“When I think about developing solutions, I think about how we can use technology to make a difference.” - John T. Chambers. Peter was born with Glaucoma that impaired his vision which further declined in his adult years. This did not discourage Peter from having an illustrious career at Xerox where he lead research and product teams to deliver superior printer products for the masses. Rather than being deterred by his disability, Peter excelled through his innovative work and developed a suite of software tools that accelerated the process and saved millions of dollars. He was awarded the company’s highest award, the Xerox Presidential Award. Even after retiring from work, Peter continues on a path of giving back to the community by hosting and producing the radio show and podcast “Eyes On Success” for empowerment the visually impaired community with his wife Nancy. He is also active with his music group “The Peter Torpey Trio”.

What has been your most memorable project at Xerox and why?P: As a research scientist at Xerox working on next generation printers, I developed a suite of software tools that was capable of producing hardcopy images that appeared to have been printed on actual experimental printers. These tools saved the company millions of dollars since it was no longer necessary to design and build expensive hardware printer prototypes to assess print quality, operating failures, and manufacturing tolerances. The highlight of this effort was that we were able to present such prints to outside focus groups so that potential customers could evaluate the performance of printers that had not yet been built. The irony, of course, is that, having almost no functional vision, I was the only person who could not see these images!
In 1995 I was awarded Xerox’s highest honor, the Xerox President’s Award for this work, an award given to only about 30 people out of their 90,000 employees each year.

What kind of reactions did you receive when it was announced that the image processing group at Xerox was going to be led by a vision impaired person such as yourself? Compared to when you started work, how would you compare today’s work environment for inclusiveness?P: Xerox was always very supportive of my work, professional aspirations, and readily acquired any assistive devices that would help me in my job. Shortly before I came to lead the image-processing and print quality team, the program was having difficulty meeting key performance targets and it became clear that a change had to be made. Although my background and experience were well suited to the position and my work had been highly regarded, I think that the key deciding factor in offering me the position was that I was able to bridge the gap between the product engineering teams and the research teams. Interestingly, I think that having a blind person lead the team actually turned out to be an advantage. Since I could not see the test images, people on the team learned to clearly verbalize their assessments of images and what they saw. This led to improved communications and sharing of personal impressions.
As for how inclusive today’s work environment is compared to when I started work, my impression is that employers have become more aware and accepting of differences. In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has certainly opened up opportunities for many people. I have been fortunate that as a major, high-tech company, Xerox has always been more inclusive than many other companies in terms of hiring for diversity and supporting employees with differences. Still, I imagine there is a long way to go until all employers fully embrace these ideas.

What inspired you to start the “Eyes On Success” radio show? Why are this kind of initiatives important?P: My wife Nancy and I had been volunteering at our local public radio station (WXXI in Rochester, NY). I had been developing some software to enable one of their blind sound engineers to access the software required to run the station and Nancy was reading for their radio reading service. One day, the manager of the FM and radio reading service, Ruth Phinney, challenged us to host a weekly show about daily living tips for the visually impaired since “we both spoke well and Pete knows a lot about technology and living as a blind person.” The effort quickly mushroomed and, after more than 7 years hosting and producing the show from our home, we now have over 375 episodes in our searchable archive on our web site
Now being retired and having had very rewarding and enjoyable careers, Eyes On Success is our way of “giving back” and sharing motivational and inspiring stories about other visually impaired professionals, artists, athletes, etc. We feel that this work is important since many visually impaired people are never made aware of the wealth of opportunities and activities that are available to them and in which they can participate and contribute despite any visual issues.

What challenges did you face during your high school days? Do you want to share any influences that helped motivate you in high school and beyond?P:  Although I learned braille and went to a school for the blind until 5th grade, throughout high school and until graduate school I was able to read printed material by holding it several inches from my face and using a hand-held telescope to view the blackboard. Teachers and friends were always very supportive and helpful. Just before attending graduate school, however, I lost most of my vision. At that point I reacquainted myself with braille, learned to use a cane, and procured my textbooks on audio tape from what was then Recordings for the Blind (now Learning Ally). Again, colleagues, teachers, and friends were very supportive and I went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Engineering Physics.
I attribute a lot of my success to my parents who raised me to be independent and solve my own problems, but were always there to advocate and provide support when necessary.

Who is your inspiration?P: My high school calculus teacher, who had worked at Bell Labs and was then working on his Ph.D. in Physics, was very influential in my choice of physics as a career. I devoured several books he gave me about physics and math and enjoyed our conversations about what physicists actually do from day to day. I tell people that I played mathematical games and puzzles as a kid and was fortunate to have a career in which they paid me to continue doing the same.

Who is your favorite musician?P: Although I was classically trained as a youth, I have come to enjoy jazz music and musicians who play standards from the 30’s and 40’s. some of my favorite musicians include piano players from Bill Evans to Oscar Peterson, trumpet players like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, and the sax player Paul Desmond.

What do you like to do when you are with your family/friends?P: My wife (who is sighted and also has a Ph.D. in Physics) and I recently moved to Colorado at the foothills of the Rockies. We have always enjoyed hiking, tandem biking, and being outside and active. With a web of hiking trails now right outside our door, the gloriously sunny days, and great weather out here, we are finding even more time to enjoy these activities with friends and neighbors. When our two children were living with us in Rochester, NY, we spent many summers with them hiking and canoeing in the Adirondacks.

What are your other hobbies?P: Through the years I have always enjoyed music and have taken a variety of music lessons including piano, music theory, composition, etc. I have played the piano, guitar, flute, and even the accordion. One of my most fun and rewarding musical endeavors was the jazz trio that two retired buddies and I put together in Rochester. "The Peter Torpey Trio” featured me on piano, my friends on guitar and bass, and Nancy as our bookkeeper and webmaster. We performed regularly for over 7 years at many of the senior facilities in the Rochester area playing those great jazz standards that everyone enjoys. Fortunately I purchased my six and a half foot grand piano just before Nancy and I got married (because you can’t buy something like that after getting married!), but every house we’ve lived in since then had had to have a living room large enough to fit the piano.

What tips/advice do you have for those in our community who want to overcome adversity?P: For about 25 years, Nancy and I used to volunteer to perform science experiments several times a month in our local elementary schools as part of a Xerox sponsored program. In addition to the hands on experiments, we always did one lesson which we called “Pete’s Blind Act” in which we talked about what it means to be blind and how a blind person can enjoy life and have a rewarding career. The message we tried to convey to the students was that there are many ways to overcome challenges. We always summarized that lesson by borrowing a motto our son’s kindergarten teacher left with her students: “Never say you can’t…Always say you’ll try.”

Any special message for our community?P: The message I would leave with people is that you should follow your dreams. Don’t be dissuaded by what others think you can or cannot do. You might have to work a bit harder and/or find creative ways to overcome challenges, but in the end your own internal drive will be the most important factor in the path you take through life. Of course one also has to be a pragmatist. You might have to modify your goals somewhat or how you get there, but there are lots of wonderful opportunities out there waiting for you.