Belo Cipriani says the bond between his black lab and him was love at first touch. Not sight.
"It was love at first touch. Because as soon as I reached for the leash and grabbed his head, I fell in love,” he said. “I am blind. I lost my sight in 2007 because of an assault. I got kicked in the head so many times that my retina is detached. I had numerous surgeries, but they were not able to restore my vision.”
But blindness hasn't stopped Belo Cipriani from helping the world see the invisible. Oleb Media - which spells his name backward - is a consulting firm that helps companies ensure products and services translate well to people who live with disabilities.
Through qualitative and quantitative methods, Oleb ensures that organizations meet digital and structural access codes, as well as making sure that their sales and marketing campaigns translate well to people with various disabilities.
“We focus on digital inclusion and ADA structural assessments. The bulk of our work is around digital inclusion,” he said. “Probably one of the most important tools as a blind person is to get familiar with different screen reader technology. Those websites that aren't made properly or not made with accessibility in mind and don't read well with the screen reader. That is what my consulting company does to make sure that small businesses to make sure their companies are fully inclusive.”
His inclusion efforts extend beyond his company.
To coincide with National Disabilities Awareness Month, a book he published went on sale at the start of the month.
It's called "Firsts: Coming of Age Stories by People with Disabilities." Writers with disabilities recall their first heartbreak, and the first time the unexpected showed up in their life.