Meet
our team

Mink Inc. is a team of access assistants, made up of full-time university staff members and part-time student workers. As a blind student, I found access assistants indispensable. They act as your eyes when you are in lectures, studying outside of class, or, for me as a postdoctoral researcher at the time, working in my lab on computational chemistry research. Access Assistants are not experts in the topic that the blind student or researcher is studying, rather they are expected to read and describe exactly what they see at the promptings of the student and to carry out simple, sight-dependent tasks such as writing down notes. In the simplest terms, their job is to make the visible world accessible.

Without the help of my Mink Inc. team, I would not be able to teach or perform my research. Their assistance bolsters my work, and their positive, collaborative attitudes has led to many lasting connections with past and present members. Mink Inc. has allowed me to grow in a managerial and advisory position. Furthermore, as my team assists me, I learn a lot from them. I can't wait to see what great things they go on to accomplish!