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I have just the visual component of Ushers, I’ve got about 5 degrees left of my visual field. I never really did front end work, but I still regularly do back e

I have just the visual component of Ushers, I’ve got about 5 degrees left of my visual field. I never really did front end work, but I still regularly do back end, and project management. I haven’t moved to non visual coding yet. Instead I have optimized for the vision I have left. I have a very bright monitor, very bright lights in my office (overhead) and have learned to make a place for everything, and always put things back in their place. Never underestimate the amount of time you can lose from looking for something that is only slightly out of place. Be it a pen, your glasses, or a USB stick. So long as you are able, don’t disclose your impairment to anyone in an employment situation during the interviewing or new hire phase. Discrimination is awful and frustrating and illegal, but it is still the norm and it’s easiest to just avoid it if you can.

Endlessly 6y ago
Curious, while I agree discrimination is wrong, deeply impacts everyone in a number of ways, why at the very least would you not want to know prior to interviewing, being hired, etc - if a company was biased? If it’s not clear, there are ways to detect this, it’s legal, and if I thought there was any opportunity to easily detect biases that might impact me, I would do so.
- dundercoder 6y ago
  Because I honestly think that most discrimination is unconscious. Many people conducting interviews have never met a legally blind person and it can make them uncomfortable. Generally, I have found people don’t hire others who make them uncomfortable, or at the least, would put other candidates ahead of them. Once hired and able to demonstrate ability, people are less likely to let that initial uncomfortableness get the better of them.
averros 6y ago
Looking for something out of place requires learned technique (which is taught to pilots - it's awfully hard to see an aircraft on collision course because it does not move in your field of vision at all! By the time you notice it with peripheral vision it's too late). So the idea is to split the field of view in 5-10 degree sectors and look only within the sector for a second or two, using strictly central vision (with best acuity) and then move to the next sector until the full field of vision is covered, rinse and repeat.

Endlessly 6y ago

Curious, while I agree discrimination is wrong, deeply impacts everyone in a number of ways, why at the very least would you not want to know prior to interviewing, being hired, etc - if a company was biased? If it’s not clear, there are ways to detect this, it’s legal, and if I thought there was any opportunity to easily detect biases that might impact me, I would do so.

dundercoder 6y ago
Because I honestly think that most discrimination is unconscious. Many people conducting interviews have never met a legally blind person and it can make them uncomfortable. Generally, I have found people don’t hire others who make them uncomfortable, or at the least, would put other candidates ahead of them. Once hired and able to demonstrate ability, people are less likely to let that initial uncomfortableness get the better of them.

averros 6y ago

Looking for something out of place requires learned technique (which is taught to pilots - it's awfully hard to see an aircraft on collision course because it does not move in your field of vision at all! By the time you notice it with peripheral vision it's too late). So the idea is to split the field of view in 5-10 degree sectors and look only within the sector for a second or two, using strictly central vision (with best acuity) and then move to the next sector until the full field of vision is covered, rinse and repeat.