eBay is teaming with a school for the blind to help visually impaired people start their own online businesses.
eBay’s Accessibility Team worked with The Hadley School for the Blind to create a free, one-lesson course called Selling on eBay that helps people learn the ins and outs of buying and selling on the marketplace.
The course is part of the Hadley school’s Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurs and teaches participants how eBay works, how to set up seller and PayPal accounts, and the basics of selling on eBay.
So far, people have responded well. Enrollment is five times higher than the average Hadley course, officials report.
eBay notes on its Accessibility page that by helping people connect to the more than 92 million buyers and sellers who use eBay, it seeks “to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit that resides within the community and help people of all abilities realize their full potential.”
Tom Babinszki, director of the Forsythe Center, says selling on eBay is a great opportunity for the blind to start their own businesses or expand them by going online.
“This module can provide so much opportunity,” he continues.
This isn’t the first time eBay has tried to help the blind sell online. In 2010, the marketplace reported it would make changes to its site to make buying, selling and navigating the site easier for blind users.
