UT professor John Slatin, an advocate of Internet accessibility for the blind, died last week after battling leukemia since June 2005.

Slatin, who was 55 and a University English professor, died March 24 at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Slatin was in the company of a small group of his family and friends when he died, said Anna Carroll, Slatin's wife.

Slatin worked with the University in some capacity for nearly 30 years. He started his career in 1979 as a poetry professor.

He was the founder and director of the Accessibility Institute at UT, which helped the University make 45 percent of its top 407 Web pages disability friendly, according to the institute's Web site. After he was diagnosed with the hereditary condition retinitis pigmentosa, he became fully blind by the late 1970s.

But Carroll said Slatin did not allow his blindness or his illness discourage him.

"He never stopped living and enjoying friends," she said. "John always had a positive attitude."

Despite his failing health, Slatin taught a graduate seminar as recently as last semester.

Slatin had a large impact on his students and many came to visit him in Houston when he was seeking treatment, Carroll said.

A memorial service took place Sunday at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center, which Carroll said opened her eyes to the impression her husband made on the University community.

"[It] was just utterly amazing," she said. "There were over 300 people there. It was unbelievable how many lives he touched."

Aside from his wife, Slatin is survived by his father, Myles Slatin, brother, Peter, two stepchildren and one grandson.

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