The Freedom Scientific Student of the Month program features K-12 students living in the U.S. who are blind or visually impaired and use Freedom Scientific technology to achieve educational goals. The Student of the Month for May 2023 is Mohamed, a senior from Minnesota.
Mohamed grew up with 20/20 vision, but during his freshman year in high school, began experiencing vision loss. By his junior year when he was diagnosed with a visual impairment, he needed tools to aid him in using the computer and completing classwork.
Already enrolled as a full-time college student though still a senior in high school, Mohamed began using ZoomText to complete assignments and participate in classes. He says ZoomText has changed his outlook on the tools available to help those who are visually impaired. “I was not familiar with a laptop and applications like Excel, Word, or even Teams. I was doing things really slowly and struggling with things like chatting in Teams. ZoomText changed all of that because of its magnification and screen reader.”
Mohamed also works as an intern with Optum, a branch of United Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare providers in the world. There, he tests training tools for accessibility, compiles data, and completes team projects. “They got me ZoomText, and that’s where it all changed. I can complete training, keep up with messages, and just do things faster. It made my productivity go up a lot.”
Mohamed wrestles on his high school’s varsity wrestling team, and in his spare time, enjoys cycling. He also participates in a running club on the college campus where he is enrolled, and plays basketball at his local YMCA.
After graduating, Mohamed plans to attend college and pursue a career in either sales or software engineering. He encourages others to develop self-advocacy skills, which will prove helpful in high school, college, and beyond. “When advocating for yourself, the main things to consider are feasibility and reasonability. If you know what you want, it’s a lot easier to get things done.”
Mohamed recommends ZoomText to others who are visually impaired, and said self-advocacy is the key to success. “If you understand your eye condition, you can explain the ins and outs of it to others. You will know what you can do on your own and what you need help with, and you can still be very successful in life.”
Learn more about Mohamed in this video.
Nominate a Student
Complete our nomination form to self-nominate or nominate a student. Visit the Freedom Scientific Student of the Month page for details.
Winners receive a $300 Amazon gift card and a five-year license for JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion. Their story will be featured by Freedom Scientific on our blog and social media: Twitter, Facebook, Mastodon, and Instagram.
In partnership with Computers for the Blind, each winner can also receive a free, refurbished computer along with a free one-year Home Annual license of JAWS or ZoomText, which is already installed. Learn more about Computers for the Blind and their partnership with Freedom Scientific on their order page.
Have questions? Send an email to training@vispero.com.