What we do
Two horizons of work.
The world most people experience is only one version of reality.
Imagine Two Worlds
In one world, talented people are locked out of opportunity because technology, workplaces, and systems weren't designed with them in mind.
In another world, accessibility is foundational, participation is universal, and human potential is recognized wherever it appears.
Most people think these are two different worlds.
We don't.
They're connected.
One horizon is live today. The other launches in 2027 — and is already open for inquiries and collaborations.
Live today
Core Services
The World We Live In
Today, millions of people face barriers to employment, technology, education, and independence.
We help remove those barriers through digital literacy, adaptive technology, workforce development, accessibility services, and direct support.
Because participation matters.
The Core Services Horizon ensures blind, uniquely-abled, and aging populations are not excluded from participation in the rapidly evolving digital economy. We believe technology should be accessible, welcoming, and empowering for everyone, regardless of age or previous experience. This Horizon provides learners, including seniors transitioning from traditional analog habits, with a journey toward confident digital capability, alongside practical infrastructure, workforce pathways, adaptive technology training, and direct support services that increase independence, employability, economic participation, and quality of life.
Our core services are grounded in 12+ years of expertise training blind and uniquely-abled individuals in adaptive software, hardware, operating systems, digital workflows, and assistive technologies through state rehabilitation systems, workforce programs, and direct support.
Digital Literacy Courses
In-person and virtual digital literacy courses, fully accessible and employing proven pacing and techniques to create proficiency with phones, tablets, and computers across Mac, Android, and Windows.
Workforce Development
Apprenticeship & Residency Program
OWD is committed to delivering measurable, employment-centered outcomes for blind and visually impaired apprentices. This program is designed as a bridge between training and employment—the missing link in blindness workforce development. The Apprenticeship & Residency Program is designed not only to provide paid work experience, but also to ensure that participants transition into long-term vocational stability, increased independence, and meaningful professional identity within their industries.
Employer Readiness & Development
OWD recognizes that sustainable employment requires not only skilled apprentices and residents, but prepared workplaces. Employer Readiness & Development addresses an often-overlooked barrier: the limited experience employers have in successfully incorporating blind and visually impaired professionals. Professional development, training, and coaching for corporations, organizations, and individuals.
Launches 2027 — open for inquiries & collaboration now.
Adaptive Intelligence Horizon
The World We're Building
Tomorrow's technologies, workplaces, schools, museums, and public spaces are being designed right now.
We work with leaders, educators, designers, institutions, and communities to expand perception, develop sensory intelligence, and create systems where more people can thrive.
Because possibility matters too.
The Adaptive Intelligence Horizon serves as the organization’s innovation, research, thought leadership, and systems-design horizon.
This horizon explores how adaptive and multisensory intelligence, adaptive cognition, accessibility expertise, and uniquely-abled lived experiences can help shape the future of technology, education, storytelling, public systems, workforce development, and human-centered design.
- Open World Design Institute, our knowledge commons — adaptive-tech clearinghouse, sensory-inclusive design archive, publications, podcast, media library.
- Adaptive Intelligence Fellowship
A prestigious fellowship and residency initiative positioning blind and uniquely-abled individuals as:
- Accessibility consultants
- UX advisors
- Adaptive technology specialists
- Multisensory designers
- Accessibility auditors
- Creative technologists
- Storytelling innovators
- Sensory systems experts
The Fellowship Program will create visible leadership pathways while building professional expertise in accessibility innovation and human-centered systems design.
- The Threshold — a place where people cross into a new way of perceiving, discover intelligences they didn't know existed, and expand human capability. Public experiences, art exhibits, installations, immersive and multisensory storytelling, and residencies developed with museum and civic partners.