Janet Ingber

In the span of three days, 40-year-old Anthony Corona went from having normal vision to being completely blind. Since then, he has dedicated his life to helping others who are blind, both personally and professionally, as the Communications and Outreach Director of the Open Doors Organization.

Before losing his vision, Corona worked as the East Coast Entertainment Editor for the Associated Press. He said,

“I absolutely loved my job. I traveled the world. I had experiences I would never have had without working for the Associated Press. And then I developed shingles.”

Corona continued,

“It affected my head, ears, and eyes. I had no idea what was happening; I was getting massive migraines and seeing strange things—flashes of light and floating objects.”

On March 24, 2016, doctors sent him to New York Eye and Ear Hospital. He drove himself there. It was the last time he would drive a car.

At the hospital, he underwent life-changing surgery. Corona explained,

“I woke up to be told that they had to drill a hole in my skull to relieve pressure on my brain and that my optic nerves and retinas were completely damaged.”

He had six additional, unsuccessful surgeries in attempts to restore some vision. Corona urges anyone over the age of 50 to get the shingles vaccine because, although extremely rare, what happened to him could happen to anyone.

Unfortunately, he could no longer continue with his job. He said that AP was very supportive, providing him with a generous severance package.

Corona was evaluated by the New York State Commission for the Blind, which referred him to the Lighthouse for mobility training. However, that was the only service he received. He explained,

“I basically fell through the cracks for about a year and a half. All I had was mobility training. I taught myself tips and tricks—like how to cook. I grew up in an Italian family, so I know how to cook. I had to figure out how to do it without sight. I lived alone, had to clean my house, and care for my cat. It was all about figuring out the tips and tricks for living blind rather than sighted.”

About a year after starting mobility training, Corona asked his instructor about guide dogs. The instructor was surprised to learn that white cane mobility was the only service Corona had received. Thanks to his mobility instructor, Corona discovered apps that could assist him.

Corona was eventually accepted by the Guide Dog Foundation, where he was paired with a black English Labrador named Boaty. He said,

“My guide dog changed everything.”

He added,

“My early blind life was just me stumbling around, trying to figure things out. That changed when I got to guide dog school.”

Corona attended guide dog school with seven others, all of whom had previously owned guide dogs. He said,

“They took me under their wing, and my life reopened. Before guide dog school, I felt like I was living in a locked, dark room. Boaty was the key that unlocked the door, letting me back into the world.”

Corona credits Boaty with saving his life:

“I was at a point where I didn’t want to go on. I was 40 years old. If God was going to give me another 40 or 50 years, I didn’t want to live them like that.”

He continued,

“If it didn’t work out with Boaty, I had a plan. I’m not afraid or ashamed to admit that. People coming behind us need to hear our stories and the truth.”

After getting Boaty, Corona returned to work, taking contract positions with Aira. For a year, he also interned with the American Council of the Blind as a communications and marketing intern.

Later, Corona joined Open Doors as a trainer for Amtrak, focusing on ADA compliance and disability etiquette. He explained,

“They liked what they saw. I added value with training suggestions and communication strategies. They offered me the Director of Communications and Outreach position.”

Corona described Open Doors as:

“A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our goal is to make the travel and service industries not just ADA compliant but ADA enhanced. We provide training across hospitality, travel, and retail sectors—including cruise lines, hotels, TSA, airports, rideshares, paratransit services, and Amtrak.”

Open Doors offers a much simpler process for flying with a guide dog compared to filling out DOT forms. You can call or email Open Doors, and your questions will be answered.

Currently, Open Doors serves:
- JetBlue
- Alaska Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- Sun Country Airlines
- British Airways
- KLM

Corona explained,

“All these air carriers use our forms. For those not directly linked to our portal, you’ll need to forward your Service Animal ID Number and form to their Accessibility or Services office. They’re required to accept it.”

Open Doors is working to add more airlines, including the top three U.S. carriers, as well as airlines in Europe and Asia. The organization aims to standardize global travel for service dog users. Corona said,

“That’s our big focus right now, along with combating fake service animals. We have our fingers in a lot of pies.”

Corona noted,

“The broader community doesn’t necessarily know about us or the services we offer. I encourage people to check out our website and contact me or one of my coworkers if they’d like us to come and speak.”

He is grateful to be working at Open Doors, explaining that most of the core team has been there since the beginning.

“This is the first job since losing my sight where I can use my skill set and analytical mind.”

He added,

“When I worked in entertainment, I knew I was giving people something to read. I’m not changing the world now either, but I’m definitely adding to the light shining on spaces that need advocacy. It drives me like you wouldn’t believe.”

Reflecting on his journey, Corona said,

“If there are people like me who lose their vision suddenly, or those aging into it, it’s scary. I didn’t publicly ‘come out,’ so to speak, for over a year. I hid it for as long as I could because I wasn’t connected and felt ashamed and emasculated. You can do it alone, but it’s so much better with a community. Finding organizations and attending guide dog school reopened my life.”

Corona hosts a weekly podcast, "Sunday Edition," on ACB Media:

“I’ve done some amazingly empowering shows. The mission is to find commonality, engage in intellectual discourse where we differ, and foster collaboration and coalition-building.”

📧 Podcast email: sundayeditionac@gmail.com

Personal Life

Corona is now 49 years old. He met his life partner, Gabriel, at an American Council of the Blind convention in Rochester.

“It was love at first sound, and I never looked back. We’re truly a convention couple.”

The couple lives in Miami, Florida, with three dogs: Gabriel’s retired guide dog and their two working guide dogs.

Contact Information

Author
Janet Ingber
Article Topic
Employment Journeys