Helping the Blind to Run Their Own Businesses

By NIKO KOPPEL Published: August 17, 2008 - New York Times Lawyers, jurors and litigants, after passing through a maze of security checks, often pause at the stand for a snack. Ramiro Gonzalez, 72, the soft-spoken man behind the counter, retrieves packs of gum and cans of soda, palming the bills he is paid and holding them up to his left eye for identification. “Most people see me working and they don’t know,” said Mr. Gonzalez, who has operated the stand for nearly 16 years: He is legally blind.