Name: Sylvain N Job Title: Manager of Content Management Software Sales Location: France Joined IBM: 1983
How has being blind affected your career prospects?
I was born with a condition that meant that as I grew older I progressively lost my sight. Despite quite significant vision disabilities, I was still able to obtain two degrees, in Engineering and Business Administration. During my final year of study I joined IBM France as a trainee and was hired soon after the traineeship. In principle my hiring was never questioned, though there was some debate as to the type of job - technical or sales - I would be best suited to. Initially I did a little of both. My first role as a new graduate focused on customer training and counselling. Since then I've held various sales and marketing jobs with successive levels of responsibility. My current management position is very compatible with my disability as it involves a lot of "verbal" activity such as coaching employees.
How has assistive technology made it easier for you to work?
When I joined IBM I'd already lost most of my sight. At that time the work place was extremely difficult for people with vision difficulties. The assistive technology available today simply did not exist then. There were no screen magnifiers for example. I had to work with my eyes very close to the screen, which caused intense eye fatigue.
IBM offers a range of assistive technologies. The IBM France Information and Solutions Centre for People with Disabilities (CISPH), provides continuous technical support to ensure that people like me benefit from the latest assistive technology. I use a Braille display combined with a speech synthesizer. I also have a specific typewriter to produce documents in Braille.
