Technological innovations are giving millions of disabled workers the opportunity to join the workforce and contribute economically when only a few years ago it was much more difficult, and in some instances impossible, for them to do so. Michael Schuman is a man with a genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which is causing his sight to deteriorate over time until he is very nearly or completely blind. Mr. Schuman’s article in Bloomberg discusses his blindness and how technology has not only rescued him in certain instances, but also given him the opportunity to maintain productivity.

“I could never have foreseen how technological breakthroughs would change my life. When I was diagnosed at age 14, such gadgetry was still confined to Star Trek episodes. My parents were seriously concerned that my deteriorating sight would hamper my ambitions.”

Although there are obstacles as people adjust to how the disabled use these technologies in their daily lives (Michael Schuman discusses some instances of this in his article), it is also clear what life would be like without these technologies for those who now rely on them.