Accessible Insights Blog Posts

Since there are several national conference events taking place one right after the other, I’ve been putting together an article series previewing some of the people and products you can expect to see.  In this case, my subject coincides with the other articles I’ve been posting on the topic of entrepreneurship.  Here, an entrepreneur who is blind is the president of a company exhibiting at both the NFB and ACB national events.

Earle Harrison has nearly 25 years of experience as an adaptive technology industry leader. As president and owner of Triumph Technology, LLC.–a small company based in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, he has developed an international reputation for his innovative approach to adapting off-the-shelf mainstream technologies for people with visual impairments. Harrison is also known for his work on the earliest versions of JAWS for Windows–the world’s first screen reader that could be installed independently by a blind person.

In June of 2005, Harrison launched a home based business, which he called Triumph Technology.  The new company quickly became known for bundling Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reading applications with various mainstream PDA’s and cell phones, and for providing top-notch technical support.

Mr. Harrison agreed to answer a few of my questions regarding his thoughts on entrepreneurship.

LL:  Is there a single aspect of Triumph Technology of which you are the most proud?
 
E H:  I am proud of the reputation my company has earned and sustained for over 7 years in providing quality service and support.

LL: What “conventional wisdom” about entrepreneurship are you glad you ignored?
 
E H:  Fortunately for me, most people who knew me when I told them of my plans to start my own company were very supportive. Some people did however think I was crazy for giving up a perfectly good government job for the stress and uncertainty of self employment. I must say however that often it is my own doubts and perceptions that I have needed to learn to ignore.

LL:  Are there any personal traits or characteristics that you believe have held you in good stead as an entrepreneur?
 
E H:  Above all, no matter how difficult things get, and no matter how easy it would be to do otherwise at times, my desire to always act in the best interest of the customer remains well in tact and I’m pretty proud of this ethical standard.

LL:  What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

E H:  It isn’t enough to just understand that being an entrepreneur involves a tremendous amount of risk and hard work, you have got to be absolutely driven to succeed and at the same time be able to summons the energy to pick yourself up out of the mud when you fall flat on your face. I also think it is very important that blind entrepreneurs support one another whenever possible.  Network and surround yourself with people who share the same ideals and thank God every morning when you receive the gift of a new day.

More about Triumph Technology:  Today, Harrison employs others who are blind or have low vision, and maintains a robust international distribution network for the product lines he represents. In addition to its thriving consumer, corporate, government, and institutional sales, Triumph Technology, LLC. offers adaptive technology training and consultation services in both Canada and the United States. The company’s slogan, "It’s All About Adapting," acknowledges the trend in the information technology industry toward universal accessibility, and emphasizes the need for assistive technology companies to evolve accordingly.
 
Go to the Triumph Technology News and Reviews blog for the most up-to-date trade show information at:

www.attriumph.com

Click on the link entitled news and reviews Blog.

If you are planning a visit to the exhibit halls of the upcoming NFB and ACB national conventions, stop by the Triumph Technology booth to see their latest offerings. 
 
NFB:  Booth 27-B

ACB:  Booth 31

LL

In my continuing series on entrepreneurship, and more specifically, entrepreneurs who are blind, I found myself in awe of some of the brilliant individuals who generously, even enthusiastically, agreed to talk with me about their career.  I’ve also been brought up short by those who have refused, choosing instead to question my motives and insult my efforts.

In this second category, responses were the generally understandable, "I have no time for this," or "Who are you?" rejections, but on occasion, I’ve also been treated to the suspicious, "Why should I participate in an interview with you?  What are you getting out of it?"

Well, I’ll answer that.  It’s a legitimate question.  Why do I devote so much of my blog space to promoting the efforts of others?  Probably for the same reason that I’ve spent over ten years speaking to groups about disability awareness in the context of my own vision loss.  Because it gives my own pain meaning.  So it’s not for nothing.  To let people know there are others in the world who work to make the life of a person they will never know a little bit easier.  To show appreciation for an industry fueled by the passions of innovators like my guest for today’s post:  Ted Henter.

If you are blind, you may use his brainchild every day, yet know nothing about the person behind the synthesized voice you know as JAWS.  You will certainly find plenty of other articles written about Mr. Henter, and many industry insiders will acknowledge that there is a certain amount of controversy regarding the operational management, strategic planning and creative vision of what is now Freedom Scientific.  However, my purpose was simply to ask a few questions as to what motivated him as an entrepreneur who is blind.

LL:  What personal attributes or character traits do you feel have held you in good stead as an entrepreneur?
 
TH:  Perseverance.  I’ve had many setbacks in my career, being blinded in a car accident is only one of them.  But, you must keep on keeping on. 
and a bit of faith helps too.

LL:  What “expert” advice are you glad that you ignored?
 
TH:  "There is no money in the blindness business".  This was generally considered a fact when we started Henter-Joyce.  When I tried to hire Glenn Gordon, the CTO for HJ and Freedom Scientific, he asked me if I thought we could make a living developing software for blind people.  I said I did not know, but we were going to try.
 
LL:  For someone facing tough choices due to the economic downturn, and who may be considering starting a business as a “plan B,” do you have any recommendations?
  
TH:  follow your passion.  Do what you like to do, and figure out a way to make it profitable.  This works in good times too.  I was blinded in 1978, bought my first "talking" computer in 1979.  It would just spell what was on the screen.  It was made by Deane Blazie, and it sucked.  So I gave him enough free advice ("why doesn’t it do…?"), that he hired me.  I was passionate about making the access better, and the doors opened up.

Mr. Henter goes on to suggest that sometimes the expert advice is worth following:

TH:  About 1979 I went to talk to the Deane of the Computer Science Department  at University of South Florida, Tampa.  I wanted to get a Masters in Computer Science.  I already had a BSME.  He told me he did not want any blind people in his class, he had one recently, and that person took up too much of his time, needed too much assistance.  I did not know much about advocating for my rights then, so I left, and enrolled at the same university,  but attended a campus in St. Petersburg.  I learned a bit about programming, met a guy, talked a bit, and he hired me.  That was the start of my career, and I could have spent several years working on my Masters, but went the entrepreneur route instead.  And I am glad I did it.

So are we, Mr. Henter.
 

You can read more about Ted Henter, his bio and business profile if you click here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Henter

LL