Antonio Rozier of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., has been selected as NIB’s 2025 Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award winner.
Presented annually, the Samuelson Award recognizes an individual who demonstrates career advancement at an NIB associated nonprofit agency or in the private sector.
Antonio, 38, is the director of information technology (IT) systems at The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc., in Seattle, Washington, where he has worked for nine years.
While he’s a Pacific Northwesterner now, Antonio was born in Georgia, where he was diagnosed with a condition that caused the blood vessels in his eyes to develop improperly and led to vision impairment. Antonio attended a residential blind school in Macon, excelling in wrestling and cross country. At the same time, he developed an interest in goalball, a sport designed for blind athletes.
His passion for IT goes back to childhood, when he realized in third grade that he loved computers and technology. After high school, Antonio pursued a degree in IT. However, his vision worsened when he was diagnosed with keratoconus.
Antonio first moved west in 2010, and becoming a residential computer trainer teaching assistive technology at the Colorado Center for the Blind.
“I grew up in Georgia, and all my family’s pretty much still there,” Antonio said. “Every time, moving without my family, it was a little challenging to be in a new environment, but I always had an attitude of, I knew what I wanted to be, and technology has always been that space.”
“IT just always resonated with me,” he said. “It really has helped me continue to take care of my family. I have five kids, four at home and one in college, so I can support my family and have things that everyone wants to have, own a home.”
He started out at the Lighthouse in 2016 as an accessibility manager. Within two years, he was promoted to oversee relationships with external partners and manage budgets. Becoming IT director was a natural progression as he took on more responsibilities, including overseeing strategic projects.
“As the leader of the IT department, every day is a different challenge or experience,” Antonio said. “I get to be part of helping my organization support our other employees and, as the one who selects technology that will enable people to be successful, I get first-hand knowledge of what’s coming in the organization.”
Antonio oversees all IT projects and makes sure systems are functioning and supports the upward mobility and accessibility needs of all Lighthouse employees.
He assists other employees by working closely with the Lighthouse human resources department. It’s a continuation of his first Lighthouse role as accessibility manager, the role where Antonio realized he was called to help others who are blind and want to improve their own lives, too.
“I ensure that all employees understand the tools we use. I sit down with them, go over applications, and make sure they can sign in,” he said. “All computers and equipment that we sign out are accessible with JAWS. We build our accessibility in and then add in specialized software as needed.”
Antonio is also still involved in sports. He serves on the Seattle Adaptive Sports Board, which provides adaptive sports opportunities to people who are legally blind or have other physical disabilities, and oversees Seattle wheelchair basketball and goalball leagues. “I lead up the goalball group and have been playing for 10 years. It’s very competitive and I enjoy that.”
Winning the Samuelson Award was an unexpected surprise.
“I’m honored to have this recognition and really appreciate the support of my team here,” Antonio said. “I really look forward to continuing to support my organization, and also the whole NIB program, as one of the leaders in accessibility and technology.”
His message to those who are wondering if they can tackle their goals while dealing with blindness?
“We can do everything we want with the proper support,” Antonio said. “I have always been willing to do what I need to do to be a better me, which is what drove me to make these decisions, and be a contributing person to society.”