Former Addict, Finds Hope 
Through Hadley School

Winnetka, IL – Rita Willingham-Person, of Flint, Mich., remembers nights of loneliness, 
turning tricks for a warm bed and all the drugs that enticed her with a new reality.

After 20 years of living on the street ? she knows she doesn’t want to go back. When 
Rita was 12 she ran away from home and began earning money as a prostitute. Over the 
years she has been jailed, raped, shot and addicted to drugs like cocaine. In the last three 
years Rita became blind, something she believes is the result of multiple sclerosis. It was 
enough to propel her to begin to think about education.

In 2005 she enrolled with The Hadley School for the Blind and has since successfully 
completed one course. Presently she’s taking “Braille Literacy 2” and hopes to continue 
getting an education through the school. Hadley is a distance education school that serves 
over 10,000 students annually in all 50 states and 100 countries. All courses are offered 
free of charge to those who are blind and Hadley relies on contributions from individuals, 
foundations and corporations to fund its programs.

“I love Hadley. I was terrified of learning at first,” she said. “I’m so grateful for Hadley ? 
everyone has been so nice to me.” 

The most recent chapter in Rita’s life includes being happily married for two years and a 
clean life as a reborn Christian.

“I wanted to be able to read and be successful,” she said. “I’m just going to keep going 
and I hope that gives some people some kind of hope with their visual impairment.”