Author: Lucia Rios

In 2020, Ertay Shashko was searching for a way back into technology.

He had earned a degree in computer science and engineering and worked as a mobile application developer before losing significant vision in his mid-twenties because of retinitis pigmentosa. With few local support services for adults in North Macedonia, Ertay taught himself to use a screen reader. When he was ready to return to work, employers often saw his disability before his experience.

Then a Reddit post changed his career. Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) was offering a remote, accessible Salesforce administrator course. Ertay completed the training, earned his certification, joined BIT as an intern, and was later hired.

Today, he is a Senior Salesforce Project Lead at BIT. He leads a delivery team that has completed more than 30 projects, architects solutions, manages client relationships, and mentors apprentices.

“Our goal with this film was to show that we can actually do the job,” Ertay said. “All we need is an opportunity to show what we can do.”

His experience anchors a new film produced for Blind Institute of Technology by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. It tells a larger story: talented professionals with disabilities can thrive in technology when barriers to training, certification, and employment are removed.

Experience the film

Salesforce Workforce Navigators and BIT bring complementary strengths to a shared goal: helping people with disabilities build careers in the Salesforce ecosystem. BIT contributes accessible training, expertise serving the disability community, and a registered apprenticeship model tied to workplace experience. Salesforce contributes an accessible enterprise platform, recognized credentials, mentors, and connections across its ecosystem.

Together, they connect scholarship support, certification preparation, professional development, and mentorship with paid apprenticeships and employment opportunities. Accessible instruction supports independent learning, certifications validate knowledge against recognized standards, and mentors help participants build professional networks. The pathway creates access without lowering the bar. It gives participants an equitable opportunity to meet it.

BIT apprentices work 20 hours per week on real projects and receive feedback from experienced project leads. According to BIT founder and Executive Director Mike Hess, Salesforce has already hired apprentices from the program into full-time roles. The organizations have also supported 200 Salesforce certifications across 13 countries and four continents.

“It’s one thing for them just to be supportive,” Hess said. “They’re committing full-time employment spots for these individuals. That’s amazing.”

Hess, a Salesforce Golden Hoodie recipient, has been blind since birth and spent roughly two decades in technology before founding BIT to create a wider path for other professionals with disabilities. As he put it, “People with disabilities are just omitted from talent conversations. Tech is the greatest equalizer.”

That emphasis on capability and measurable results shaped the story Hess and BIT wanted BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions to tell through the film.

For Shashko, accessibility determines whether he can build, collaborate, and lead independently. Using a keyboard and screen reader, he can work with Salesforce’s back-end tools, including Flow Builder. When a different automation platform required mouse-based drag-and-drop interactions, he had to partner with a sighted colleague, adding resources to the project.

By showing Shashko at work, the film makes the value of accessible technology visible—not as theory, but as everyday professional capability. “People with disabilities are natural problem-solvers,” he said. “We need to be organized. We need to be adaptive.” Those are valuable professional skills.

Accessibility is also an ongoing commitment. Shashko points to artificial intelligence as one example: AI tools can translate visual diagrams and charts into text, giving blind professionals more independent access to information.

The same practices that enable Shashko to do his best work can help organizations broaden their talent pipelines and improve their products. Accessible recruiting, compatible workplace technology, mentorship, and opportunities to advance and lead bring more skilled professionals into the workforce. Different perspectives can strengthen problem-solving, reveal product barriers, and improve customer and partner experiences. Accessible design often makes products and workplaces better for everyone.

The Salesforce and BIT collaboration offers a practical model for action: begin with accessible technology, pair it with rigorous training and recognized credentials, add mentorship and paid experience, and connect participants to meaningful roles.

Shashko’s experience reflects a broader reality: skilled professionals with disabilities are ready to contribute. By bringing that reality to a global audience, the film invites more organizations to recognize the talent already within reach. Talent is abundant. However, opportunity and access are not always distributed equally. Building more accessible pathways will allow more professionals to contribute, advance, and lead.

What if the future of AI is shaped not just by technology, but by the people who build it?

Disability Pride Month is a time to celebrate the creativity, resilience, and innovation that people with disabilities bring to our workplaces and communities. It also serves as a reminder that the future of technology should be shaped by the unique perspectives and lived experiences that reflect the world it serves.

That future is already taking shape. Through Salesforce Workforce Navigators, learners have participated in five years of mentorship, formed 143 mentorship matches, earned 511 Salesforce certifications, and contributed 893 Volunteer Time Off (VTO) hours back to their communities (as of February 2026). These milestones reflect more than program growth—they represent people building skills, supporting one another, and expanding opportunities for others.

As artificial intelligence transforms the way we learn, work, and solve problems, people with disabilities have an important role to play—not only as users of AI, but as the innovators, leaders, and creators helping define what’s next.

At Salesforce, we’re committed to expanding access to the skills and opportunities that make that possible. Through Salesforce Workforce Navigators, learners can build AI and digital skills, explore emerging technologies like Agentforce, and gain the confidence to participate in an AI-powered future.

AI is quickly becoming part of everyday work, making AI fluency an essential skill across industries—not just for developers or technical specialists. Understanding how to use AI responsibly, evaluate its output, and combine it with uniquely human strengths like creativity and critical thinking will become increasingly valuable.

Salesforce Workforce Navigators helps learners build these capabilities through accessible, flexible learning experiences focused on Salesforce, Agentforce, and other emerging technologies. Whether someone is beginning a new career, exploring AI for the first time, or expanding their existing knowledge, the program provides practical opportunities to develop in-demand skills at their own pace.

Creating opportunities begins with creating access.

Workforce Navigators is designed to remove barriers that can prevent people from developing new skills. Through self-paced learning powered by Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform, participants can learn through bite-sized modules, hands-on challenges, and flexible experiences that fit different learning styles, schedules, and goals.

Combined with accommodations, support services, and an inclusive approach to education, these learning experiences help more people build confidence, strengthen their technical skills, and prepare for a rapidly changing workplace.

Technology is at its best when it’s built by people with different lived experiences.

People with disabilities bring valuable perspectives that can influence how AI systems are designed, tested, and improved—helping create technology that is more accessible, intuitive, and useful for everyone. As organizations increasingly adopt AI, ensuring that people with disabilities have opportunities to contribute isn’t simply about representation; it’s about building better products and driving better innovation.

Beyond technical training, Workforce Navigators connects learners with mentors, peers, and industry professionals who encourage collaboration, share experiences, and support one another throughout their learning journeys. Together, these connections help cultivate a growing community of AI-ready talent with diverse perspectives and experiences.

Creating a more inclusive AI-powered future requires collaboration across employers, educators, nonprofits, and technology leaders.

Through partnerships with organizations across the workforce development ecosystem, Salesforce Workforce Navigators helps expand access to AI education and digital skills while creating more opportunities for learners to grow alongside emerging technologies. By investing in accessible learning and inclusive talent development today, we can help ensure tomorrow’s workforce reflects the communities it serves.

Disability Pride Month is ultimately about recognizing that disability is a source of innovation, creativity, and leadership.

As AI continues to reshape the future of work, it’s essential that people with disabilities are empowered to participate and help lead that transformation. By expanding access to AI education, accessible learning experiences, and supportive communities, Salesforce Workforce Navigators is helping create a future where more people can contribute their talents, perspectives, and ideas.

If you’re ready to take the next step, explore Salesforce Workforce Navigators to discover accessible learning opportunities, build in-demand AI and Salesforce skills, and prepare for the future of work.

Liz Choi was searching for a pathway into the Salesforce ecosystem when she joined Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) in 2022.

Instead, she found something much bigger: Accessible training designed to support learners with disabilities through inclusive materials. Assistive technologies. Flexible learning experiences. And a hands-on mentorship from Salesforce professionals that connected her to a community invested in helping her succeed.

“It was great to have the opportunity to connect with people who actually worked at Salesforce and really take advantage of everything they offer through Workforce Navigators,” Choi said.

After completing BIT’s Salesforce Administrator course and earning her certification, Liz entered BIT’s apprenticeship, where she spent more than three years building real-world experience. Along the way, she participated in two versions of the Salesforce Workforce Navigators mentorship program, worked directly with Salesforce professionals, strengthened her interview skills, and expanded her professional network.

Today, Liz holds certifications including Salesforce Administrator, Salesforce Business Analyst, and Agentforce Specialist – and continues pursuing opportunities within the Salesforce ecosystem.

Her story reflects the larger mission behind the partnership between Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) and Salesforce Workforce Navigators: Creating accessible pathways into meaningful technology careers for professionals with disabilities.

Building Accessible Career Pathways Together

Workforce Navigators, a program within Salesforce’s Office of Accessibility, helps expand those opportunities through certification vouchers, accessibility accommodations, mentorship, networking, and career-readiness support.

Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) prepares learners for careers in technology by providing Salesforce training, professional development, and paid apprenticeship opportunities. Students complete a structured learning journey that includes self-paced coursework, intensive live training cohorts, hands-on projects, mentorship, and real-world simulations designed to mirror actual Salesforce environments.

BIT currently offers training for certifications including:

• Salesforce Administrator
• Salesforce Foundations
• Agentforce Specialist
• Platform App Builder
• Salesforce Business Analyst

“We don’t just teach to pass the test,” said BIT Academy Director Elliott Natale. “We teach students how to do the job.”

The partnership between BIT and Workforce Navigators is focused on helping professionals with disabilities move from training to employment through accessible education, mentorship, certifications, and real-world experience. Together, the organizations help remove barriers that can make entering the tech workforce difficult, while creating more inclusive pathways into Salesforce careers.

Throughout conversations with BIT staff, apprentices, and mentors, one message came through clearly.

“For our community, it’s not a lack of ability — it’s a lack of opportunity,” said Kristy Schenderlein, Vice President of Operations at BIT.

Transportation challenges, inaccessible training environments, hiring bias, and limited professional networks can all make it harder for professionals with disabilities to break into tech careers — even when employers are looking for their skills. 

BIT and Workforce Navigators are working to close those gaps.

Through the mentorship program, apprentices are paired with Salesforce professionals who provide support around resume building, interview preparation, networking, and career exploration within the Salesforce ecosystem.

For Liz Choi, the experience was transformative.

“The mentorship program made me feel confident enough to start putting job applications out there,” she said.

The partnership also helps remove financial barriers through certification vouchers provided by Workforce Navigators.

“The financial support really makes this possible,” Elliott explained.

Beyond certifications, BIT’s paid apprenticeship program helps address another major challenge in tech hiring: the experience gap. Apprentices spend one to two years gaining hands-on experience working on Salesforce administration, accessibility, and consulting projects while building communication, leadership, and workplace readiness skills.

Taylor Sone, BIT’s Apprenticeship Program Manager, said one of the biggest benefits of the mentorship experience is the outside perspective apprentices receive from Salesforce professionals.

“Those who have gone through the career hunting process themselves and landed something within the Salesforce ecosystem are able to provide that direct, recent experience,” Taylor explained.

The competency-based apprenticeship program gives participants practical experience in Salesforce implementations, user training, accessible design, documentation, and consulting work. This helps apprentices build both technical confidence and professional experience before entering the workforce full time. 

Just as important, BIT is focused on making sure people with disabilities (PwD) are an integral part of decisions for AI fluency – such as the launch of AI programs to company-wide implementation efforts. By leveling the playing field for all employees, inclusive communications brings awareness to issues affecting PwD. It is an important reminder that accessibility is an intentional collective effort and can set the standard for an inclusive workplace. 

One theme surfaced repeatedly throughout the interviews: Salesforce’s commitment to accessibility feels deeply embedded into both its products and its culture.

“Accessibility isn’t just an initiative at Salesforce — it’s the way Salesforce operates,” Schenderlein explained.

That commitment shows up through accessible product design, mentorship opportunities, dedicated accessibility teams, and the work of the Office of Accessibility. For BIT leaders and apprentices alike, it creates confidence that accessibility is a long-term value within the Salesforce ecosystem.

“It’s not just, ‘Here’s what’s new,’” Schenderlein said. “It’s, ‘Here’s what’s new, and we’re bringing everyone with us.’”

BIT is helping apprentices build the skills and confidence they need to navigate these changes within the workplace in the agentic era. That culture of inclusion is helping drive the next phase of the partnership between BIT and Workforce Navigators, including expanded mentorship opportunities, additional certifications, trainings with tools like Agentforce and more pathways into employment for professionals with disabilities.

Combined with BIT’s mentorship and hands-on experience with Agentforce can help apprentices feel more prepared for what’s next. Ultimately, the partnership is about expanding access to opportunity and creating pathways where professionals with disabilities can fully participate, contribute, and thrive.

At the center of the work is a shared belief that accessibility and inclusion make organizations stronger — and that people with disabilities represent an enormous pool of untapped talent. Together, BIT and Workforce Navigators are helping prove that when accessibility is built into education, mentorship, and hiring from the start, it creates stronger opportunities not just for individuals, but for the entire tech industry.

When Travis McNair started planning a career change away from retail, he initially wanted to study medicine. But everything shifted after a series of life-changing events, including his father becoming seriously ill and passing away, and him and his fiancée welcoming their new son. Afterward, Travis needed a path that offered stability, flexibility, and a future he could build for his family.

He discovered Salesforce while exploring new career options and began teaching himself through Trailhead, the Salesforce free learning platform. However, self-paced learning proved tough to sustain — especially as someone with Attention Deficit Disorder, balancing work, caregiving, and parenting.

One day, a LinkedIn post caught his eye: a scholarship for the Get Force Certified Salesforce Administrator Academy, founded by former Salesforce Solution Engineer Dave Massey. The post mentioned mentorship, structure, and community — exactly what Travis had been missing. He applied, was accepted, and within months, his career and confidence were transformed.

Travis is part of a growing movement shaped by Workforce Navigators — an initiative that helps professionals with disabilities gain in-demand Salesforce skills — and by Get Force Certified, a program designed to meet neurodivergent learners where they are and prepare them for meaningful careers in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Workforce Navigators offers mentorships, accommodations, and scholarships that create pathways for disabled and neurodivergent professionals to build confidence and find meaningful employment in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Get Force Certified is a program founded by Salesforce Solution Engineer turned entrepreneur, Dave Massey, after experiencing his own transformation — moving from the tourism industry to a Salesforce career — and realizing how much structured support and community could help others make the same leap. It offers a 10-week, guided training experience that blends Salesforce technical learning with soft skills, mentorship, and career readiness. 

Through the scholarship, learners like Travis receive full tuition coverage for the 10-week program, along with exam vouchers, personalized mentorship from Salesforce employees, and ongoing career coaching. Together, Salesforce and Get Force Certified are opening doors for individuals who might otherwise have been left out of traditional tech training pathways.

Get Force Certified stands out because it makes space for neurodivergence, recognizing the unique and varied ways that people think, process information, and engage with learning. The program offers multiple content formats (video, audio, written), clear structure, and small, collaborative cohorts that provide accountability and connection.

“It’s not about your degree or background,” Dave explains. “It’s about grit, communication, and the willingness to learn. Salesforce is logical and accessible — what people need is confidence and strategy.”

Salesforce mentors provide one-on-one support beyond certification, helping graduates apply new skills and navigate job searches. The scholarship doesn’t just fund a course, it builds a community that sustains learners long after graduation.

After beginning the Get Force Certified program, everything accelerated for Travis. The 10-week program combined technical lessons with personal development workshops, mock interviews, and community check-ins. “It wasn’t just about learning Salesforce — it was about learning how to thrive in a career,” Travis explains. “We practiced communication skills, built LinkedIn profiles, and learned how to network.”

Just 24 hours after completing the program, Travis passed his Salesforce Administrator exam. Within six weeks, he landed a full-time role as a Salesforce Admin and Trainer at a company that provides hybrid work, better pay, and flexibility to support his young family.

“I’ve doubled my income,” he says. “I can be there for my son. I went from feeling stuck to feeling unstoppable.”

For Jeanette Pavkov, the Workforce Navigators scholarship offered a chance to grow within her existing Salesforce role. Jeanette works as an administrator for a John Deere dealership and joined the March 2025 Get Force Certified cohort.

“I already worked in Salesforce, but I wanted to truly understand it,” she explains. “This program gave me confidence and ownership over my role.” Jeanette passed her certification just a few weeks after her program ended and quickly applied what she learned to streamline sales processes and improve reporting.

Beyond the skills, Jeanette says the program’s community made a lasting impact. “We were doing life together. Studying together. Celebrating every win. Even now, we still check in and help each other.” She continues to work with her Salesforce mentor, exploring how to grow her expertise in AI and Agentforce.

For participants, the program isn’t just about passing an exam — it’s about transformation. Many learners come in doubting whether they belong in tech. They leave with certifications, job offers, and a sense of community.

“When you empower someone to believe in themselves, that changes everything — for them, their families, and their communities,” Dave says. “We’re not focused on numbers or quotas. This is about people.”

The ripple effect is already visible. Graduates like Travis and Jeanette are now mentoring others, advocating for accessibility in their workplaces, and inspiring more learners to take their first step into the Salesforce ecosystem.

The success of the scholarship is only the beginning for Get Force Certified. Dave is developing a Wayfinder Program, a 12-month experience that guides participants from certification through advanced skills and job search strategy, supporting them all the way to sustained career success.

Meanwhile, Salesforce continues to expand its inclusion efforts through Workforce Navigators, connecting more learners with training, mentorship, and accessibility support around the world.

For Travis, the impact is already clear. “This program gave me the tools to build a life I didn’t think was possible,” he says. “I’m part of a community now — and I want to help others find the same opportunity.”

If you or someone you know is based in the United States or Canada and looking to launch a Salesforce career with the right support, consider the Get Force Certified Academy and Scholarship. Scholarships are limited and awarded twice a year — opening doors to more inclusive and accessible tech careers.