When he was 14, Norman Ota lost his vision due to a slingshot accident. But Ota took something devastating and spun it around.

“When I was younger I was terribly shy,” he said. “Being blind actually gave me confidence.”

Now at 71, Ota rides the bus every day to run his small convenience store at Tripler Army Medical Center. He owns it through the state Business Enterprise Program, which enables blind people to run a business.

For 50 years he dedicated his time to serving the blind community at the Hawaii Association of the Blind, which he first encountered in high school. The organization is an advocacy group and service provider for blind people.

“A lot of people helped me, especially that I have a heart problem,” he said. “If I can help someone, then I will.”

Ota is a humble man, but his friends were quick to describe him as caring and outspoken.

“He doesn’t like to brag or come off like he’s showing off,” Art Cabanilla, president of the Hawaii Association of the Blind, said. “He’s not the person that will grab a microphone and talk, but he’s not shy to the point if something is not right. Whatever is happening in the world, if the blind is being left out, then he’s going to be the first one to speak up.”

Cabanilla also said that what Ota is doing is admirable and that not many people can say they run their own business as a blind person.

“He’s the boss and he’s the owner,” he said.

Ota was born on Hawaii island and raised on Oahu. He worked at a federal job developing X-ray film for more than three decades before he retired about 10 years ago. He also did a lot of odd jobs like working in the airport warehouse and cashiering to support his two children at the time.

Even though he is retired, Ota is determined to keep working.

The challenges he faces now amid the COVID-19 pandemic include dealing with transportation and the lack of business at his store.

He’s been taking the bus since he was 20 years old, having memorized the routes and being able to read Braille. He said he’s not afraid of the virus because he’s blind; it’s because of his age.

But Ota said he’s still managing and is currently assisting other blind people to work with the same program that he’s in so they can become vendors.

The only regret Ota mentioned is not finishing college. At the time, he had gotten his girlfriend pregnant and had two kids.

However, he said his children are his biggest reward.

“Raising kids was fun for me,” he said. “Now they’re older, they’re not as fun anymore.”

He said he looks to his faith to maintain a hopeful attitude. “Looking at that has helped me get through this time,” he said.