. However, with time, he managed to adapt to his new life. Charles says he told himself "I better keep going." Although it was difficult for him to face it, Carlo managed to overcome his struggle (Carlo 21). Everything Charles said shows that although he was very afraid, he realized that he had no choice, so he remained strong and moved forward courageously. This shows how he fought through everything life threw at him, and never let his lack of vision slow him down....middle of paper...cysm he faced, Charles overcame it all. He was a significant figure in history because he was an example that if someone focuses on a dream, it can be achieved. He was a true inspiration and left a legacy that will not soon be forgotten. Charles shows us that hard work and perseverance can take even a blind drug addict working against society to the max. Works Cited Charles, Ray and David Ritz. Brother Ray. New York: The Dial Press, 1978. Print.Hackford, Taylor, and James L. White. Ray. New York: Universal Studios LicensingLLLP, 2004. Print.Pareles, Jon and Bernard Weinraub. “Ray Charles, Blues Essence of Soul, Dies at 73.” The New York Times. 11 June 2004: n. page Network. March 21, 2014. "Ray Charles." Contemporary black biography. vol. 48. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Biography in context. Network. March 21. 2014.