Spotlight: Ollie Cantos

Olegario "Ollie" Cantos VII is a Filipino-American attorney who is blind due to medical complications at birth. Cantos is known for being the highest-ranking person with a disability in the United States government. He served as Associate Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House for two terms under President George W. Bush. Cantos's most rewarding role was being a mentor to blind triplet boys whom he adopted. Nowadays, Cantos serves under President Donald Trump as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education. He is also a motivational speaker. I had the pleasure of meeting Cantos when he was the keynote speaker at a Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD) conference in Orlando in 2008. For more information, go to http://olliecantos.com/.

 

Cantos with President George W. Bush

(image obtained from olliecantos.com)