Innovating and Improving lives

I am Cody Hurst, a legally blind entrepreneur residing in the Northwest United States, with diverse interests and passions, including finance, music, technology, world events, and the universe. My formal background is in network systems and accessibility/accommodations. I have experience serving as a tutor and material preparation assistant in both middle school and college settings.

Currently, I hold a position as an accessibility tester/reviewer for Portland Community College located in Portland Oregon, where I assess online software platforms for adherence to WCAG standards and work effectively with assistive technologies such as NVDA. In my spare time, I analyze cryptocurrency markets, engage in programming projects, and stay informed about developments in the artificial intelligence sector.

I believe in the importance of a well-rounded education, though my definition extends beyond the current education system's parameters. Of course, balance is essential, and my interests extend beyond technology-centric subjects. My family has a rich history of working with automobiles, and my mother was a singer and pianist in the 1980s, recording her own single and singing in her church choir. My grandfather and his father owned a gas station in Levittown, PA, and my grandfather later opened his own auto repair shop.

My mission, with the knowledge and plans I have, is to help others. This goal is often challenging, but I believe it is the right thing to do, sharing my knowledge to prevent others from becoming trapped in a broken and dysfunctional system that often disadvantages those with disabilities. People with disabilities are frequently underestimated, and many attempt to undermine us. Therefore, it is crucial for us to strive for independence, particularly financial independence. I aim to use cryptocurrency as a means to help people overcome the barriers imposed by a sighted society that often limits our potential.

My Background

My journey in technology began with a half-day technical program for computer networking during my junior and senior years of high school at Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (2007-2009). This early exposure led me to attend Southern Maine Community College (2010-2012) and later LinnBenton Community College (2013-2015, 2018-2020) where I graduated with an Associate's degree in General Studies and Network Systems.

Accomplishments

Cryptocurrency Investing

Over the past three years, I have developed a deep understanding of the cryptocurrency market, identifying key factors that constitute successful crypto projects. This has been my primary area of success, having grown my net worth over 800% in just nine months.

Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models

I have spent two years interacting with various large language models to enhance my education, productivity and quality of output. My knowledge of large language models has allowed me to learn programming languages through interactive coding and use that knowledge to build applications and tools, such as an accessible trading web platform and an audio FPS game, to help me become more independent and give back to the community.

Python Development

With two years of experience in Python, I have developed a multiplayer online game client and server and a backend to an OHLC fetching engine using CCXT. I have a good understanding of python and its components but still continue to add to my knowledge as i advance.

Accessibility Assessments and Technology

For the past decade, I have worked extensively in accessibility and accommodations. I have tutored students one-on-one, taught a totally blind student how to code 3d objects in OpensCad such as an iPad stand by using mental mapping of a 3D plane, produced accessible materials in Braille and electronic format, have experience reviewing and using VPAT's and WCAG standards and regularly use a screen reader, given my own visual impairment. My proficiency with Duxbury Translator and other assistive technologies is well-established and can work with any Braille level up through UEB and other languages, such as Spanish.

Web Development and Design

With over ten years of experience, I specialize in website design adhering to WCAG standards to ensure accessibility compliance. Screen reader's are the primary way we access web content and well thought out markup and design are imperitive to a fully accessible web experience.

Music Composition and Production

I have been playing and recording drums and guitar for over twenty years, showcasing my work on YouTube and collaborating with friends. My strong foundation in music theory complements my practical skills.

Network Systems and General Technical Knowledge

Although my certifications are now expired, I previously held CompTIA A+, Network+, and Cisco CCENT certifications. My expertise in computers and technology dates back to the early 2000s, allowing me to solve most hardware and software problems. I have formal knowledge of Cisco devices and a solid understanding of routing protocols. I have worked with Microsoft server, various Linux distributions, built systems and am very comfortable working inside laptops and modern technology. With a focus on security, I insure my personal equipment and any that I work on are secured and are safe to use.

Top Projects

Open FPS audio game

Open FPS is an online multi player audio game I've begung developing a year or so ago written in python to act as a replacement for the popular games currently developed using BGT, a now defunct scripting language used for creating audio games for the blind. Features include:

• Server
• Robust networking component designed to dynamically handle multiple players and handle connections gracefully
• Event dispatching mechanism which handles incoming messages and directs them to the correct service method.
• Service layer which interfaces between the event handling and internal components of game components
• Component registries that manage game objects such as users, maps and so on.
• Game components such as users, maps, tiles, zones, weapons, AI and in-game items
• Client
• Uses accessible output to interface with screen readers for speech and Braille output
• Uses TKInter as the default windowing system for drawing dialogs and windows
• Development still in progress

Contributions to the codebase are encouraged. The game is still under development as I cycle between things I'm working on. You can find the code on Github

Accessible Trader

financial markets have been something that has been challenging for the blind to access do to the visual nature of charts. Consequently, technical analysis has not been possible either. To solve this problem, I've begun developing a fully accessible charting solution that currently works with retrieving cryptocurrency data. and allows screen reader users to navigate and read charts. This is still under development, however the features include or will include:

• Charting interface powered by Highcharts and their suite of accessiblity enhancements.
• High contrast theme for low vision users.
• Backend developed in python which uses the CCXT library to retrieve asset pair OHLCV data through cryptocurrency exchanges. Stores new data in a Timescale DB database.
• Uses Timescale DB for efficient storage, retrieval and aggregation of candlestick data
• Traditional financial markets to come soon.
• Interface and functionality to be ironed out such as correct displaying of candles based on timeframe

the platform is still under development but can be found here.