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Meet Eli Sanchez. Eli is a certified Assistive Technology Instructor and non-visual tech trainer for the Center for Assistive Technology’s Northwest Division. After earning his Assistive Technology Certificate Program from California State University, North Ridge, Eli founded Free Hand Tech, an assistive technology training business.
A Hands-On Approach
Before embarking on his current career path, Eli’s knack for fixing things led him to become an automobile and boat mechanic and welder. His positive outlook and hard-working attitude have driven his success. At 27, this Sonoma, California native is just beginning his journey, and his future is bright.
Beating the Odds
Eli’s story is one of perseverance. Born prematurely due to fetal distress caused by a tangled nuchal cord, Eli faced immediate health challenges. Shortly after birth, he was diagnosed with glaucoma and partially detached retinas. At age three, he was diagnosed with childhood leukemia. The treatments increased the pressure in his eyes, resulting in further retinal detachment and the rupture of the lens in one eye.
Receiving Support
Despite these challenges, Eli thrived in a mainstream school, supported by a dedicated team of professionals for blind and low-vision students. He credits much of his success to his Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI), orientation and mobility (O&M) instructors, and a team of braille transcribers who ensured he had the resources he needed, often delivering materials on the same morning as his classes. Their dedication and reliability motivated Eli to push forward.
Shifting Plans
After high school, Eli enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College, initially planning to major in marine biology. He excelled in math and science and spent much of his free time fishing, repairing boats, and enjoying wildlife. However, by age 20, Eli realized his true interests lay elsewhere and decided to leave college.
Finding His Path
Finding a job wasn’t easy. Often overlooked, Eli moved from one job to another until he discovered his talent for mechanics—what he calls “fixing things.” Over the next few years, he built his knowledge and experience in mechanics and welding, which opened new doors for him.
From Machines to Assistive Tech
Eli’s interest in technology began with his passion for building and racing diesel trucks. He wanted to learn how to interact with the computer chips controlling modern turbo engines. At the same time, he volunteered to teach computer skills to blind and low-vision older adults at the Earl Baum Center in Santa Rosa. Although he didn’t realize it then, these two interests would eventually converge.
A friend suggested Eli get certified as an assistive technology instructor. Reflecting on this, Eli marvels at how his determination to use assistive technology to enhance his mechanical skills ultimately led him to a career in assistive technology instruction.
A New Career
After earning his certification, Eli was hired by the Earl Baum Center in Santa Rosa, California. His primary role involved training blind and low-vision consumers in technology skills and helping them set realistic employment goals.
Eli notes, “Much of my job for the past few years has been working with individuals between the ages of eighteen to forty-five. Unfortunately, many I’ve come in contact with are well into their thirties and early forties and have yet to have held a job. That’s the most concerning part. There is something inherently wrong here when we have individuals who have gone unemployed for decades. And, maybe we can say, well, they were (not employed) during school. Okay, cool. The majority of Americans are finished with school by their early thirties. And yet many that I work with are in their early forties and have never held a job.”
A Teaching Moment
When asked about the most challenging part of being an instructor, Eli emphasizes, “Being an effective instructor means you not only have to know the equipment but also need to know how to convey the knowledge you possess to the person you are teaching effectively.”
Career Conversations: An Interview
To learn more about Eli’s unique career path from mechanic to assistive technology instructor, watch his CareerConversation here.