Last December, I had a job interview at Inventivio. The goal was to convince the company owner, Mr. Hars, to allow me to complete an eleven-week mandatory internship at the company as part of my training as an office management assistant.
I was really looking forward to the interview because I think the company and the Tactonom Reader are simply cool. I had already seen the reader in action during a school training session attended by almost the entire vocational school. What impressed me most was its ability to make tactile graphics easier to understand using audio explanations.
However, my first impression before the training was quite different: based on a Facebook post and some opinions I had heard from others, I initially thought it was just one of many navigation devices for blind people. Therefore, my interest was limited. But I got a big surprise when I saw its actual purpose and full range of functions! Tactile graphics are nice and widely used in schools to show diagrams and other content printed out in books. Without them, it is way harder to learn as effectively as a person without a handicap. Audio explanations are also popular, especially in the form of audio guides in museums that want to include blind visitors. But a device that combines both tactile and audio elements via camera-based finger recognition to interactively explain what is under your finger, yes, that is truly useful and will help many students.
Currently, there is a research project at my school involving another device developed by Inventivio, and among others, I was asked whether I would like to participate in test studies. So far, I have agreed to almost every test I was invited to and had a lot of fun doing so. It is exciting to be part of developing technology that helps both me and others become more effective at school or work through a better understanding of graphics. I also simply enjoy testing technology.
When it became clear in January that I would be able to do my internship, I was therefore very happy.
What were my expectations?
Despite my positive attitude toward the company, my expectations were quite low because I did not know how the team at Inventivio would react to me and my blindness.
What did I get?
I received a nice and structured introduction, full understanding of my blindness and orientation difficulties, and a great deal of support. I wasn’t used to this and am very grateful to everyone on the team! The best part was that I was not just kept busy. I was given tasks that actually had value for the team. This gave me a nice boost for my motivation because I realized that my work had a real purpose.
A good example of this was testing graphics on the Tactonom Reader Flex. I then described them, and they were published, though partly after some editing, on Instagram. It feels great to know that your work becomes visible to you and others.
What were my tasks?
During the first week, my tasks were limited to installing all the drivers I needed for work. That was a bit tedious for everyone involved, but necessary to get everything running.
After that, there was a wide variety of tasks, ranging from printing graphics for demonstration purposes to talking to schools, and of course research tasks—something every intern experiences.
The coolest part for me so far has been working with ERPNext, a software system used, among other things, for accounting. At school, we only work with Excel because the software solutions tested so far were not accessible with screen readers. So, this was a completely new experience. It showed me that while there is no 100% accessible accounting software, if you are willing to engage with software that is 80 to 90% usable with JAWS or NVDA, even fully blind or severely visually impaired people can work effectively in accounting. Accounting is increasingly moving toward ERP systems because, unlike Excel with its flexible and changeable structure, where data can easily be deleted, every change there is recorded as a correction entry and remains visible to everyone.
What did I learn?
I learned that it’s not about being perfect, but about whether you’re willing to put in the time and effort. In return, you gain enjoyment from your work and, if you are lucky, a great working environment!
I also realized that with good organization and an understanding environment, even someone who is not a morning person can start the workday motivated. A well-organized way to get to work, no long and complicated routes, coffee, and very kind people whom I can regularly pepper with lots of questions—all of this creates a great foundation for a good start of the day.
One other thing I have discovered is how important it is to focus on what you truly enjoy. I fully stand behind what Inventivio is and what the company creates. That automatically motivates me to put in more effort so that I can contribute to its success. As an intern, that contribution may be small, but it still matters—and that is important to me.
Can I recommend Inventivio for blind interns or applicants in general?
A clear and definite YES! At times, there were three blind people on the team including myself, and great care is taken to ensure that everyone can do their work.
But one important thing:
This is not the kind of internship where you just show up, sit around, have nothing to do, and are somehow kept busy. If that is what someone is looking for, this is the wrong place!
However, if you are looking for a great internship with nice colleagues and understanding supervisors, and you are willing to contribute, you will have a valuable and enriching experience. At least, that was true for me.