What can you do with an interest that doesn’t fit into a traditional career path? Historians, genealogists, researchers, and archivists use it to describe people who collect and preserve history. But Peggy Chung prefers a different title: storyteller.
Since 2014, Peggy has been known as Blind lady of historysharing poignant and often overlooked stories about people who are blind or visually impaired. What started as a curiosity grew into a lifelong passion and a career dedicated to blind history preservation.
How Peggy Chung started documenting blind dates
Peggy’s journey began in 1979 when she was assigned to clean out old files, papers and boxes from a home for the blind that was closing. The facility opened just before the stock market crash of 1929, leaving behind decades of documents to sort through.
While reviewing the materials, Peggy discovered correspondence mentioning a blind congressman. That moment sparked her curiosity.
She began looking closely at the documents, made copies of them, and began what would become her extensive collection of stories about blind individuals throughout history.
Personal connection for vision loss
Peggy’s work is deeply rooted in her personal experience.
She comes from a family with a history of blindness. Her mother and three sisters are legally blind due to the same eye condition. Peggy herself suffers from congenital cataracts Astigmatism.
“My eyes are shaking and I can’t read for a long time,” Peggy explains. “The bigger the print, the bigger the jolt. I’ve learned how to cope with my loss – adapt to when it works, and when it doesn’t.”
Early skills that shaped her research
During her time at school, Peggy worked with assigned readers who helped her access printed materials. These interactions have taught her valuable communication skills, especially how to ask clear, thoughtful questions.
These skills became essential in her research.
“I would call the library to get basic information and pay the search fee,” Peggy said. “The librarian would become curious about what I was working on. We would have a conversation, and I would often receive more information than I originally requested.”
Working and volunteering in libraries
Although Peggy originally wanted to become a librarian, she began her career as a library page. In this role, she built relationships with senior librarians who supported her research and gave her access to archives and special materials.
I also volunteered at the library, gaining additional training and research experience.
“At the time, it was difficult for blind and visually impaired people to access printed documents,” Peggy explains. “Working in the library has given me greater access to materials and information.”
Explore family history and genealogy
Peggy’s interest in history extended beyond the wider blind community and to her family.
In 2000, as genealogy platforms like Ancestry became more popular, she took family history classes and began researching her lineage. This enhanced her research skills and deepened her appreciation for documenting personal and collective histories.
Face rejection and carry on anyway
When Peggy first tried to publish her stories about people who were blind or visually impaired, she faced repeated rejection.
“I received a pile of messages saying, ‘Even though this is interesting, we don’t have space for new articles at this time,’” she recalls.
Despite the frustration, she remained committed to her mission. She believes these stories are important – not just as history, but to highlight the achievements and contributions of blind individuals outside of school and rehabilitation programs.
Finding a home for blind history stories
Peggy turned to the blind community, hoping to create a historical column that would resonate. However, early responses were limited, as their stories did not focus on specific members of the organization.
Its launch came with Al-Hiwar MagazineI posted it Blind skills companyan organization that provides resources for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Initially, there were doubts about whether it would be able to produce enough content for a regular article. Peggy responded by providing nearly two years’ worth of material.
Her persistence paid off.
launched her column, The way we werewhich continued in each edition through 2019. The column received strong positive feedback and helped her build an engaged audience, eventually forming the basis of her Blind History Lady email list.
Developing a career out of personal interest
Today, Peggy Chong shares these stories across multiple platforms:
- A monthly newsletter with over 1,200 subscribers
- Speaking engagements where she presents her research
- Published books containing historical stories
- Podcast on Colorado Radio Reading Service
What started as a curiosity has become a body of work—and a profession—that continues to grow.
What this story shows about career paths
Peggy did not follow the traditional path in her work. There was no clear job title at the beginning, and no specific road map.
Instead, her career developed by:
- And the desire to keep going, even without early validation
Her story is a reminder that a career doesn’t always start with a plan. Sometimes they start with interest and grow over time into something meaningful.
Find out what’s possible for you
If you are thinking about your future, think about this:
- What are you really curious about?
- What do you enjoy learning or talking about?
- Where can this interest lead if you continue to develop it?
Exploring career paths doesn’t always start with choosing a job title. It can start with paying attention to what interests you and take the next step from there.
To learn more about Peggy Chung and her work as a Blind History Lady, visit her Website.
