Motivation & Inspiration

Dennis openly shares and talks about how his faith and unwillingness to give up has strengthened him throughout his 42 year ordeal of fighting blindness.   He talks about living with challenges and overcoming those challenges to have a productive life.  



Dr. Atkins had the great opportunity in October 2012 to be hired as the Executive Director/CEO for Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independence in Viburnum, Missouri. Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independence is a large, rural non-profit organization that provides services annually for over 2,000 individuals with disabilities. His new career as Executive Director/CEO gives him daily the opportunity to encourage and motivate others that are facing huge life challenges.

Dennis has established a home in the Viburnum area by originally purchasing 12 1/2 acres and building a new home. Dennis bought his first 5 hiefers in 2016 and started his life long vision of having his own farm.  In 2019 Dennis purchased an additional 84 acres to expand his total to 96 acres. This dream of his has become a reality and provides daily joy and hard work as he takes care of now 24 cows and hiefers, a bull and 8 cats.  In the midst of growing his farm Dennis also built his sister, Rita, who has developmental disabilities her very own apartment on his property.  Rita has since made this her permanent residence in December 2020 and is flourishing in her new space.

Dennis was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in July 1979.   The eye disease started with night blindness, destroyed his peripheral vision and finally the central vision.   Dennis can no longer see faces or read print.  His vision has diminished to only distinguishing light and dark. While fighting the eye disease he has continued to run, which he started in April 1978.   He still runs unassisted, on his own daily, averaging between 8 - 9 miles per day.   Dennis has surpassed his 112,000 mile mark, and currently stands at 110,000 miles!   To his credit, he has run 83 marathons and numerous half marathons.   Many of these marathons have been for charity,  raising money to help individuals with disabilities continue to live in their homes.   With the accomodation of speaking engagements and community fundraising events and running events, he has raised over $200,000.00 for charity.  All the money received by Dr. Atkins for speaking events has been donated. The special fundraising events have allowed organizations to be used to build wheelchair ramps, widen doors, purchase wheelchairs and lift chairs, and to make home modifications which allow individuals to choose to continue to live in their own home. 

"Dennis Atkins is a runner because it's something he can do well.  It sounds odd, but blindness limits his other entertainment options.  He can't jump in a car and go shopping; reading books or magazines isn't very practical; focusing on television is difficult (though he attempts this for Chiefs or Rams games).  So - for fun - Dennis runs.  He runs outside on a pre-determined route that he's run a thousand times before.  It whiles away the time and it makes him feel good.    Despite his disability, Dennis Atkins continued to work as a branch claims manager at American Family Insurance for over thirty four  years.  He never stopped working and learning.   In 2012 he retired from American Family.  He is available for motivational speaking engagements.   Dennis earned a degree from Missouri Western in 1977.   He has since completed his MBA and Doctorate of Business Administraton  at accredited schools by correspondence, while legally blind."       Dan Danford

           Dennis in front of his home on his original 12 acres.                                        

 Dennis showcasing some of his prized heifers.  Each cow is uniquely named and cared for diligently.