[D] ML/AI role as a disabled person

Submitted by badhandml t3_yu5ch3 in MachineLearning

I am about to finish my PhD in machine learning soon. Unfortunately, during my PhD, I became disabled and lost most of the function in my hands and some in my legs. I have been relying on voice-to-code software to do my work, but programming with it is not particularly easy or efficient.

I am looking for industry jobs right now, and was hoping to find a research role in ML which didn't involve heavy programming. Is this even possible for someone just entering the job market? I know the job market is quite bad right now, which is complicating matters a lot but I'd really appreciate any ideas for Canada/EU.

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[deleted] t1_iw7sj84 wrote

[deleted]

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badhandml OP t1_iw7tjms wrote

Thank you! This is a great idea - I will definitely do that.

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inspired2apathy t1_iw9795q wrote

Seriously, accessibility technology is huge at MSFT and there are teams all over the place working on stuff, both MSR and applications inside product teams. Disclaimer: I work there.

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badhandml OP t1_iwbpuik wrote

That's great to hear. I've applied to some general postings - I don't see openings for teams working on accessibility for now, but will keep tabs on the website.

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Ok-Wolf9774 t1_iwbq48d wrote

I would recommend getting a referral / anyone you know in ms to speak to the hiring managers directly. It will surely expedite the process

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Ataru074 t1_iw94myh wrote

+1 for MSFT. So far the most truly inclusive organization I worked for. They put their money where their mouth is.

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phobrain t1_iw7n9rq wrote

I'd apply to foundations to research ways of re-abling, since your convergence of perspectives makes you uniquely qualified, especially for research related to your own disability.

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badhandml OP t1_iw7o6bw wrote

Honestly this would be something I'd be very happy to work in - I have been using the Talon project to get work done as well a number of hardware hacks.

Is there some specific organisation you're aware of that does these things? I've been looking into government/non profit, however nothing calls for qualifications like what I have.

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antoni908 t1_iw7xv05 wrote

Are you on the talon slack? Cursorless can help you code faster

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badhandml OP t1_iw7y8n1 wrote

I am on the slack - I'll look into cursorless. Thanks!

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antoni908 t1_iw7z59i wrote

There’s a #cursorless channel specifically for it, a good cardioid headset mic helps a lot too

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badhandml OP t1_iw7zj5t wrote

I'll join the channel. I have a blue yeti nano - it seems to do the job decently.

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phobrain t1_iw7tphs wrote

No special knowledge here. Imagine you are starting your job by collecting the research, and do enough collection now to see where the researchers work. Also disabled rights groups may be able to refer or advise.

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learnhtk t1_iw7oszm wrote

I just want to say it’s awesome that you are still going strong despite what happened. Thank you and continue to stay strong!

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badhandml OP t1_iw7owjw wrote

Thank you so much!

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learnhtk t1_iw7tkey wrote

Recently, I got interested in the idea of getting a phd in data science.

So I was hanging around on subreddits like this one that seemed relevant.

You mentioned that you are doing a phd in machine learning.

Is it okay if I send you a DM to ask a few questions?

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iamspro t1_iw7ut88 wrote

I don't have any specific advice but I hope projects like the upcoming "Hey Github" voice-to-code help you in the future https://githubnext.com/projects/hey-github

Edit: ironically their scroll-animation-based website does not seem accessible at all

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zzzthelastuser t1_iw7nx3a wrote

I know many researchers who barely program/know how to program aside from scripting and tweaking stuff they found on github. So I would say you will be fine!

But admittedly I think it wont be as easy to enter these jobs without prior job experience.

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badhandml OP t1_iw7osn2 wrote

So far my job experience has been TAing and a research internship in a FAANG company. However, at least within my organisation, the new PhD grads in ML roles were expected to write quite a lot of code for their job. The only way to reduce this work was to transition into management, which generally required a promotion + 2 years of experience.

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DisWastingMyTime t1_iw835jt wrote

Maybe try pure algo positions in vision/medical/sensor domain, less code more domain knowledge, analytical problem solving and paper surveys, not sure how it is at FANG though

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badhandml OP t1_iw83es9 wrote

Positions like that seem quite rare at least right now.

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innominato5090 t1_iw8x1mr wrote

I’m sure you’ve seen it already, but if not Naomi Saphra has written about their experience as a disabled researcher in ML & relying on voice dictation. You might want to reach out via email!

Also, folks at DisAbility in AI might have list of open positions at employers that could give you accommodations.

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seiqooq t1_iw7yup1 wrote

I’m told AirBNB & Apple put great focus on accessibility. With your skill set and circumstances, you could be a phenomenal contributor

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badhandml OP t1_iw80553 wrote

I've applied to both these companies recently - I've yet to hear back.

The application process does ask whether or not you're disabled, however they do say this doesn't show up for the hiring manager and will not influence the process. The conversations I have had with recruiters in some other tech companies regarding this matter have always lead to being told that I was not a good fit.

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Superiorem t1_iw831n0 wrote

I also recently applied to Apple and have yet to hear anything; I think they might have a hiring freeze?

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badhandml OP t1_iw838dj wrote

Probably, it seems to be a bad time to be on the market.

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danielv134 t1_iw84as4 wrote

To reinforce what others are telling you: find hiring managers that would be interested, by first talking to researchers/engineers that might be interested. Even so, its a numbers game so that your results depend heavily on investing a lot of effort, and positive feedback is sparse. Don't let lack of it discourage you.

Its also strongly affected by the state of the market, which as you said, is not the best. If you are getting low on runway, sometimes there is an easy postdoc to be had in your own org because people know you or your advisor.

I say this because it might be suboptimal to focus on front door recruiting processes. They are designed to detect the easily legible: how well can you code? years of experience? what is your availability? they are not designed at all to see the opportunity in a person's lived experience and how it combines with their skills. Even when a recruiting specialist sees the right thing, they do not generally have the skilled confidence to champion for it.

I might have an idea for you (not exactly what you talked about searching for), but would need to know more about your ML background. If you want, DM me and lets chat.

Wishing you the best in your search!

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seiqooq t1_iw82elw wrote

It happens, there are a million reasons candidates get rejected, only several of which are reasonable.

Two of my ML job offers were extended through acquaintances I met in career development groups (ML meetups). I always recommend these, particularly now that they’re mostly online.

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MLApprentice t1_iw84688 wrote

Wow, are you me? I've been disabled my whole life but I had an accident the last year of my PhD and lost most of the use of my left hand and both legs.

The job market isn't bad, I know everyone keeps repeating it online and we are seeing a lot of layoffs in specific areas but all I hear from the industry in Europe is that they can't get enough data-scientists and machine learning people. There are many jobs where you won't need to code as much as a software engineer would but I wouldn't know how to tell them apart from the onset, it really depends on the company and the specific role, you'll have to flesh out what they need during the interview. There is a lot of work done with specialized software (simscape for example which has a drag and drop U.I to build models, but also a lot of obscure specialized science software depending on the industry), that being said I don't know if it'd be accessible to you if you can't use your hands. Also a lot of work done in excel and PowerBI, etc... I don't know if it's the kind of exciting research work you're looking for though. Generally companies in Europe are quite accommodating when it comes to handicaps so you might get some leeway.

Have you worked on mastering your IDE and voice-to-code software? There might be efficiencies you can gain, a lot of IDE shortcuts get rid of the need to write any punctuation for example.

Either way being disabled and working is a real challenge, I wish you all the best. DM me if you have other questions or want to discuss things, I don't have magical solutions but I've been dealing with this my whole life so I'm used to it.

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badhandml OP t1_iw869xy wrote

Thank you! IDE optimisation is an ongoing process for me.

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indicesbing t1_iw81o3s wrote

Do you have to use this particular voice-to-code software? Have you tried solutions based on moving a joystick or eye-tracking? Maybe something like Dasher.

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badhandml OP t1_iw826tq wrote

I use eye tracking with Talon as well as a hand held mouse. Talon is the most recommended option for mac users though I am happy to switch if I find something more efficient - I'll definitely check out Dasher. Thanks!

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uncrushablespirit t1_iw8sftj wrote

There are many opportunities! Feel free to explore the Gleason Institute for Neuroscience at Washington State University in Spokane WA. There may be opportunities in the future for your skill level!

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potatodemon t1_iwaxac1 wrote

Absolutely you can! Here is a great talk from PyCon a few years ago detailing how one programmer developed a method of programming using voice commands only. https://youtu.be/8SkdfdXWYaI

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badhandml OP t1_iwb3bya wrote

Thank you!

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potatodemon t1_iwease5 wrote

Oh also OpenAI whisper is shockingly good and open-source if you want to play around with speech detection via Python https://openai.com/blog/whisper/

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badhandml OP t1_iwfomyy wrote

I'll check this out - thanks! In general I have not had much trouble dictating standard text, but programming has been challenging.

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BestUCanIsGoodEnough t1_iwaant4 wrote

There are some consulting companies, rangam or Ragnam, is one I came across that actively seek out people with disabilities to help companies meet their inclusion goals or benefit from neurodiversity.

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badhandml OP t1_iwb3fp7 wrote

Thank you - this is a great resource!

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BestUCanIsGoodEnough t1_iwbhz68 wrote

You’re welcome, I think you’re living proof that you don’t give up when there’s a challenge. Companies need people like that and need organic diversity in order to come up with competitive ideas. All the best to you!

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EdwardRaff t1_iwab3u4 wrote

Rare for me to recommend, but trying to become a professor could be a good choice? In graduate school there was a professor who had lost the use of their hands - and similarly used voice-to-text software to code and write, but it was much harder to code with than write.

They actually started the PhD because of this hindrance, wanting to become a professor because they could get away with less coding: instead guiding students on what to do next and pair-programing with them with the student doing the typing. Maybe an option to consider?

Generally echoing /u/innominato5090 there are probably a lot of teams that work on disability & accessibility options/research, where your background may be seen as a particular strength and a rare combination of skills.

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badhandml OP t1_iwb43j0 wrote

Thank you! I am trying to find openings in these areas.

I would be happy to remain in academia, but it is not so straightforward. I am not sure if I have enough publications for the bigger Canadian institutions and I cannot afford to be located outside the bigger cities due to the lack of specialised medical care. European schools often require teaching and operating in the domestic languages, which is I find quite challenging with my voice-to-text software, at least in German and French. I'm still actively trying for academic positions though.

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Exciting-Engineer646 t1_iwaie7b wrote

Apple: accessibility and ML is very much a thing. How can one interact with devices when one can’t use the standard interface? Apple wants devices that work for all users.

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klipseracer t1_iwav15o wrote

I don't know but I'm sending good energy your way.

As some others have suggested, doing something you're passionate about such as improving your own situation somehow, that would be great I think.

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badhandml OP t1_iwb39o7 wrote

Thank you! A job like that would be perfect.

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ivicts30 t1_iwcs1gj wrote

Hi, sorry for hijacking, but I have a (mild) cerebral palsy myself and I am interested in doing a Ph.D. in AI for accessibility as well. Does anyone have any pointers on which university or researcher works in this domain? Or how to find one?

*already use google.com, seems not a lot of people working on this..

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unethicalangel t1_iwcz0ia wrote

Unfortunately it's really hard to find a more consulting position with little code straight out of a PhD program. However, you may be able to find a really interesting research position in a team focused on inclusivity/consumer fairness research. You have a really interesting perspective given what you've gone through and it would be really good to use it as your strength. Who's better to work on this form of research than someone who lives it? Good luck on everything!!! And congrats on graduating, I know it must have been difficult given what you went through

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