Patrick D. Cannon, State Director, Michigan Commission for the Blind

With many years of service in management, public information, broadcasting, disability rights and advocacy, Pat Cannon brought a unique blend of experiences and abilities with him when he was appointed state director of the Michigan Commission for the Blind in 1997.   Previously, Pat was Director of the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns for 10 years, where he was instrumental in gaining passage of the 1990 amendments to the Michigan Handicappers' Civil Rights Act and advocated for enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  

He is President of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind as well as a member of the National Rehabilitation Association and the Council of State Administrators in Vocational Rehabilitation.   He also serves on the Capital Area Transportation Authority's Board of Directors.  In 1995, Pat was appointed by President Clinton to the U.S. Access Board, the independent federal regulatory agency whose mission is accessibility for people with disabilities, serving as the board's chair in 1997 and 1998.  He was named Disability Policy Advisor to Governor Jennifer M. Granholm in 2003 and also as her State ADA Coordinator in 2004.

An avid Detroit Tigers fan, Pat has attended more than 40 Detroit Tigers Opening Day ceremonies and some 500 Detroit Tigers baseball games since 1955, and he was a founding member of the first officially sanctioned Detroit Tigers Fan Club.  One of his greatest thrills was being asked by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm to throw the  first pitch at the Tigers' home opener on April 4, 2005 , and he was the first blind person to do so.  As Pat likes to say, "The Tigers have never lost when I've pitched."