15/04/2025
see what you see...
The scent of freshly brewed Rooibos tea filled Sizwe’s modest room in Mamelodi. Today wasn’t just another day for Sizwe—it was the day. Clad in a neatly pressed shirt that his sister had helped him pick out, Sizwe, a BEng in Electrical Eng graduate who also holds a BSC in data science, sat with his laptop open, Braille notes meticulously arranged around him. The screen reader's monotone voice repeated the email invitation from RISE Engineering for a telephonic interview. He straightened his shoulders, exuding confidence even as his heart pounded with anticipation. He wasn’t just here to get a job; he was here to prove a point.
The phone rang sharply at 9:00 AM, precisely as promised. The panel of voices on the other end, professional and composed, began with the standard pleasantries before diving into questions about electrical systems and optimisation algorithms. Sizwe’s voice carried a warmth that immediately filled the virtual room. He answered each question with precision, weaving in real-world examples and innovative ideas he had meticulously prepared. The panelists chuckled in delight at his subtle humor and admired his breadth of knowledge, technical prowess and analytical expertise. By the end of the call, one interviewer, the head of projects, whispered audibly, “This guy’s a gem.” She was convinced Sizwe could assist the business gain leverage over their competitors, enabling the firm to design cutting edge solutions by leveraging big data analytics and predictive modelling in engineering projects. When the email inviting Sizwe for a face-to-face interview arrived later that day, he allowed himself a small grin. This was his moment.
On the day of the interview, Sizwe arrived at RISE Engineering with his white cane tapping rhythmically against the tiled floor of the sleek office. Receptionists greeted him warmly, though there was a flicker of hesitation in their voices. In the conference room, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. The senior manager, a man in his fifties, glanced at Sizwe nervously, then shifted his gaze to his colleagues. "Let’s begin," he announced, perhaps more to himself than anyone else.
But then came the silence. Sizwe felt it like a weight in the room. The easy smiles were replaced by awkward nods, as if everyone was collectively holding their breath. The exaggerated niceness began—handshakes lingered too long, and the overuse of words like "amazing" and "impressive" filled the space. Sizwe understood what was happening. His blindness wasn’t the problem; it was the revelation of their unpreparedness. He could almost hear their thoughts: How will he move around? Can we even accommodate him? Will this expose our shortcomings? As he left the building, one interviewer awkwardly patted him on the shoulder and muttered, “We’ll call you.”
Back home in Mamelodi, Sizwe replayed the day in his mind. He knew the odds, knew that being blind meant needing to climb higher and harder just to reach the same summit as his peers. But he also knew that the real challenge wasn’t his blindness—it was the ignorance, the fear, the reluctance to adapt that held companies back. For Sizwe, the solution lay not in self-pity but in persistence. He resolved to keep pushing, to keep proving that he wasn’t just a statistic or a diversity hire but a force of innovation and excellence. And somewhere, deep in his heart, he hoped that one day, the playing field would be leveled—not for him alone, but for the thousands of other blind and visually impaired graduates ready to shine.
P.S The storyline, characters and organisation depicted are entirely fictitious.
Any resemblance to actual person, living or deceased, or real organisations is purely coincidental. The author assumes no responsibility for any interpretation or associations made in connection with this fictional work.
Author - Tshepo Serokolo
