Belo Cipriani: Where are you from and where do you live now?

Jim Blacksten: I was born in Oroville, California. I attended junior high and senior high school in Chico and I graduated from Chico Senior High School.

I currently live in San Francisco. My office is at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services (BHHS), Drysdale Properties, 1715 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.

Also, I have lived in Burlingame and in Daly City, California.

BC: What inspired you to become a real estate agent?

JB: Back in 2010, I was reading emails from people who decided to go into real estate — buying and selling homes. A number of these people just bought homes, fixed them up, and flipped for profits. Many of them made very good money, and they performed a lot of their work online. I am inspired to do the same as a visually impaired person.

I am also inspired to build part of my business with U.S. service members and veterans in San Francisco, East Bay, North Bay, South Bay, and throughout northern California. I’d like to assist veterans, as buyers here in San Francisco, to find their homes.

Also, I’d like to eventually become a real estate investor, which is really what inspired me to secure my California real estate license.

BC: What were some of the initial challenges in selecting real estate as a career path?

JB: I have taken and passed nine courses in real estate from City College of San Francisco (CCSF), which qualifies me to obtain a broker’s license after working for two years in the field. I have also taken and passed the California real estate exam for realtors, and am under contract with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services as a realtor.

One large challenge had to do with the CCSF Disabled Students Program Services (DSPS) converting printed books and materials into a digital, readable format for my text-to-speech software program (JAWS), which is keyboard driven to read the text and charts to me. Also, I had the challenge of working with instructors to make sure they explained what materials were being printed by them (i.e. on the class blackboard, or on projectors in PowerPoint format).

Then, I had to find a brokerage firm interested in bringing me on under contract as a realtor, as well as a manager who would be ready, willing, and able to champion my cause. Fortunately, I had an instructor (Carol Jensen), who taught the class I took in property management who believed in me, and what I could do. She introduced me to James Caldwell who is my manager today with BHHS.

BC: What adaptive technology do you use to do your work?

JB: I use the text-to-speech program Job Access with Speech (JAWS), which is a software program that is keyboard driven to assist me with reading the text information on the computer screen. Also, I use a device called a braille display, which converts the information on the computer screen into electronic braille, which I can read with my fingers. In other words, this BAUM Braille Display works as text-to-braille, and works in conjunction with JAWS. The BAUM Braille Display produces 40 characters of information at a time: I press the advance bar allowing me to read the next line of 40 characters, and so forth. Also, I have a unit called the Hims Notetaker, which is a personal data assistant with a built-in braille display of 32 characters. This unit has its own text-to-speech program that works in conjunction with the braille display for this particular Hims unit.

BC: How do clients respond to your disability?

JB: Thus far, everyone has responded favorably to me as a visually impaired person. I have also served as a Senior Accounts Representative as well as a consultant, and have met quite a number of clients, all of which were positive experiences. As long as I have a very positive attitude, and appear to know exactly what I am doing as a professional California realtor, clients and colleagues respond favorably. I have to say that Acura, my guide dog, in some cases, is a strong ally, and helps to break the ice in some introductory conversations.

BC: Do you know of any other blind real estate agents?

JB: I do not know of any other visually impaired persons that are realtors here in California. There are two others that I’ve heard of, though. One is located in the eastern U.S. and the other is in Canada.

BC: What projects are you working on now?

JB: I am currently working with Eddie Ramirez, who spearheads OneVet OneVoice and is sponsoring veteran home buyers workshops. We are scheduled to hold our first workshop this Thursday evening, July 23, 2015, at Mama’s Art Café on 4754 Mission Street, where Eddie Ramirez is a co-owner.

OneVet OneVoice is also working on bringing veterans together to be housed in a new building on Van Ness Avenue starting in October of 2015. We expect to assist in spearheading the home services section of this grand opening.

And, I am working toward becoming a successful listing agent.

BC: How may people contact you?

JB: Jim Blacksten, Realtor (CALBRE #01951334) at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Drysdale Properties. I can be reached by phone (Cell: 415-297-3084; Office: 415-655-9007) or email (jim.blacksten@bhhsdrysdale.com or jimeblacksten@gmail.com). You can also find me on the web at www.jimblacksten.com.

Photo courtesy of Jim Blacksten

“The FingerReader is a wearable device that assists in reading printed text. It is a tool both for visually impaired people that require help with accessing printed text, as well as an aid for language translation. Wearers scan a text line with their finger and receive an audio feedback of the words and a haptic feedback of the layout: start and end of line, new line, and other cues. The FingerReader algorithm knows to detect and give feedback when the user veers away from the baseline of the text, and helps them maintain a straight scanning motion within the line.” (MIT Media Lab)

Recently, we were able to speak with Roy Shilkrot, a 4th year PhD student that works at the MIT Media Lab, to learn a bit more about the FingerReader.

Belo Cipriani: How did the FingerReader project come together?

Roy Shilkrot: The FingerReader came together after spending about 3 years developing a number of finger-worn prototypes, focusing on assisting people with visual impairments. Finally, we closed in on reading printed text, as we realized this application could make a big impact, and we actually have some interesting new approaches to suggest to traditional methods.

BC: What were some of the early challenges?

RS: The challenges are getting the device to work consistently and robustly for different people and text material. We are still looking for the right way to guide people effectively in reading text without being able to see it.

BC: How many blind people have helped with the testing of the FingerReader?

RS: We relied very much on the Visually Impaired and Blind User Group (VIBUG) that meets at MIT. They are a big group of people with different conditions of low vision, and multiple people from the group helped us shape it and test it.

BC: When do you think it may hit the market?

RS: The process to productize such a device is estimated at a one to two year period, during which we would focus on further development, manufacturing and preparing the distribution methods.

BC: Are you working on other accessibility projects?

RS: My work is in assistive technology, but not necessarily for people with any sensorial impairment, as I believe certain situations put all people in a position of lesser capacity. It happens every time we learn a new language or learn to use a new tool… So, my work spans the spectrum of assisting people with special needs to people with temporary or voluntary special needs.

To learn more about the FingerReader, visit the MIT Media Lab website and/or view this product Q&A.

Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the “Get to Work” columnist for SFGate.com, a contributing columnist for South Florida Gay News, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Photo: Courtesy of Fluid Interfaces Group, MIT Media Lab

Belo Cipriani: What is your background and why did you establish the Blind Institute of Technology?

Mike Hess: An English proverb states,  “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

I began my journey as a disabled person at the age of 7 in a small, Midwestern town in Ohio. As an April Fools baby, I had an affinity towards acting like the class clown. In fact, I wanted to sit in the back of the class cracking jokes as early as 1^st grade. I quickly moved to the front of the class after I realized I would not be able to see the chalkboard. However, I was still unable to fully participate. After several larger town visits to more sophisticated optometrists, I ended up in a large Cleveland hospital where my mother and I were told that I was losing my sight and would be completely blind by the age of 18. At that age, I had no idea what blind even meant. When I asked my mom, she simply said that I was going to be special. At this point, in many ways, I began to fulfill her prophecy.

My mom was determined to keep me within the public schools and did not want to send me off to a school for blind and deaf children. Disabled children are placed into special learning programs within the public school system. I was no different. This established a clear line in the sand with my classmates, plainly stating, “I’m different.”  However, I maintained my belief that I was special, regardless of the large print books and dark colored paper to aid me in my learning. I learned to make friends quickly because fitting in was not an option. I also refused to allow schoolmates to bullyrag me just because I was blind. Therefore, I stayed the course throughout my thousand-mile journey because either I engaged new people through shenanigans or I played tough.

Junior high school quickly came and we ended up in Colorado and I began using low vision technologies for the first time. My secondary educational life was now a mix of learning life as a total blind person through cane training and Braille classes, and low-vision technologies.

After high school and a couple years of junior college classes, I enrolled at the Community College of Denver (CCD). I studied programming while in college and began a career in Information Technology (IT). I graduated from CCD in 1995 with a certificate in application programming where I also received the Student of the Year award from The Computer Training for People with Disabilities Program (CTPD).

Of course, throughout my college career, challenges continued to present themselves. With the limited technology at that time, I needed to collaborate with others and utilize alternate methods to achieve success. As an example, I paired up with a partner that had carpal tunnel syndrome. I was able to type while she acted as our eyes. So as a blind young person, I had experienced the shunning of one who is different, the thrill of achieving like one who is not and continued to grow in the belief that my journey was meant for greatness.

Immediately after college, I married my wife and adopted my two daughters. Our family then grew again in 2008 with the addition of a little boy. I believe it is important to demonstrate to my children that my disability should not affect my life and that I am just as capable as someone who has sight. My kids experience a dad who attempts all mental, physical or emotional challenges. They have lived my mantra that my vision loss is simply a mere inconvenience and nothing more. They have watched me keep a positive attitude throughout all my trials and tribulations. They have seen me compete at martial arts tournaments, snow and water ski, run half marathons and climb 14,000-foot mountains. My kids have witnessed me working 16-hours days to create business-valued systems and spend hours on a bus each day to keep my employment. Finally, they have been my driving force when it seemed like the world was unfair. My family has been my excuse to thrive, my joy and support throughout all my successes and challenges.

My journey has been thrilling thus far, as I have climbed corporate ladders, martial arts belts and literal mountains. However, my thousand miles is far from over — the next phase of my journey is materializing before my mind’s eye with Blind Institute of Technology (BIT). BIT was founded in February 2013 with the mission of preparing the visually impaired, and the employers who hire them, for success in the workplace. BIT strives to close the gap between the blind and their sighted counterparts by providing relevant business-valued skills. Because of my personal successes, I initially focused BIT’s efforts on education, coaching, and job placement services for the blind.

Belo: How did you acquire the funds for your organization?

Mike: My wife and I went “all in.” With my wife’s support, we used our life’s savings to establish the legal entity with the Secretary of State and the IRS. My goal is to create a legacy for myself and not just a six-figure income in the corporate environment.

Belo: What services do you provide?

Mike: A list of BIT Programs:

Employer Education & Outreach: Educating employers about the untapped pool of talent found in the visually impaired community, and the actionable steps they can take to make blind employees a valuable addition to their own workforce.

Workplace Preparation: Preparing the employer’s workforce and worksite to support successful employment of visually impaired candidates.

Certifications & Training Programs: Developing and increasing the visually impaired’s access to certification programs in project management and technical skills.

Staffing & Placements: Helping Colorado employers recruit, train and maintain a talented workforce through low-cost staffing and placement services.

Belo: How many people have you helped? How did you help them?

Mike: We have secured 7 paid opportunities thus far and spoken with hundreds of executives across the country. We have delivered dozens of workshops and keynotes illustrating the many assets and advantages the visually impaired community brings to an organization. BIT has recently signed a contract with a global organization that will allow us to place hundreds of blind people.

Belo: What are some of the institute’s future plans?

Mike: We will continue to execute on all four programs and focus on opening eyes through BIT.

Belo: How can people get in touch with you?

Mike: In addition to our website, you can find us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the “Get to Work” columnist for SFGate.com, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Logo courtesy of the Blind Institute of Technology

When I decided to become a writer, I figured that my past experience as a recruiter coupled with a big dose of eagerness would make landing my first writing gig not as challenging. Unaware of the obstacles ahead, I retired from an eight year career in staffing and belly flopped into the competitive field of writing.

I’m now a freelance writer and I’m always looking for my next gig. Initially it was frustrating to hear undertones of fear or confusion in the voices of the hiring managers when I revealed my blind side to them over the phone or to get the novelty treatment while interviewing in person, which never lead to job offers. My luck began to change thanks to the help of a television commercial. A few years ago, Samsung was running an advertisement that featured a blind woman and her guide dog as she used her phone on the beach. Everyone mentioned the commercial to me and suggested I contact Samsung for a job; I even got the same phone she had as a gift.

Realizing the impact of demonstrating a blind person using a cell phone had on my circle of friends prompted me to carry my adaptive equipment with me to job interviews. I heard sighs of awe and admiration whenever I showed the people interviewing me my laptop and talking dictionary. I began to hear “When can you start?” instead of “We will be in touch.”

I believe that more employers would hire blind workers if movies, commercials, and print ads showed more blind people doing day to day mundane things. Currently, the media showcases people of all shades of skin and cultures; I look forward to the day more companies use disabled people in their marketing, as we also buy their products.

Who is Belo Cipriani?

Belo Cipriani is the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. You are invited to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Aside from direct support from state and federal agencies, I feel grateful that there are laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that make things accessible to me. With it, I am able to go to school, work, and travel independently with my guide dog Madge. For over a century it’s been said by many prominent figures that you can judge a society by how it treats its more vulnerable members. My experience in America was that I felt supported when I became blind, and it was because of the aid I received that I was able to learn to do everything again independently.

Fireworks are still enjoyable to me because of the intense sound each one amplifies in the sky.  I envision different shades of lights dancing above – sometimes forming flowers, stars, and even animals; each popping burst making me feel deeply patriotic.

***Belo Cipriani is a freelance writer, speaker, and the author of Blind: A Memoir. Learn more at belocipriani.com.

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