Afolabi Oyebiyi, a backend engineer at Cyclone, explains how screen readers and accessibility gaps shape his work, learning, and career in Nigeria.
Afolabi Oyebiyi is a Nigerian software engineer working at Cyclone.
He shared how he learned to code as his sight deteriorated, and how accessibility tools, and missing accessibility, still shape his day-to-day work.
Afolabi Oyebiyi, a backend engineer at Nigerian software consulting firm Cyclone, spoke about learning to code and work in tech while living with deteriorating sight.
Oyebiyi said his relationship with computers changed in 2005, when his sight began to worsen. He had to rebuild how he learned and how he used digital tools.
That rebuilding included time in rehabilitation centres, where he first used screen readers, tools that read what is on a screen out loud. He also learned braille, and tried online learning platforms that offered self-paced courses but often assumed users could see and click through visual interfaces.
He later enrolled at the Lagos branch of the National Institute of Information Technology, NIIT, a global private skills training provider. Oyebiyi said he was the first visually impaired student at that centre, and had to learn inside a system that was also figuring out how to support him.
He said the challenges did not end after entering the workforce. Even as a backend engineer, he still runs into tools, documentation, and workflows that assume everyone can see. Backend engineering means working on the server side of software, the part users do not directly see, like databases and APIs, which are the connections that let apps talk to each other.
Oyebiyi’s story is a reminder that accessibility is not a “nice to have” in African tech teams. It is basic infrastructure for participation.
For founders and product teams, it points to practical gaps, including developer tools that are not compatible with screen readers, learning materials that are not available in accessible formats, and workplace processes that rely on visual cues.
For operators and engineering managers, it also shows where inclusion becomes operational. If onboarding, code reviews, internal dashboards, and incident response tools are not accessible, talented engineers can be blocked by tooling rather than skill.
As more African companies hire remotely and rely on digital-first workflows, accessibility becomes part of hiring, retention, and performance, not just a compliance checkbox.
Primary Source: Techcabal
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