A RETIRED priest has compiled a short book as a tribute to the courage and determination of her blind father.
David Ronald Johnston lost his sight aged five in a tragic dentistry accident – but he didn’t let it stop him becoming an excellent typist and one of the driving forces behind Oxfam in the north.
His daughter, Revd Linda Dodds, of Low Etherley, penned a short book about him after her friend, Eileen Welsh, pressed her about her family.
When Mrs Welsh died in 2016, Mrs Dodds decided to keep her promise to her friend and put down her memories in writing.
The book, Blind Courage, tells of how Ron Johnston grew above his inability to see to become a councillor in Bishop Auckland, the founder chairman of the St Helen’s and Tindale Crescent Community Association, the force behind the community centre getting built and the north regional director for charity giant Oxfam.
The book was launched in 2017 and has now found its way onto shelves in Teesdale.
It can be bought in the Teesdale Mercury Shop.
“It’s basically the story of his inspirational life and how he overcame challenges mixed in with some personal memories of family life with my dad,” said Mrs Dodds.
“It’s a book about sight rather than the lack of it. The driving force of my dad’s life was really to take away the perception people had that blind people had no worth or value and could not contribute to society.”
Born in Hartlepool in 1924, Mr Johnston lived in St Helen Auckland and was a familiar face in Bishop Auckland with his guide dog, pipe and trilby hat.
His early life saw him go to school in Newcastle before getting a scholarship to the Royal Normal College for the Blind, in London.
From there he qualified as a shorthand typist, hitting speeds of 140 words per minute and winning awards for his dexterity.
Mr Johnston formed the North East Area Social and Cultural Organisation for blind people and their sighted friends to get together and share experiences.
He also had four guide dogs over his lifetime and raised awareness for the cause. His campaigning spirit took him to Oxfam in the 1960s – where he oversaw the charity’s transition from obscurity in the region to widespread notoriety through the Biafra crisis. Mrs Dodds added: “So many people have spoken of him as being inspirational – he had a real gift for getting people involved and an enthusiasm for everything.
“He had a real sense of the value of community and that community wasn’t just in your neighbourhood but over a
national and international scale.”
Growing up with her dad, Mrs Dodds, her brother and their mum marvelled at his exceptional recall skills and his abilities rather than what he couldn’t do.
“Life with my dad was normal – it’s only when you have the perspective of someone else looking in that maybe you think it wasn’t as normal as you thought,” she added.
“Other people would call him disabled but he was the most able person I knew.”
Mr Johnston died in 1976 just a few days short of his 52nd birthday but left a legacy of which Mrs Dodds was very proud.
The 63-year-old said: “I’ve always been proud of him and what he achieved was quite wonderful – it was only when I came to write the book that I came to know how much his life came to touch the lives of so many others.
“I’ve had letters and emails from all over the world about how my father supported them and how he was a big influence on their lives and careers.”
Copies of the Blind Courage are available for £10 from the Teesdale Mercury shop or available at Amazon online.
