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Oral Histories
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Listen to first-hand accounts about World Services for the Blind (WSB) from people who lived and worked at the center. Learn more about Roy Kumpe, the founding of WSB, the center’s relationships with partner organizations, its leadership in the field of blind rehabilitation, and UA Little Rock’s Orientation and Mobility master’s program.
By: Harrison Mitchell
Meet Peter Kumpe
Son of WSB founder, Roy Kumpe
Peter Kumpe is a practicing attorney with the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock. He is the son of World Services for the Blind founder, Roy Kumpe. Peter has served on various organizational boards across the state, including the World Services for the Blind Foundation, the University of Arkansas Foundation, and the Advisory Board of the Anderson Institute on Race and Ethnicity. He resides in Little Rock with his wife, Trudy.
Meet Dr. Larry Dickerson
Former CEO of WSB
Dr. Larry Dickerson is a retired CEO of World Services for the Blind, having led the organization between 2009 to 2014. He previously worked for UA Little Rock as a professor, department chair, and associate dean. Dickerson helped develop the UA Little Rock Orientation and Mobility master’s program and the online master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling. He currently lives in Little Rock with his wife, Rita.
Meet Lisa Reynolds
Orientation and Mobility Specialist at WSB
Lisa Reynolds is an orientation and mobility specialist at World Services for the Blind. She is a Little Rock native and a graduate of the Orientation and Mobility and Adaptive Physical Education Master’s programs at UA Little Rock. Lisa has worked for World Services for the Blind since 1990 and has contributed to the mobility and accessibility of transportation for the blind in Little Rock by serving as a liaison for Rock Region Metro.
Meet Kyle Kiper
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services
Kyle Kiper is a vocational rehabilitation counselor with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, a division of Arkansas Workforce Services. His family has been involved with World Services for the Blind since the 1960s, both as trainees and employees of the organization. He currently lives in Booneville, Arkansas, working with disabled high school students.
About the Interviewer
Harrison Mitchell is a graduate student in the Public History master's program at UA Little Rock. He currently works at the UA Little Rock Center for Arkansas History and Culture and at the Historic Arkansas Museum.