Donald Barnes (HHS’93, MBA’16) was just 15 when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision loss. Years later, he crossed the graduation stage with his service dog at his side—becoming the first individual with a disability to complete Purdue’s executive MBA program.
“Earning my MBA didn’t just help me grow my confidence and career skills—it showed everyone in my cohort, many of whom had never worked closely with someone with a disability, that someone who’s blind is just as capable,” Barnes says. “One classmate even told me that because of this experience, they’d never hesitate to hire someone with a disability.”
Much of Barnes’s confidence and success, he says, came from his guide dog, Linden, a black lab who became a beloved presence in the classroom.
“Linden was my partner in crime,” Barnes says. “He came to every class with me. Sometimes he’d start whining near the end of a lecture, and the professor would say, ‘The four-legged student is telling me I’m boring,’ and dismiss us early. Everyone loved him—my classmates even brought a Purdue pillow for him to lie on during class.”
Barnes adopted Linden in 2007 from Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York after meeting a fellow bus rider who had a guide dog. Once a match was established, Barnes spent four weeks training with Linden, learning everything from navigating transit to handling unexpected obstacles like construction zones.
After Linden, Barnes has partnered with two more guide dogs—Teddy and Brandt—from the same organization.
“When I went back to meet Teddy, I even got to request the same trainer,” he says. “She already knew me, and that made the process so much smoother.”
As an undergraduate, before he had a guide dog, Barnes navigated Purdue’s campus with a cane.
“The cane would get stuck in grates, or people would step on it,” he says. “In crowds, people don’t give you the space you need. With a dog, people respond differently.”
Even with a guide dog, Barnes faced unique challenges as he pursued his MBA.
“Instructors sometimes used videos or assigned homework that wasn’t compatible with my screen reader,” he says. “The people at the Purdue Disability Resource Center were very helpful. If I was having trouble, someone from the center would walk me through the material—especially anything with graphs or charts.”
As Barnes’s confidence grew, so did his skills. Presentations—once his most dreaded assignments—became one of his biggest accomplishments. Without the ability to read notes, he memorized every talk. “Mastering that was a huge takeaway for me,” he says.
Assistive technology has evolved significantly and now plays a major role in his day-to-day life.
“If I didn’t have my screen reader, I’d be lost—I never learned to read Braille—and the technology keeps getting better,” he says. “I recently bought a pair of AI glasses. They look like sunglasses, but they have a camera and an earpiece. I can scan something, and the AI tells me what it is. If I pull a can from the fridge, it’ll tell me what kind of soda it is. It can even read the ingredients and nutrition facts. It’s incredibly helpful.”
Barnes’s accomplishments have helped open doors for others. When a hearing-impaired student later enrolled in Purdue’s MBA program, faculty pointed to Barnes’s experience as proof that the infrastructure was in place—and that students with disabilities could thrive.
Purdue is still a big part of Barnes’s life. A regular donor for more than two decades, he has also worked at the university since 2023 as a guest relations administrator at the Data Mine. He even has plans for a Purdue funeral that would include the playing of “Hail Purdue!” at his grave site.
“It makes me happy to know that I’m still connected to Purdue, which has done so much for me,” he says.
“Victories & Heroes: Your Campaign for Purdue” is inspired by the powerful words of Purdue’s fight song, recognizing those who came before. If you have a Purdue hero in your life, we want to hear from you—share your story for an opportunity to be featured.
You can also contribute to the campaign today! Your investment will strengthen Purdue, elevate the university’s reputation, and expand opportunities for current and future Boilermakers.
—Nicolle DeWitt
