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Diagonal split graphic with a white top-left half and bright blue bottom-right half; on the white portion a purple shield-shaped logo sits left of bold black text reading APEX PROGRAM, while the blue section features a stylized three-arc logo in black and white above the name Dr. Kirk Adams and the tagline Leading the Way To Accessible Innovation; in the lower left against the white background stands a blind, bearded man wearing dark sunglasses, a light khaki jacket over a black turtleneck, and a loosely draped gray knit scarf.

No Degree, No Problem: How The Apex Program Is Opening Doors for Blind Professionals With Network+ and Security+

Published June 23, 2025 by Dr. Kirk Adams

📰 Read: Apex Program June 2025 Newsletter

I have dedicated my professional and academic careers to creating opportunities for people with disabilities to thrive in employment.

While President and CEO of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. in Seattle, I was privileged to lead an organization that employed hundreds of blind and Deaf-Blind people in a variety of businesses.

AS President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind I was given opportunities to influence the disability employment landscape on a national level.

As part of these efforts, AFB engaged in a cooperative agreement with the U.S. AbilityOne Commission.

Our first phase was called research and study.

We were tasked with conducting research to identify three new lines of business that could be brought into the AbilityOne Program, that would create pathways into knowledge-based careers for people who are blind in competitive, integrated settings.

We began by identifying industries with predicted long-term above average growth in job openings, which had strong infrastructure like trade associations and certifications, and industries with a pre-disposition to inclusion of underrepresented communities.

The three industries we identified were digital/tele health, contract management for civilian Federal agencies like the General Services Administration, and cybersecurity.

Fast forward to the Summer of 2022, shortly after I launched my consulting practice, Innovative Impact LLC.

A blind friend, Dan Berlin, introduced me to Novacoast a highly respected, very entrepreneurial leader in the cybersecurity industry.

Novacoast had worked with Envision, a blindness agency in Wichita, Kansas to create The Apex Program.

A virtual training, certification and placement program designed to launch blind people into cybersecurity careers.

Novacoast leadership was looking to build the program into a true engine of change, creating opportunities for hundreds of blind people to enter their industry.

After a conversation with Novacoast’s CEO, Paul Anderson, we both agreed I could add great value in helping them to build out the program.

I have been working with The Apex Program for several years now, and we are indeed getting traction!

Please read the June 2025 newsletter here, to see what I mean.

As I have said repeatedly over the past two years, if I were going to draw up an employment program for people who are blind from scratch, it would look a lot like this.

To be successful a person needs to be competent in using websites and search engines but does not need to be a programmer or coder.

Two or four year degrees aren’t necessary to enter the cybersecurity industry: certifications like the CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certifications Apex graduates earn are what count.

The majority of jobs are remote.

Starting pay, even with no experience are at livable wages.

Opportunities for rapid advancement and increased salaries are myriad.

The Apex Program is established as a vendor with vocational rehabilitation agencies in several dozen states, so the costs of training and certification tests can be covered.

People as young as age thirteen can earn these certificates so I see this as an ideal school to work transition plan for the right young people.

I would encourage anyone reading this who has an interest, as a vocational rehabilitation professional, potential employer, or interested student to visit https://theapexprogram.com and fill out the inquiry form.

The Apex Program is a winner!

” Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic advantage. “

Dr. Kirk Adams stands smiling in a white business shirt and navy blue suit. Beautiful sunny day with trees blurred in the background.

The Dr. Kirk Adams logo features two two overlapping arches, facing each other, one blue (smaller) and one black (larger), each resembling an arch or wave. Together the two shapes form a dynamic and modern design. The blue arch is set just inside the black arch, creating a sense of movement and progression. Below the arches, the name 'Dr. Kirk Adams' is displayed in bold black letters, with the tagline 'Leading the Way To Accessible Innovation' in smaller black text beneath. The design conveys themes of forward momentum, accessibility, and leadership in innovation. The overall look is sleek and professional.

Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D.
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation

Innovative Impact, LLC logo.

Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here

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