The Blind Life Podcast – Ep. 38: The Working Blind Series

Guest: Drew Crook, Senior Accessibility Architect at Paramount Global
Release Date: November 16, 2024
Host: Sam Seavey

Episode Overview

This episode continues Sam Seavey's “Working Blind” series by featuring Drew Crook, a visually impaired (VIP) Senior Accessibility Architect at Paramount Global. Drew shares his personal journey with vision loss, his career path into accessibility, his current role making streaming services more inclusive, and candid stories about workplace challenges, disclosure, and accommodations. The conversation offers practical insights for blind and visually impaired listeners curious about tech careers, as well as employers and allies looking to build more inclusive environments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Drew’s Journey with Vision Loss (01:19–04:17)

• Vision Impairment Details:

  • Drew was born with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, an inherited and degenerative retinal dystrophy.
  • His vision has gradually declined to the point where he relies on high contrast for navigation and has only hand movement vision within about two feet.
  • “I don't have an actual visual acuity anymore… it's pretty much mostly gone at this point.” (Drew, 02:33)

• Guide Dog Experience:

  • Explains the difference between "Seeing Eye" dogs and generic guide dogs.
  • Shares that his current (third) dog is a two-year-old male German shepherd, and offers anecdotes about the breed and training.

2. Current Role at Paramount Global (04:54–07:39)

• Job Title & Responsibilities:

  • Senior Accessibility Architect focusing on streaming platforms, primarily Pluto TV.
  • Ensures digital products meet and exceed Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and provide optimal user experience for everyone.
  • Manages accessibility across ~50 platforms (Android, iOS, Roku, LG TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, and Apple Vision Pro).

• Path to Full-Time Employment:

  • Started as a contractor at Paramount in 2022 and converted to full-time after four months.
  • Emphasizes the benefit of starting with a contract role to “get in the door” and showcase skills.

Notable Quote

“I always kind of bet on myself… I said, I will roll the dice and I'll do the contract thing. And then… I got full time now and I have been since September of '22 and going strong.”
— Drew (06:36)

3. Apple Vision Pro Testing (07:39–10:27)

• Hands-On Testing:
  • Drew tested Pluto TV and Paramount+ on the Apple Vision Pro, describing both accessibility challenges and opportunities.
  • Discusses the spatial interface and how multiple app windows and spatial audio simulate being in a real room.
  • Describes “cheating” with residual vision to learn the interface because “you can't touch it. It's all virtual. It's all around you.” (Drew, 08:38)

Notable Moment

“It was really cool because I had, like, notes on the Vision Pro… I was taking for all the bugs that I was finding… It felt like it was in real space, but it wasn't. It was all in the headset. It was wild.”
— Drew (09:31)

4. Career Path, Education, and Training (10:27–15:42)

• Early Work and Challenges:

  • Originally worked in financial services but lost job effectiveness after an inaccessible software change caused JAWS incompatibility.
  • Took a retail job at Apple, which at first felt like a step backward but ended up being a pivotal learning experience that sparked his interest in accessibility.

• Facing Barriers and Upskilling:

  • Enrolled in a 12-week, fully remote software engineering bootcamp in 2020 with General Assembly.
  • Praised General Assembly’s proactive approach to making their coding program accessible.
  • “They want to just put a coalition together to work with me to make sure I could do this and be successful. And that meant a lot…” (Drew, 13:44)

• First Accessibility Roles:

  • Landed his first official accessibility job at CVS Health before moving to Paramount.

5. Disclosure of Vision Impairment and Interview Strategies (15:42–19:11)

• Disclosure Approach:

  • Emphasizes it’s highly personal—some disclose early, others later.
  • In accessibility-focused industries, he discloses early and frames it as a strength.

• Interview Experiences:

  • Used guide dog during interviews at Apple; chose not to pre-disclose to prevent assumptions.
  • Welcomes direct questions about his vision—prefers openness to avoid misunderstandings.

Notable Insight

“I'm the type of person, I welcome the questions. I would rather have somebody ask me than to either make the wrong assumption or be too afraid to ask…”
— Drew (18:01)

• Tip: Turn adversity into a positive in interviews, e.g., answer "strengths" questions with adaptive skills gained through vision loss.

6. Accommodations and Collaborative Solutions (19:48–24:25)

• Tech Needs:

  • Uses VoiceOver on Mac; requested only a larger monitor for spacial awareness and video calls.

• Collaborating with Design Teams:

  • Main barrier: inaccessible Figma prototypes.
  • Solution: Partners with designers for “text-based wireframes” — designers verbally describe layouts, which Drew uses to build mental models and requirements.
  • This collaboration yields better designs for all.

Notable Quote

“Text-based wireframes… I’ll partner with a designer and we’ll have a meeting, typically 15 to 30 minutes, and they’ll walk me through the design and they’ll describe it live… and then I go through and I write all the requirements for the accessibility experience.”
— Drew (21:17)

7. Difficult Workplace Experiences (25:46–30:35)

• Negative Customer Interactions:

  • Story: Apple Store customer refused to work with him due to blindness.
  • Guide dog distraction: Other customers’ uncontrolled pets created problems, mitigated by supportive managers.

• Guide Dog Challenges:

  • Discusses widespread issues with pets in stores and public misunderstanding.

• Past Employment Issues:

  • In high school, grocery store manager assigned nighttime cart collecting despite poor night vision—led to a minor accident with a car.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “I don't have an actual visual acuity anymore... it's pretty much mostly gone at this point.” (Drew, 02:33)
• “I always kind of bet on myself… I got full time now and I have been since September of '22 and going strong.” (Drew, 06:36)
• “It felt like it was in real space, but it wasn't. It was all in the headset. It was wild.” (Drew, 09:31)
• “They want to just put a coalition together to work with me to make sure I could do this and be successful. And that meant a lot…” (Drew, 13:44)
• “I welcome the questions. I would rather have somebody ask me than to either make the wrong assumption or be too afraid to ask…” (Drew, 18:01)
• “Text-based wireframes… I’ll partner with a designer and we’ll have a meeting, typically 15 to 30 minutes, and they’ll walk me through the design and they’ll describe it live… and then I go through and I write all the requirements for the accessibility experience.” (Drew, 21:17)

Segment Timestamps

• [01:19] Drew’s condition, vision details, and guide dog experience
• [04:54] Role at Paramount Global, types of projects, and platforms
• [07:39] Apple Vision Pro accessibility testing stories
• [10:27] Career path, education, and accessibility bootcamp
• [15:42] Strategies for interview disclosure and addressing vision in hiring
• [19:48] Accommodations, inclusive collaboration in design, and Figma accessibility workaround
• [25:46] Negative workplace experiences, customer bias, and guide dog issues
• [30:35] Early job mishap with night vision and grocery carts

Connecting with Drew Crook

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrewecrook (provided by Drew, 31:02)
• Encourages listeners interested in similar career paths to reach out.

Final Thoughts

Drew’s candid stories and thoughtful advice showcase the real-life challenges and triumphs of thriving in tech as a blind professional. The episode delivers practical strategies for navigating disclosure, seeking accommodations, and turning lived experience into a professional asset. Above all, it reinforces that people with vision loss belong at every table—especially in designing a more accessible digital future.