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BIT Academy Announces Summer 2023 Salesforce Administrator Prep Course

BIT Academy will be holding its second Salesforce Administrator Prep Course of 2023 beginning mid-July. If you desire to begin a new career in IT, this course is for you! It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to break into the vast ecosystem that a Salesforce Admin certification has to offer. Applications will be sent to BIT candidates in mid-May with a submittal deadline of June 16. Only BIT candidates will receive an application to the course; if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a BIT candidate, please fill out our intake form.

About This Course

The Salesforce Administrator Prep Course offered through BIT Academy is fully remote and designed to give students the tools and knowledge necessary to sit for the Salesforce Administrator certification exam. The goal of this course is for everyone to become a Salesforce Administrator, which is the first step into the vast world of Salesforce. BIT Academy offers this prep course twice per year, and spots fill up quickly. The course is primarily run as an independent study, with group learning sessions led by Certified Salesforce Admins, who possess real-world, on-the-job experience Most reading and hands-on exercises are done on students’ own schedules on their own time, however class times are used for introducing new concepts and reviewing those studied during the week.

We look forward to working with you in the Academy!

User Guide for Digital Advocacy

Introduction

The language we use to talk about accessibility is very different from the language most developers and designers use when designing websites, building websites, or building applications. This language barrier is closely related to why accessibility is often missing from most development lifecycles. 

This document is designed to help translate accessibility barriers and challenges into language that developers and designers can understand. If we can present accessibility issues in ways that can be understood, that means the appropriate actions can be taken to resolve and eliminate them. 

We will start by breaking down some of the technology including the Document Object Model and the Accessibility Tree. Then we will dive into the assistive technology side of things and how we can explore the back end (code) behind the website or app. We will wrap things up by going over some of the most common accessibility issues, how to report accessibility issues using common language, and where our feedback should be sent to ensure it reaches the right person. 

Following this guide will help drive the change towards a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive online experience for everyone, regardless of the technology, user settings, or assistive technology in use. 

Announcing our 2024 Digital Accessibility Analyst Course.

We are excited to announce the first Digital Accessibility Analyst course of 2024 will begin the week of February 15. Applications will be sent to BIT Career-Seekers only on January 19 with a deadline of January 26.

All your questions about the course can be answered at one of our open houses. They will be held:

*times are in US Mountain time:

January 10, 3:00-4:00PM, MDT

Google Meet joining info

Video call link:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/qbq-djpa-fyb

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 929-287-3337‬ PIN: ‪868 378 064‬#

View the slide deck from the open house.

Watch the playback from our January 10, 2024 open house

Read the transcript from our January 10, 2024 open house

January 17, 09:00 – 10:00am

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/xut-svfk-kad

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 781-667-0102‬ PIN: ‪127 721 207‬#

If you have additional questions, please direct them to Academy@BlindIT.org

Watch the playback from our January 17, 2024 open house

Read the transcript from our January 17, 2024 open house

Announcing our 2024 Salesforce Administrator Certification Prep Course.

We are excited to announce the first Salesforce Admin course of 2024 will begin the week of January 16. Applications will be sent to BIT Career-Seekers only on December 15 with a deadline of December 22. Prerequisites are required for this course. Additional Information and course prerequisites can be found here

All your questions about the course can be answered at one of our open houses. They will be held:

*times are in US Mountain time:

December 6, 3:00-4:00PM, MDT

Google Meet joining info

Video call link:

https://meet.google.com/qoz-dyfb-gtk

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 815-916-5960 PIN: ‪876 590 708#

Watch the playback from our December 6, 2023 Open House

Read the transcript from our December 6, 2023 Open House

December 13 10:15 – 11:15am

Google Meet joining info

Video call link:

https://meet.google.com/wbc-eesw-pnj

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 786-619-1536 PIN: ‪183 689 523#

If you have additional questions, please direct them to Academy@BlindIT.org

Get Ready for Colorado Gives Day 2023

The Colorado Gives Day logo showing a C shaped like an arm with an outstretched hand, reaching into an O the shape of the sun. Text below the logo reads Colorado Gives Day presented by 1st Bank. The logo uses a color scheme of teal blue, purple, yellow, and orange.

As we approach the season of giving, there’s no better way to kickstart the festivities than by participating in Colorado Gives Day 2023. This annual event has become a beacon for countless organizations, uniting communities to make a positive impact.

Colorado Gives Day is a force for change empowering individuals, families, and businesses to come together in support of the incredible nonprofits that tirelessly serve our communities. Through this event, every dollar donated goes even further. Generous sponsors provide a boost to each contribution, amplifying the impact of your donation. This means your support has a ripple effect, touching more lives and creating a broader positive influence.

You can find our page here. Even if you’re unable to donate, spreading the word helps make just as much of an impact. Join us for early giving starting November 1, which ends with Colorado Gives Day on December 5. Together, we can light up Colorado with compassion, kindness, and a shared commitment to a better future.

Addressing Employment Barriers for People Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired

Mike Hess and Tetiana Anderson on ComCast Newsmakers

People who are blind or visually impaired face barriers to employment, including challenges with transportation and lack of accessibility in the workplace. Mike Hess, Founder and Executive Director of the Blind Institute of Technology, joins host Tetiana Anderson to discuss a workforce development solution for people who are blind or visually impaired.

‘True Equity’: Why a Trailblazer Left His Six-Figure Job to Start a Nonprofit

Mike Hess Receiving the Golden Hoody at Dreamforce 2023

Quick Take

  • Legally blind since childhood, Trailblazer and Golden Hoodie winner Mike Hess leveraged his successful career and experience to found the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT).
  • BIT, a global nonprofit staffing and recruiting agency exclusively dedicated to professionals with disabilities, joined forces with Salesforce’s Workforce Navigators program to make careers in tech more accessible. 
  • Together, BIT and Salesforce are working to close the employment gap for people with disabilities. 

Mike Hess was born blind and faced many challenges growing up. He struggled with the stigma of being blind and the lack of accessible resources. Despite these challenges, he built a successful career in the tech sector.

However, Hess always felt like the “token blind guy” and wanted to do more to help others with disabilities. In 2013, he founded the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) to reduce the unemployment rate for the blind and visually impaired community.

BIT provides accessible technology training and partners with companies like Salesforce to create more employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

In conclusion, Mike Hess is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. He is using his own experiences to help others overcome the challenges they face and achieve their full potential.

Dining in the Dark – Philadelphia, October 14, 2023

Salesforce

Salesforce Proudly Presents a Gala Fundraiser for the

Blind Institute of Technology logo

Saturday, October 14, 2023, 5:30PM – 10PM

Salesforce proudly presents the Blind Institute of Technology’s Dining In The Dark Fundraising Gala at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. BIT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing workplace development and inclusive employment solutions for individuals with disabilities. BIT helps ready individuals with disabilities for success in the workplace as well as aids the employers who hire them! 

Blind Institute of Technology is excited to bring its Dining In The Dark Annual Fundraiser to Philadelphia to help significantly reduce the severe unemployment and underemployment rates of people with disabilities on both a local and national level. Please join us at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco to learn more about The Greatest Equalizer and for a night of fun!

Why partner? Join other corporate partners and sponsors to make a positive impact on current and future young professionals that have a visual impairment or other disability by assisting them in gaining the skills they need for meaningful work with a living wage.

The Facts

  • Current unemployment rate of people with disabilities is 81%.
  • 21.5 million American adults, age 18 and older are blind or visually impaired.
  • Annually the government spends over $4 billion of taxpayer money to support unemployed visually impaired Americans.
  • Nearly one in five visually impaired Americans live at or below the poverty level and only 19% are currently employed.
  • Among all demographics, unemployment and underemployment rates are among the highest for people with disabilities especially when considering qualifications.
  • 78% of disabled people abandon online job applications when it comes to the part that asks if you have a disability.

What We Do and Why

The facts speak for themselves and this is why we do what we do every day. Our team recruits candidates with disabilities from universities, vocational rehabilitation centers, disability-focused forums and events, and social media. Our career development services include interactive workshops, resume writing, interview training, and specific skill training. Our BIT Academy focuses on official certifications for careers at companies such as Salesforce, Cisco, Amazon, and companies within their ecosystems. At a minimum, we guarantee each candidate who completes a course from the BIT Academy a paid internship with the ultimate goal of placement in a full-time employment role. Candidates we place earn a median salary of $72,000.00 per year which is 40% higher than the U.S. average household income of $50,740 per year.  At the same time, we work closely with our corporate partners to increase awareness and education on the value of hiring individuals with disabilities.    

How You Can Help

BIT’s services are 100% complimentary to all of our candidates. Even after we place our candidates in meaningful careers we continue to mentor and provide career guidance to them. Upon successful completion of the BIT Academy courses, we work closely with the candidate and our corporate partners to identify the perfect fit for mutual success on both the candidate and corporate sides. On average we invest about $5,400 in each candidate that completes our BIT Academy courses. For 2022, our goal is to have at least 100 candidates complete the BIT Academy’s skill-up courses to then place them on a life-changing meaningful career path.

All the money raised at the Dining In The Dark Gala will go directly to maximizing the number of candidates that participate in the BIT Academy and Apprenticeship Program. Please help us achieve our goal by joining us at the Dining in the Dark Gala as a partner in our mission. There will be a seated dinner, live auction, and entertainment.

Blind Institute of Technology is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. TAX ID 46-2557719

We must receive your sponsor commitment, logo, and payment no later than 9/21/23 for inclusion in Gala program.

Please contact Natalie to secure your sponsorship, make payments and give guest information. She can be reached at natalie@blindit.org or 303-995-1006

BIT Academy Announces Digital Accessibility Analyst Prep Course Open House Dates

BIT will be holding virtual open house sessions for our upcoming Digital Accessibility Analyst prep course. All times listed are in US Mountain Time.

Wednesday, July 19, 3:00 pm MST

Wednesday, July 26, 3:00 pm MST

For more information and to find the call-in link, check out our Academy Open House page. An orientation for the summer cohort of this course will take place on August 14, with the course itself having a start date of August 21.

BIT Academy Announces Digital Accessibility Analyst Course Summer Cohort

Digital accessibility is a field that is quickly growing. Organizations worldwide are working to increase their reach, and this work is with the end goal of becoming more inclusive of all populations, especially those with disabilities. Digital accessibility is a field dedicated to ensuring websites, digital media, software, and more are accessible, according to standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C. These standards are referred to as WCAG, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. In 2021 alone, the amount of job postings on LinkedIn that mention accessibility, grew 78% over the previous year. BIT Academy is announcing a summer cohort for our Digital Accessibility Analyst course, which will begin in August of 2023. There will be an orientation on August 14, and the course itself will start August 21. Spaces are limited, so don’t wait to apply once the interest form is live!

The instructor will work with each student throughout the program, providing feedback, answering questions, providing guidance, and ensuring everyone is best equipped for success. But what makes a BIT Academy course different from studying independently?

  • This course is fully remote, with sessions held via Google Meet
  • Like all of our candidate services, the Digital Accessibility Analyst course is offered at no cost to students
  • This course is taught by an instructor who possesses real-world experience and multiple certifications in the digital accessibility field, and the course is designed specifically by and for people with disabilities
  • We focus on inclusion; true accessibility isn’t just accommodation of needs, but includes students in a way that they feel comfortable in their own learning environment
    •   If an accommodation is needed, it’s likely available or can be made so with advanced notice
  • We go beyond the materials available through other training courses, and students will experience the following:
    • Perform a complete audit of a real website
    • Example resources for creating accessible documents in multiple formats, and a library of resources gathered from across the internet will be provided
    • Gain a solid understanding of accessibility laws and regulations
    • Gain experience with automated accessibility tools, and using assistive technologies
    • Learn strategies for effectively communicating accessibility issues, and methodologies and action plans to remove accessibility barriers

Candidates who are best suited for this course will possess the following attributes:

  • Beginner or above knowledge of Assistive Technology, including at least one screen reader on Windows or Mac; at least one mobile screen reader (Android or IOS); system or browser-level magnification
  • Basic understanding of how websites and documents work (past use of website builders or HTML, CSS, JAVA, and similar are helpful)
  • Familiarity with common tools such as Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Adobe Reader, and mainstream web browsers
  • Advanced problem-solving skills
  • Ingenuity, creativity, and driven to learn and explore new ideas
  • Good verbal and written communication skills
  • Collaborative mindset and the ability to work well on a team

At the end of this course, each participant should be more than ready to take and successfully pass the International Association of Accessibility Professionals CPACC and WAS certification exams. 

This course is the first of its kind. During the student selection process, an assessment to determine familiarity with disability etiquette, website and document knowledge, Assistive Technology knowledge, and other technology skills necessary for this course will be provided, and a brief interview to discuss students’ background, interest, and goals in the program will be scheduled.Please email us for questions about this course or for general Academy info.

BIT Academy Announces Third Quarter 2023 Professional Development Workshops

Stack of books in primary colors with an apple on top. A chalkboard behind has the words "Professional Development"

We offer two professional development workshops to all of our candidates: Tell Me About Yourself and Let’s Get in Touch. Both workshops are two-parters and designed to help our candidates level up their game when it comes to professional communication and making them stand out from the competition. All BIT Academy students are required to attend each of the two workshops, and we encourage all of our BIT candidates to attend regardless of their level of experience. All times listed are in US Mountain Time.

The dates for the 3rd quarter workshops are as follows:

Tell Me About Yourself focuses on resume crafting, and how to grab the attention of a hiring manager as quick as the blink of an eye. This workshop focuses on resume building and interview responses that will answer this all-important question, setting candidates on the path to a successful job search. This is not a typical resume and interviewing skills seminar, but rather we use methodology crafted from direct feedback from hiring managers, recruiters, and employment specialists. This course is required for those enrolled in BIT Academy. The first segment in this workshop focuses on the purpose of the question “Tell me about yourself” in resumes and interviews. The second segment will dive deeper into the interview, identify additional stress questions, discuss disability disclosure, and provide tips for interview preparations. This is a can’t miss workshop for professionals with disabilities who want to stand out in the stack of resumes.

Thursday, July 13 and 20, 9:00-10:30 AM, MDT

Wednesday, August 2 and 9, 9:00-10:30AM, MDT

Thursday, August 17 and 24, 9:00-10:30AM, MDT

Wednesday, September 6 and 13, 9:00-10:30AM, MDT

Thursday, September 21 and 28, 9:00-10:30AM, MDT

Let’s Get in Touch focuses on how to effectively communicate in professional spaces, with a concentration on email etiquette and familiarity with the accessibility of common remote meeting platforms. This workshop is led by an instructor with a background in professional communication and is required for those enrolled in BIT Academy. Part one of this session will focus on email etiquette while part two will focus on common meeting platforms used by corporate and other organizations. Accessibility handouts will be provided.

Wednesday, July 12 & 19, 12:00-1:30PM, MDT

Thursday, August 3 & 10, 12:00-1:30PM, MDT

Wednesday, August 16 & 23, 12:00-1:30PM, MDT

Thursday, September 7 & 14, 12:00-1:30PM, MDT

Wednesday, September 20 & 27, 12:00-1:30PM, MDT