Tuliva and The Blind Institute of Technology Join Forces to Provide IT Training, Certification, and Careers for the Blind and Visually Impaired

DENVER, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Antonio Rozier has been blind since birth. Today, he's an IT consultant for Aetna, Denver Health, and others. Through a new partnership between Denver IT solutions company Tuliva and the Blind Institute of Technology, Antonio Rozier will no longer be an exception.

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Nearly 7 million Americans age 16 and older have a visual disability. Among those of working age (21 to 64), the unemployment rate is greater than 60% and nearly one-third are living below the poverty line. Meanwhile, companies around the country are struggling to fill IT positions.

To help combat these employment, wage, and skill gaps, Denver IT company Tuliva is partnering with the Blind Institute of Technology to develop information technology training programs and career placement opportunities that will enable the blind and visually impaired to integrate successfully into U.S. workplaces. Blind Institute of Technology research has found that 80% of unemployed or underemployed members of this community already have some technical skills, and adaptive technologies are available to help all blind and visually impaired individuals be successful at work.

Through this partnership, Tuliva and the Blind Institute of Technology are:

• Creating collaborative training programs to prepare people, who are blind and visually impaired, to earn information technology and project management professional certifications;
• Working with state programs and granting organizations to provide individuals funds for additional training.
• Providing sighted professionals the experience of working beside IT experts, who are blind or visually impaired, to demonstrate how together they can succeed;
• Engaging with companies to recruit the blind and visually impaired for careers;
• Building a screen reader to assist blind and visually-impaired individuals in achieving maximum efficiency and success in IT and other technology careers; and
• Developing custom training methodologies for trainers and HR professionals to teach people who are blind and visually impaired how to succeed in the workplace.

"We are thrilled about this partnership," said Zachariah Jacobsen, Tuliva's Chief Operating Officer and Director of Tuliva Academy. "The IT field has a huge need for qualified professionals, and the Blind Institute of Technology has an untapped pool of ready and capable candidates. We believe that successfully integrating the blind and visually impaired into the business world starts in the classroom with high-quality training. Through this partnership, we will help bridge the employment gap by equipping blind and visually impaired individuals with the knowledge and skills employers need most, and then helping these individuals find rewarding positions in IT."

"BIT is passionate about helping people like Antonio Rozier achieve their career aspirations," commented Mike Hess, the blind founder and executive director of BIT. "We're fortunate to have access to a variety of cost-effective, adaptive technologies created byApple, Google and other companies that assist people who are blind or visually impaired to use computers, smartphones and additional technologies needed to manage and improve IT networks and meet other technology challenges." 

"I believe that blind people pay more attention to their surroundings, and are more detail oriented than sighted people," Rozier said. "I can't thank BIT and Tuliva enough for taking a leadership role to help solve what I believe is a national visual diversity crisis in the U.S."

About Tuliva

Tuliva was founded in 2010 in Denver, Colorado, and is backed by more than 20 years of experience in IT and project management. Tuliva provides a full range of integrated IT solutions including cloud computing, managed services, access to on-demand talent, training and certification, and recruitment and placement, all within one company. Its industry-leading training programs encompass hundreds of technologies and methodologies from today's top vendors. Visit www.tuliva.com and connect with us onFacebook,@TulivaInc andLinkedIn.

About the Blind Institute of Technology

Founded in 2013, the Blind Institute of Technology is a non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce the unemployment rate among the blind and visually impaired through training and placement in the IT industry. The organization provides education, mentoring programs, and career placement services for people with vision impairments. Its corporate programs teach employees how to improve listening skills and achieve more effective communication in the workplace. Support us at http://blindinstituteoftechnology.org/new-donate/ and connect with BIT on Facebook, @BlindInstituteT andLinkedIn.

Media Contact: Jonathan Parnell, Tuliva, Inc., 800-303-1845, [email protected]

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SOURCE Tuliva, Inc.