Employees with disabilities are under-represented across many industries, including the tech sector. National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a great opportunity to bring awareness to new work opportunities designed by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities!
Fable is a digital accessibility company with the mission of empowering people with disabilities to participate, contribute, and shape society. Committed to providing more work opportunities in the tech sector for people with disabilities, Fable generates meaningful work opportunities with their community of accessibility testers. To keep broadening the scope of opportunities, Fable also offers free skill-building courses for the tech sector, designed for people with disabilities.
Accessible Work Opportunities
Fable works with people with disabilities who use assistive technologies to review websites and other digital products. Fable’s community of accessibility testers use their own assistive technologies to engage with digital products (like websites and apps). Testers are contractors and accept test requests similar to gig economy type work. They can accept or decline work in line with their own schedules and needs. This model can be helpful for contractors with other family or work obligations, as well as fluctuating health statuses.
In the spirit of ‘nothing about us without us’ Fable employs people with disabilities to contribute to digital accessibility solutions. Over half of community members have never had paid employment in the tech sector before working with Fable’s community and over a third leverage this work to gain further employment.
Fable works with people who use:
- Screen readers
- Screen magnification
- Voice navigation
- Eye Tracking
- Headmouse
Fable’s unique hiring process aims to be conscientious of the different barriers to employment. For example, to become an accessibility tester, you don’t need a resume, cover letter, or any previous testing experience. Interested applicants only need to fill out a form on Fable’s community page to apply. Successful applicants receive paid training and a competitive hourly wage and, as contractors, can accept test requests that match their schedules.
Accessible Skill-Building Opportunities
In addition to hiring accessibility testers, Fable provides increased opportunities for people with disabilities to work in all areas of the tech sector. Fable Pathways provides an opportunity to learn skills for working in the tech sector and reduces common barriers to learning such as accessibility, strict course timelines, and cost. Courses are free, on-demand, and accessible!
Free Online Classes by People with Disabilities, for People with Disabilities
Fable Pathways is a skill-building program for people with disabilities who want to work in tech. Courses are taught by subject matter experts with disabilities and cover technical as well as non-technical skills. Kelly Ford of Microsoft, teaches “Getting Started in Web-Development.” As a screen reader user himself, Kelly teaches specific key commands and learners can hear his screen reader during his demonstrations. One learner shared:
“I have wanted to learn more about HTML coding and until learning of this option I had not found an easy, concise and accessible on-line method. I would encourage anyone interested in this course or others offered from Pathways to get started as this is probably the best option I have ever found for continuing education in a self-paced manner. I am looking forward in taking more courses in the tech realm as they make themselves available to me from Pathways.”
Fable’s next course, “Advocating at Work”, launches this October and is taught by legendary disability rights activist, Judy Heumann. Judy has been advocating for disability rights for over 50 years. She served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, is a published author, and is prominently featured in the Netflix documentary Crip Camp. Judy teaches learners how to better understand their strengths and needs, how to gain confidence, and how to advocate for themselves in the workplace.
If you’re looking for work and not sure where to start, check out Fable’s employment and skill-building opportunities!
This blog post was provided by Fable Pathways, a leading accessibility platform powered by people with disabilities, in support of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
