Gardner, who didn't learn to read Braille until he was 50, volunteers as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah and serves as the national federation's director of field services.

In 2002, he was appointed director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. From 1995 to 2002, he served as legal director of Utah's Disability Law Center.

He was a senior trial attorney for the Office of Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service and special assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Utah, and taught business law as an adjunct professor for BYU for 14 years.

But that's not all.

He also skis on both snow and water, enjoys hiking and loves to scuba dive.

When he hits the slopes with his wife, she leads the way, and on water, he has to follow the boat.

"I sort of wish I could drive the boat," he jokes.

In seriousness, Gardner says, he has a chance to help make life better for those who come after him.

"(That) is a dream come true for me," he said.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com