News

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus and MindsEye President and CEO Jason Frazier has been named a 2020 Diverse Business Leader by the St. Louis Business Journal for his work with MindsEye, an organization that offers a variety of services to those with visual disabilities throughout the St. Louis region.

       Frazier earned a bachelor’s in mass communications from the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) in 2011, and began working for MindsEye in 2012 as a part-time board operator, while simultaneously working for a local sports radio station.

       “My dream career was always working in sports media,” said Frazier. “However, the mission of MindsEye and the company’s impact on blind and visually impaired people in our region changed that. Using what I learned about broadcast and applying it to a reading service became appealing.”

       The mission hits close to home as Frazier’s grandmother, who he said was the matriarch of his family, was blind. His biggest motivation for continuing his career with MindsEye was to ensure blind/low vision individuals and their families knew about the services offered.

       “Connecting people in the blind and visually impaired community to things that make our region special is extremely important. I get to see a lot of these amazing stories first-hand. Seeing someone attend an audio-described show and be completely immersed in the experience as our describers paint a picture of the visual elements that they would otherwise miss is special. I have observed athletes who thought their days of playing sports were done get a chance to be a part of the Gateway Archers Beepball Team and get back on the field. Those are the things that energize me every day,” Frazier said.

       Frazier described the award as a “team award,” noting that over the last few years MindsEye added new programming to make the metro St. Louis area more accessible and inclusive - a prime example being the audio description program launched in 2016. This program provides descriptions of visual elements for blind and visually impaired guests at theaters, sporting events and museums. The program also spawned the idea of creating the Arts & Cultural Accessibility Cooperative,  a bi-monthly forum where the team works to make the arts and entertainment scene more inclusive in the region.

       When asked what this award means to him, Frazier said, “First and foremost, I am an African American male in a leadership role for a non-profit. When I look around the table at networking functions for non-profits I notice there are not many people who look like me in those rooms. Also, I am the CEO for a non-profit that helps people with disabilities, mainly the blind and visually impaired. As an advocate, I notice people tend to leave out those with disabilities when talking about diversity and inclusion. I hope to be a part of changing that..”

       Frazier credits his success to taking advantage of hands-on experiences at SIUE, such as writing for The Alestle, hosting a web-based radio show and working for WSIE FM.

       In a recent Segue interview with CAS Dean Kevin Leonard, PhD, Frazier offered advice to prospective students considering a major in mass communications. “Take advantage of the opportunities outside of the classroom at SIUE. I wouldn’t be where I am in my career, if I wasn’t working at WSIE and learning how to be a professional. It’s important to get a leg up before applying for jobs after you graduate.”

To learn more about MindsEye, visit mindseyeradio.org.