Justin was diagnosed with exudative retinopathy at 7 months of age and, after numerous surgeries, lost all vision by age 11.  He received braille (music, literary & math) instruction along with orientation & mobility in the public school system. 

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During his time at William Paterson University, he received braille classical scores from the National Library Service of the Library of Congress, upon request and delivered free of charge.

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He graduated summa cum laude from WPU and moved to Brooklyn, NY.  He decided to attend The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ to train, 24/7 for a month, with a black lab named Candy. Justin and Candy navigated through NYC's subways and sidewalks, and on trains, busses, and planes stateside and abroad. Candy quietly attended every performance and recording session for an incredible 12 years.

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Descriptive Video Services (DVS) makes the whole 'movie-going' experience enjoyable, and increasingly more companies are incorporating DVS to make shows accessible to the blind (Netflix). The ADA Act (Americans with Disabilities) has made travel and restaurant-going less prohibitive, though most car services and taxis in NY do not abide by it! The U.S. Department of State 'Jazz Ambassadorship,' which incorporated "Disability Awareness" into their Jazz Week Tour, sends an encouraging note to countries lacking assistive programs along with world-class jazz performances and student workshops. In addition to these services & programs, companies like Apple (built-in screen readers & GPS on their phones), Native Instruments/Komplete Kontrol & Avid Sibelius (accessible music production & software) have enabled Justin to live, travel and work as independently, safely and enjoyably as possible.