The partnership between the Salesforce Workforce Navigators program and the Center for Independent Living (CIL) is grounded in a shared belief that accessibility innovation must be shaped by — and accountable to — the lived experiences of people with disabilities. For both organizations, inclusion isn’t a program or a project. It’s an ongoing practice rooted in listening, co-creating, and ensuring that technology and employment pathways reflect the realities of the communities they serve.
Together, Salesforce and CIL are working to expand access to tech careers, strengthen disability-inclusive employment practices, and accelerate the development of accessible tools. It’s a partnership built on trust and shared purpose, and one that continues to evolve as both organizations learn from one another.
A Milestone in the Partnership: Disability Mentorship Day
The partnership reached a new milestone during Disability Mentorship Day—an immersive, collaborative event hosted at the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. It brought together CIL participants, Salesforce accessibility specialists, product designers, and engineers for networking, dialogue, and mentorship.
The day started with participants traveling together from the Ed Roberts Campus to Salesforce Tower, moving through a carefully planned step-free route — meaning a path without stairs or level changes that require steps — designed for accessibility and ease. Clear explanations, seating options, and a welcoming environment signaled, from the moment of arrival, that this was a space built with the disability community in mind, reflecting the Office of Accessibility’s commitment to the disability community’s guiding principle: nothing about us without us.
The Salesforce team greeted the group with warmth, curiosity, and respect so that participants would feel welcome. “It was amazing to see participants feel empowered,” said Adelene Miranda, Community Engagement Program Manager for the CIL. “They saw themselves at Salesforce — especially hearing employees share their own disabilities.”
The event offered a deeper, more grounded understanding of what inclusion looks like when community voice, corporate collaboration, and lived experience intersect. “Everything was packaged perfectly,” said Laurence Carew, computer training and technology support coordinator at the CIL. “We felt like an extended part of the Salesforce community.”
Trailhead Career Workshop and Real-World Experiences Shared
The morning began with an accessible introduction to Salesforce and CRM fundamentals, with Salesforce’s free online learning platform Trailhead presented as an intuitive way to build skills, earn credentials, and gain confidence. From there, Kurt Iobst, Customer Accessibility Advisory Lead at Salesforce, shared his lived experience as a neurodivergent professional, and something shifted.
“When Kurt disclosed being neurodiverse, so many lightbulbs went off,” said Camiel Hayes, The CIL’s Vocational Programs Coordinator. “Seeing themselves reflected in the Salesforce staff was groundbreaking. They realized they belong in these spaces.”
Luis Salazar— a certified Salesforce professional administrator in the office of Accessibility with a disability and an apprentice through the Workforce Navigators program and Blind Institute of Technology— shared his journey into the ecosystem — the challenges, the breakthroughs, and the pride he feels in his work. Participants said hearing his story helped reduce fear and increase clarity around what it takes to pursue certification.His talk reinforced the power of representation in shaping career confidence.
The ‘Ohana Floor Experience
Stepping onto the ‘Ohana Floor was unforgettable. Participants took in panoramic views of San Francisco — a moment of awe that quickly became a moment of empowerment. Staff watched as several participants paused to take everything in. It was a reminder that physical environments can powerfully shape confidence and aspiration.
“The Salesforce Tower is amazing — the views, the workspace, the way everyone collaborates,” said CIL participant Miles Soohoo.
“I didn’t know what to expect, since it was my first time inside the tower,” said participant Bryan Reed from CIL. “But it was calm and chill — I could see myself working in a place like Salesforce.”
Salesforce designs its workplaces to be accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for everyone. Through initiatives like the Real Estate Accessibility Awareness Project, Salesforce evaluates and documents accessibility features across global offices — from transportation access and building entry to interior elements like automatic doors, elevators, accessible restrooms, and wheelchair-reserved areas.
Offices also include supportive amenities such as quiet and mindfulness spaces, assisted listening devices, parents’ rooms, and flexible layouts that reduce sensory overload. By transparently sharing this information on office location pages, Salesforce helps employees and visitors plan ahead and experience in-person spaces with greater comfort, independence, and confidence.
Looking Ahead: Continuing the Work Together
This event didn’t just showcase what Salesforce is building as a leader in accessibility — it demonstrated what becomes possible when community advocates and product creators learn from one another, push one another, and commit to a shared vision of inclusion.
The partnership between Salesforce and CIL continues to grow, guided by the belief that accessibility isn’t a feature to be built on — it’s a core part of the foundation. Together, both organizations are shaping a future where technology is not only functional, but empowering for all — informed by the voices and lived experiences of the disability community, in line with the principle nothing about us without us.
Beyond making workplaces more accessible, Salesforce is also expanding access to the agentic skills needed to thrive in modern professional environments, inviting everyone to start learning for free on Trailhead.
