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A YOUNG, BLIND WHIZ 1 ON COMPUTERS
by Tom Petzinger
from The Wall Street Journal,

Sometimes, a perceived disability 2 turns out to be an asset on the

job. Though he is only 18 years old and blind, Suleyman Gokyigit
(pronounced gok-yi-it) is among the top computer technicians and
programmers at InteliData Technologies Corp., a large software
5 company with several offices across the United States.
"After a merger 3 last October, two disparate computer networks 4
were driving us crazy," recalls Douglas Braun, an InteliData vice
president. "We couldn't even send e-mail to each other." In three
weeks, Mr. Gokyigit, a University of Toledo sophomore who works
10 part-time at InteliData's office in the city, created the software
needed to integrate the two networks. "None of the company's 350
other employees could have done the job in three months," says Mr.
Braun. "Suleyman can literally 'see' into the heart of the computer."
Mr. Gokyigit's gift, as Mr. Braun calls it, is an unusual ability to
15 conceptualize5 the innards 6 of a machine. "The computer permits me
to reach out into the world and do almost anything I want to do," says
Mr. Gokyigit, who is a computer science engineering major with
straight As.
Like most blind people who work with computers, Mr. Gokyigit
20 uses a voice-synthesizer that reads the video display on his monitor in
a mechanical voice. Devices that produce Braille screen displays are
also available, but Mr. Gokyigit says they "waste time." Instead, he
depends on memory. Turning the synthesizer to top speed, he
remembers almost everything he hears, at least until a project is
26 completed. While the synthesizer talks, Mr. Gokyigit mentally "maps"
the computer screen with numbered coordinates (such as three

I whiz very talented person

2 a perceived disability something you think of as a disability or
negative thing
3 merger a combining of two or more companies into one
4 two disparate computer networks two groups of computers that
can't communicate with each other
5 to conceptualize to form an idea of
6 the innards of the inside of

38 Chapter4 • A Young, Blind Whiz

 across, two down) and memorizes the location of each icon on the
grid 7 so he can call up files with his mouse.
The young programmer is also at home with8 hardware, thanks
30 partly to a highly developed sense of touch. Mitzi Nowakowski, an
office manager at InteliData, recalls how he easily disconnected and
reconnected their computer systems during a move last year.
"Through feel, Suleyman can locate 9 connectors, pins and wires
much faster than most other people with sight," she says.
35 Several months ago, on a trip to San Francisco, Mr. Braun had
difficulty accessing 10 the company's mainframe using his laptop. He
needed specific numbers to get into four InteliData files. Instead of
asking someone to manually search a thick logbook 11 of computer
addresses, he called Mr. Gokyigit, who had committed the logbook to
40 memory and produced the proper numbers "in ten seconds,"
Mr. Braun says.
Much of the student programmer's speed comes from his ability
to block out 12 distractions while at the computer. When typing,
he listens intently to the synthesizer. His long, thin fingers fly over
45 the keyboard. "Nothing seems to shake his concentration," says
Mrs. Nowakowski, his immediate boss. 13
Mr. Gokyigit is the only company employee on call1 4 24 hours a
day. "We consider him our top troubleshooter, 15" says Mr. Braun.

Author

Tom Petzinger has worked for The Wall Street Journal as a

columnist, editor and reporter for over 20 years. The Wall Street
Journal is the leading business publication in the United States. It
includes stock quotes, national and international business news and
trends, and features articles such as this one on interesting people in
the world of business.

7 grid a pattern of evenly spaced vertical and horizontal lines

8 at home with comfortable with; good with
9 locate find the position of
10 accessing getting into; getting inforn1ation from

11 logbook written record of information

12 block out ignore
13 his immediate boss the person he reports directly to

14 on call available to go to work

15 troubleshooter problem solver

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