My Blind Spot, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing personal independence and societal inclusion for the blind and visually impaired, is working with Intuit to ensure that QuickBooks for Windows*, the leading small business accounting software, is usable by those with conditions that impede them from reading text on-screen. Albert J. Rizzi, founder of My Blind Spot, stated that
“improving the accessibility of QuickBooks will lead to job opportunities, job retention, and greater financial independence for this historically underserved population.”
The blind and visually impaired number an estimated 300 million worldwide. In the United States, there are approximately 25 million severely visually impaired individuals, of whom 18.7 million are of working age, 18 – 64. Among this group, it is estimated that more than two-thirds are unemployed; 8.5 million are counted as “poor” or “near poor;” and 10.4 million have family income of less than $35,000. This is due in large part to inaccessible work environments and inadequate resources. A key way to foster financial well-being and overcome barriers to employment is to promote and advance screen reader technology, through which users can listen to text.
Mr. Rizzi noted, “Expanding employment and improving accessibility are two major goals of My Blind Spot. To work toward these goals with a product that over 4 million people already rely on is very exciting. My Blind Spot’s team of educators and accessibility experts are thrilled to bring QuickBooks to the blind and visually impaired.”
My Blind Spot has put together an exceptional interdisciplinary team of educators and accessibility experts dedicated to expanding employment options for the print disabled. Since 1997, members of My Blind Spot’s team have supported the accessibility initiatives of thousands of organizations, and have provided virtual access solutions and scripting for leading banking institutions and state agencies. They have worked extensively with private clients to integrate various screen readers with a variety of software programs, soon to include QuickBooks. These individuals, who are highly regarded and nationally known in their fields, are pooling their vast experience to focus on bridging the digital divide that isolates those who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.
To learn more about this initiative or My Blind Spot, contact Albert Rizzi at albert@myblindspot.org or direct general inquiries to info@myblindspot.org.
My Blind Spot is a 501 (c) (3) corporation based in New York City.
*Intuit, Inc.’s QuickBooks for Windows includes QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and QuickBooks Enterprise.