Have You Tried Coding with Your Eyes Closed? I've Been Doing It My Whole Life: 32 Questions to a Blind Programmer

"Hello, my name is Denis and my monitor is always off. Why? Because I'm blind — I can't see anything on it anyway. Moreover, I write code this way, work with cryptocurrency, and read science fiction."

How Denis Works

Assistive Technology

Denis uses NVDA with RHVoice — a screen reader and speech synthesizer that vocalizes all system actions and events. He relies almost exclusively on the keyboard, having memorized key combinations for fast typing. He rarely uses a mouse.

Communication

He prefers text messages over voice messages because they're faster. The software reads both message content and sender names aloud. For reactions, Denis uses message menus to select emoji — though he dislikes custom emoji that don't vocalize properly.

Daily Life

Work Schedule

Previously working 8-hour days with lunch breaks, Denis is experimenting with compressing his workday to 4 hours. He uses Yandex Lavka for food delivery but finds pre-made meals difficult to identify through search.

Hobbies

His primary hobby is reading science fiction and fantasy. He chooses books by title and synopsis, occasionally sampling the first chapter. Denis maintains a Telegram channel, "Blind Science Fiction Lover," discussing his reads. He recently finished "Pandora," a series about a planet with Ether where heroes enhance themselves through exercises and creature cores.

Reading Comprehension

When encountering unfamiliar objects in books, Denis typically understands them through context clues intuitively or simply ignores unclear terms, prioritizing plot over visual description.

Education and Background

School

Denis attended a specialized boarding school for blind and visually impaired students where he learned Braille (embossed-dot writing). From 7th grade onward, he used laptops for humanities subjects instead of manually embossing points on paper.

How He Got into Programming

After computers became available (around 2011), Denis initially socialized online and installed various programs before growing bored. He then taught himself HTML and website creation — both manual and CMS-based (like WordPress). He ran blogs until 2017 but deleted them due to poor traffic. His personal domain now serves as a personal website.

Programming Skills and Tools

Languages

• JavaScript — primary language
• PHP — less recent; hasn't used classes
• Go — learned it, created 2–3 programs, determined it wasn't needed
• C++ — studied in college, unused since

Tools

• Editor: Microsoft Visual Studio Code with screen reader
• Screen Reader: NVDA (always used; tried JAWS — found it slower and less intuitive)
• Previous Editors: Notepad++ (too cumbersome); Microsoft Visual Studio (too bulky)

The Challenge of Code Analysis

Analyzing third-party code is difficult due to unknown function structures, large volumes, and subtle dependencies. While sighted developers can scan code visually, Denis requires weeks to understand complex systems. He prefers writing from scratch but can make targeted edits when specific locations are identified.

Work Process

Client Workflow

1. Connect via Telegram
2. Discuss functionality
3. Present his understanding; confirm accuracy
4. Quote price
5. Accept payment; begin work
6. Test iteratively for large projects
7. Deliver; provide code if the client is satisfied

Current Focus

Denis has shifted toward cryptocurrency project analysis (team, concept, tokenomics, code activity, audits, bounties) rather than pure programming.

Finding Clients

His primary source has always been Telegram channels and groups. Initial challenges included being unable to handle visual design elements that clients required. A notably difficult experience involved a Telegram bot where button text was truncated on mobile devices — the client refused payment. Since then, Denis requests upfront payment and clarifies constraints (e.g., limiting buttons to two or three per row).

Accessibility and Client Relationships

Disclosure

Denis never explicitly hid his blindness. Clients' reactions were consistently normal, with some expressing surprise at how he works.

Interface Accessibility Issues

The greatest workplace obstacle is poor interface design. Unlabeled buttons vocalize as simply "Button, Button, Button," forcing him to either guess-and-check or use AI image recognition (which takes 1–2 minutes and isn't always accurate).

Image Recognition

When clients send screenshots, Denis uses Vision Bot in Telegram or NVDA's special extension for web pages to describe images.

Projects and Achievements

Personal Projects

• Telegram bot for notifications about cryptocurrency and Russian stock price changes
• Community bot with a points system

Contract Work

He built a backend with API for a project service (now closed), and worked on a gaming project (which the author also closed).

Motivation and Philosophy

"It's something that I enjoy. Plus, there's potential."

Denis describes coding as "creating something new and interesting." He visualizes code as text that "comes alive" after manipulation. He recalls marveling at his first Telegram bot: "How cool! You sit and do nothing, and the program sends notifications!"

In cryptocurrency analysis, he values exposure to new knowledge. Each project is unique — differing in team quality, concept, tokenomics, code activity, and audits.

Advice for Beginning Programmers

"Practice more. Reading books and manuals won't stick. Only practice matters. Learn a built-in function — write a mini-program. Learn a loop — add it to your program."

Denis invites developers to follow his Telegram channel, "Blind Web3 Programmer," where he analyzes cryptocurrency projects and discusses his work.