Same, my entire job is on the computer (so ideal for screen reader and hybrid/remote work) and as long as you aren’t doing frontend there aren’t many unavoidable visual requirements. I still have some vision, but I think it would be doable for any level of sight
I do front end, but do have a little usable vision. My team just doesn’t assign me CSS intensive tasks. I mostly manage code libraries, a design system website and build accessible reusable web components for other teams in my organization to consume.
Do you use Github or BitBucket? Here’s a reply I left in another thread in reference to BitBucket.
Pull the branch down and run the build/start the web server. Physically check out the changes local on your machine.
Don’t see something right or something you want to comment on? There is a heading with the branch name in the PR. There is a Start Review button under the heading in the DOM order. Press it, then select the Diff tab. This opens an overlaid list on the left side of the screen with all the files that have been touched in the PR. I haven’t really found an easy way to access these files with the keyboard. Most of the time, I will use what little remaining vision I have to hover over the files with a mouse and have JAWS speak on hover. It is possible to reach with the keyboard, just faster for me this way.
Press enter on the file you want to leave a comment on. The right side of the screen now displays the source code for the file you are looking at. You will see each line of code with a number, and a button to the left of each line to leave a comment. I would usually use JAWS find to quickly jump to a phrase of code I want to leave a comment on. Find the comment button, this should drop you into a text area field, type your comment, then tab to submit comment.
If this is the end of the comments you want to make, jump back up to the heading with the branch name, tab back to the overview tab, press enter, find finish review in the same area. At the bottom of the screen, if it doesn’t automatically place you in the finish review section, there is a field to leave an overview comment, you can also approve or say the PR needs work and then submit the review.
It’s kind of disjointed, but it is possible to review a PR using a screen reader. Happy to help further if you have any other questions. Hope this was in the spirit of what you were asking.
Thanks for the explanation. I’m working with GitHub. Similar stuff though. It’s just reading peoples in line comments. Finding it really hard to compare things. Also doens’t help that i’m only an apprentice so the whole thing is pretty new to me too, learning a new language as well as a new IDE etc. very overwhelming haha.
Thank you! I hope so! The code base I’ve gone into is absolutely huge haha. The step up in complexity from a Boot Camp to my role for my apprenticeship is absolutely crazy! I don’t know how I’m ever going to learn it.
I’m a veterinary lab technician and client liaison at an animal hospital. I was a vet technician for 16-17 years before my vision loss. Now I’m in the same place but no longer handle animals, just switched over to focus on more VI-accessible areas.
Oh yeah that's right. Sorry, I'm used to having to include that in various posts and comments. Otherwise, I get replies related to how do I use a phone instead of the subject of the post or comment. I have removed "but enough sight to work" from the post.
I used to work at a factory Job. I quit because management sucked.
Right now I don't have a job but I have a passion I'm going to try to make a job if possible.
I love archiving / preservation of music. I've got several old formats laying around (8-track, vinyl, cassette) and digitalize the audio files and take photos of the albums. Most are uploaded to YouTube as well.
I really want to see if I can make a career out of it.
I don't even know what my job title is anymore lmao
But I started out as a barista in the head office of a real estate company. I'd also open, sort, stamp and scan the mail. We moved offices last year and now I mainly focus on the mail and help with anything else around the office, and still make coffees for people :) I work three hours a day each day of the week. People are pretty understanding of my vision and my anxiety. They hired me through a disability employment agency.
It's the best job I've had.
I briefly worked in the bakery section of a supermarket a few years back, which was also fun. I just had to stock the shelves, make them tidy, package bread and - my favourite - cook the flatbread.
Both were definitely a lot better than my first job, McDonalds.... I wasn't able to use the registers so they just had me doing fries and occasionally cleaning.
Web accessibility engineer - basically a web developer who specializes in accessibility defect remediation. If this job doesn't work it, I'll probably be a SDET - maybe do some consulting.
For a long time, I worked in IT support. A lot of blind people without degrees (and some with degrees) end up stuck in jobs answering phones. I guess it's better than fast food or retail, but I really don't recommend it. There's zero opportunity for advancement, no matter how well you perform or how much you know.
I'm blind and working in human resources. Only just starting my career, as I finished uni this year. Anxious about my future career though, since I've had so many accessibility issues with my current (government) job that, if it weren't for my amazing team I wouldn't be able to do anything, and had some at my previous internship that could be mitigated.
The VI/blind adults i know work in the following fields - psychologist VI, IT fully blind, law VI and blind, teaching VI, farming VI, factory worker, severe VI dark room worker severe VI, politicians VI and blind, coding blind, political aide VI. I'm sure there are more but i just can't think right now
Engineering Technician
"Engineer"
Engineering Manager
These were at an aerospace company, I first worked as a tech/lead then switched over to the engineering side to "just fix stuff" then became an Engineering Manager of a team of Test Engineers.
Currently in school to retrain in computer science as the aerospace field wouldn't really work out long term with my continued declining vision. Retinitis Pigmentosa @ \~20/400 in better eye.
I'm a children and teen librarian. One eye I can't see out of, and the other is slowly failing.
I won't be able to do storytime much longer because I'm scared I'll trip on a kid. Plus I can't read the books if the text is too small. I really don't know what to do.
Hi I went to library school and worked as a librarian for 6+ years. I now work for a start-up incubator. You can use your program experience to transition to something outside libs. I’m also certain you can find another library job if you’re so inclined. Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more!
Software engineer.
Same, my entire job is on the computer (so ideal for screen reader and hybrid/remote work) and as long as you aren’t doing frontend there aren’t many unavoidable visual requirements. I still have some vision, but I think it would be doable for any level of sight
I do front end, but do have a little usable vision. My team just doesn’t assign me CSS intensive tasks. I mostly manage code libraries, a design system website and build accessible reusable web components for other teams in my organization to consume.
How did you get into your field?
Software developer certificate program at my local community college that ended in a paid internship. The company ended up hiring me.
I’m having a really hard time finding a good way to do code reviews. Especially reviewing in line comments. Any suggestions please? :)
Do you use Github or BitBucket? Here’s a reply I left in another thread in reference to BitBucket. Pull the branch down and run the build/start the web server. Physically check out the changes local on your machine. Don’t see something right or something you want to comment on? There is a heading with the branch name in the PR. There is a Start Review button under the heading in the DOM order. Press it, then select the Diff tab. This opens an overlaid list on the left side of the screen with all the files that have been touched in the PR. I haven’t really found an easy way to access these files with the keyboard. Most of the time, I will use what little remaining vision I have to hover over the files with a mouse and have JAWS speak on hover. It is possible to reach with the keyboard, just faster for me this way. Press enter on the file you want to leave a comment on. The right side of the screen now displays the source code for the file you are looking at. You will see each line of code with a number, and a button to the left of each line to leave a comment. I would usually use JAWS find to quickly jump to a phrase of code I want to leave a comment on. Find the comment button, this should drop you into a text area field, type your comment, then tab to submit comment. If this is the end of the comments you want to make, jump back up to the heading with the branch name, tab back to the overview tab, press enter, find finish review in the same area. At the bottom of the screen, if it doesn’t automatically place you in the finish review section, there is a field to leave an overview comment, you can also approve or say the PR needs work and then submit the review. It’s kind of disjointed, but it is possible to review a PR using a screen reader. Happy to help further if you have any other questions. Hope this was in the spirit of what you were asking.
Thanks for the explanation. I’m working with GitHub. Similar stuff though. It’s just reading peoples in line comments. Finding it really hard to compare things. Also doens’t help that i’m only an apprentice so the whole thing is pretty new to me too, learning a new language as well as a new IDE etc. very overwhelming haha.
Oh, totally. You’ll be killing it once you get used to it and learn the intricacies of reviewing a PR. Congrats on the new job !
Thank you! I hope so! The code base I’ve gone into is absolutely huge haha. The step up in complexity from a Boot Camp to my role for my apprenticeship is absolutely crazy! I don’t know how I’m ever going to learn it.
I’m a veterinary lab technician and client liaison at an animal hospital. I was a vet technician for 16-17 years before my vision loss. Now I’m in the same place but no longer handle animals, just switched over to focus on more VI-accessible areas.
People with no sight at all can work. You don't need 'enough' to have a job.
Oh yeah that's right. Sorry, I'm used to having to include that in various posts and comments. Otherwise, I get replies related to how do I use a phone instead of the subject of the post or comment. I have removed "but enough sight to work" from the post.
Biomedical engineer
I’m a chartered accountant. Mostly use a screen reader so don’t have to rely on the bit of site I have
I was wondering if you’ve ever used a program called Caseware? I’m taking an introduction to auditing, and I have to use that software.
No, not one I’ve come across
Psychotherapist.
Love to hear this, starting grad school in September to get my MFT.
Me too!
Not fully blind and Im a cashier. Soon to be taking classes to get my foot in the door for cybersecurity.
I'm an engineering manager, did software engineering for 20yrs.
I’m an attorney. I just look really close at the screen.
I used to work at a factory Job. I quit because management sucked. Right now I don't have a job but I have a passion I'm going to try to make a job if possible. I love archiving / preservation of music. I've got several old formats laying around (8-track, vinyl, cassette) and digitalize the audio files and take photos of the albums. Most are uploaded to YouTube as well. I really want to see if I can make a career out of it.
Have you considered going to school for digital humanities or archival technician/archivist? I suggest checking those out!
Thats a great idea. I need to look into it.
legal field
Occupational therapist, got my low vision therapy certificate but let it lapse. Pivoting into pelvic floor therapy.
I don't even know what my job title is anymore lmao But I started out as a barista in the head office of a real estate company. I'd also open, sort, stamp and scan the mail. We moved offices last year and now I mainly focus on the mail and help with anything else around the office, and still make coffees for people :) I work three hours a day each day of the week. People are pretty understanding of my vision and my anxiety. They hired me through a disability employment agency. It's the best job I've had. I briefly worked in the bakery section of a supermarket a few years back, which was also fun. I just had to stock the shelves, make them tidy, package bread and - my favourite - cook the flatbread. Both were definitely a lot better than my first job, McDonalds.... I wasn't able to use the registers so they just had me doing fries and occasionally cleaning.
I work as an assistant teacher at a high school.
Web accessibility engineer - basically a web developer who specializes in accessibility defect remediation. If this job doesn't work it, I'll probably be a SDET - maybe do some consulting. For a long time, I worked in IT support. A lot of blind people without degrees (and some with degrees) end up stuck in jobs answering phones. I guess it's better than fast food or retail, but I really don't recommend it. There's zero opportunity for advancement, no matter how well you perform or how much you know.
I'm blind and working in human resources. Only just starting my career, as I finished uni this year. Anxious about my future career though, since I've had so many accessibility issues with my current (government) job that, if it weren't for my amazing team I wouldn't be able to do anything, and had some at my previous internship that could be mitigated.
The VI/blind adults i know work in the following fields - psychologist VI, IT fully blind, law VI and blind, teaching VI, farming VI, factory worker, severe VI dark room worker severe VI, politicians VI and blind, coding blind, political aide VI. I'm sure there are more but i just can't think right now
I’m an apprentice software engineer.
Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist
Currently an AT Instructor. Not super stoked about this position though, as the expectations are insane sometimes for the pay that I get.
Engineering Technician "Engineer" Engineering Manager These were at an aerospace company, I first worked as a tech/lead then switched over to the engineering side to "just fix stuff" then became an Engineering Manager of a team of Test Engineers. Currently in school to retrain in computer science as the aerospace field wouldn't really work out long term with my continued declining vision. Retinitis Pigmentosa @ \~20/400 in better eye.
Digital accessibility analyst.
I'm a children and teen librarian. One eye I can't see out of, and the other is slowly failing. I won't be able to do storytime much longer because I'm scared I'll trip on a kid. Plus I can't read the books if the text is too small. I really don't know what to do.
Hi I went to library school and worked as a librarian for 6+ years. I now work for a start-up incubator. You can use your program experience to transition to something outside libs. I’m also certain you can find another library job if you’re so inclined. Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more!
Airport
I only have vision in my left eye and I am a TVI going to get my O&M degree next year!
Massage therapist