Welcome

Welcome! My name is Cody and I am a legally blind professional with my toes in several skillsets and knowledge basis from assistive technology, to computer networking, to music and beyond. While I'm only certified in information technology, the passing of time has aforded me a considerable amount of experience in other, less mainstream and not so mainstream subjects. We live in an ever changing world and I'm of the opinion that our culture needs a shaking from their slumber before legitimate change can actually happen in society, both how it relates to people with disabilities and just in general.

I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I was diagnosed with glaucoma at birth and up until the age of thirteen, I went through a number of surgeries to attempt to remove the calcium bands from my cornias which, over time, would build up. I learned Braille in preschool and received training using a white cane This continued until I graduated from public school in 2009. My interest in technology was sparked early, around twelve or so, along with my passion for music, which had begun when I was about five, drumming on small kid drum sets. Since then I've improved massively and now play drums, guitar and have recently dabbled with playing bass. I have created a dedicated site for all of my music work called Hurst Audio Productions.

I have lived and traveled all over the US. In 2012, I finally settled on Oregon. In that time, I have completed two associates degrees and obtained a number of IT related certifications. I've contributed my technical skills to my local school district's special education department and I am continuing to further my education.

My journey with technology

Since the age of about twelve when learning how to use our ancient family Gateway 2000 desktop computer, my interest for all forms of technology grew continuously over the years. I purchased my first personal desktop EMachine computer in 2004 for $400 at our local Circuit City. At that time, I had been given a specialized note taking PDA device for the blind called a BrailleNote which provided a Braille terminal style keyboard and 32 cells of refreshable electronic Braille output for use at school. I had been using that PDA as far back as 2002 to check email over dialup with a broken phone cord...those were some good times.

Since that point I began spending lots of time in computer help chatrooms on a program that still exists called PalTalk, disassembling old computers given to me from newspaper ads, spending lots of time on the web reading about programming and downloading programs, all in the name of increasing my knowledge out of curiosity.

My journey with music

My interest for music extends farther back than even my interest for technology does. When I was about five, my dad purchased me a very small drum set, a very small, black, three piece kiddy drum set. Eventually this turned into a larger five piece red one made by CB.

Later, I befriended another kid in my grade when we were about eleven since we were both drummers. Admittedly, he was much more talented than I was, and he certainly had a better, vintage kit. About the same time, my orientation and mobility instructor sparked my interest for guitar. He was a really great guy with knowledge of a lot of subjects, especially history and politics. I was twelve when I remember my dad buying me my first acoustic guitar. My skill never improved greatly until just recently and so for years it had only been something I tinkered with. In 2008 was when I first launched Hurst Audio Productions to put some cool sounding demos I had made at the time online. About the same time in 2007, I befriended another blind musician, named Kyle Frownfelter, who mainly played guitar and bass. We hit it off pretty well and though our friendship can be rocky at times, we are still friends

Professional goals

As I continue to add to my knowledge, I always look for any source of employment. I have a need to be useful and to make an actual difference in the world. Whether this is through my technical skills in troubleshooting, working with kids, designing a network or writing documentation, I am happy to be a team player and contribute in any way I can to an organization. For a complete educational breakdown and work history, please use the link in the top menu.