This content is also available in:
Español (Spanish)
Tanner Gers is on a mission to reshape the unemployment landscape for blind and low-vision job seekers in a big way. He takes employment readiness and training for blind and low-vision job seekers seriously.
A noticeably focused professional, Tanner has leveraged his career journey into a comprehensive and robust platform supporting blind and low-vision job seekers through technology and much more.
A former Paralympian, lifelong athlete, and competitor, Tanner’s path of entrepreneurship began after moving on from a series of personal and professional challenges.
Turning Disappointment into Determination
After losing his sight in an automobile accident, Tanner pivoted from a career in landscaping.
“I got really lucky with my first application to a job.” He says. Over the next four years, Tanner built an impressive performance-based sales record with the company. Unsurprisingly, he earned performance pay increases and was tapped twice as Employee of the Month. But life threw Tanner another curve ball, and after four years at the top of his game, he lost his job.
A Turn of Fortune
Tanner was let go from the position in July 2010. He is candid, sharing, “I was at that job for four years. The customer complained… There was no call recording. No matter what I did, I could not find a job to save my life after that.”
Resilience is a sought-after character trait. Many individuals rely on this trait to cope with barriers or extraordinary circumstances beyond their control. Athletes tend to rely on being resilient as well. As a Paralympian, Tanner found another path to success and took off afterward.
He represented the United States for the US National track team, the Pan American team in 2011, the Paralympic team in 2012, and the World Championship team in 2013. It was 2014, and his dedication and self-discipline contributed to another career opportunity.
Tanner entered a transition program matching Paralympians with employment and career prospects. In 2015, he paired up with a technology company based in Tucson, Arizona, where he lived at the time. The company sold digital accessibility job boards.
Sales as a Springboard
Tanner utilized his vast talent and knowledge of sales and networking, rebuilding his connections. Tanner was met with another more interesting path when the sales position ended. Fascinated by the idea of digital accessibility being a career direction, he applied for an accessibility testing position posted on LinkedIn . By now, it is no surprise that he advanced quickly and exited the company as the executive director.
A Bright Future
Tanner experienced the disparities in employment and the many beneficial aspects of his career path as a blind person. Now, he is paying it forward, reshaping the employment landscape for blind and low vision individuals pursuing employment and potential employers.
New Foundations
In 2020, Tanner completed a consultancy project for the American Foundation for the Blind with former president and CEO Kirk Adams. In 2021, Tanner founded AccessAbility Officer, a new digital accessibility consultancy. Partnerships have been implemented since then with Federal and State vocational services and in the private sector. Most recently, Tanner is implementing innovative programs with the Helen Keller National Center and NSITE.
“It was so important for me to hire blind people because of my personal experience. I wanted to give people jobs, but I just couldn’t find the technical talent to do the job. So, I created a training program with my partner, Heather Burns. And we brought that to our friends at Helen Keller National Center in New York. They loved it.”
With the completion of a successful pilot program in 2022 with the New York State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB), Tanner continued expanding and supporting job seekers and the individuals and agencies tasked to assist them with job readiness and procurement.
Tanner Gers is making a difference by developing programs for certified accessibility testers and student placements and creating initiatives for rehabilitation professionals and potential employers to enhance the success of blind and low vision job seekers.
Career Conversation
Watch our interview with Tanner Gers on this episode of Career Conversations here.
Career Conversations: Tanner Gers