I grew up with a congenital visual impairment that severely affected my ability to perform in education during my early years. That experience has shaped the person I am today.
When I came to the UK from my native Iran in the late 1970s, I started college at the age of 16 with very little knowledge of basic education or the English language. It was, in many ways, a fresh start. What brought me here was political turmoil back home, which forced me to stay in England unexpectedly. That second chance gave me both the motivation and confidence to succeed.
My initial years were a struggle. I entered a new learning environment with a new language, far from family and friends. Due to my eye condition, I found it impossible to follow written information on a whiteboard. However, by embracing the challenge and with the right support, I eventually graduated and obtained a doctorate from one of the UK’s top universities in one of the hardest subjects: physics and electronics.
Those challenges made me who I am today. They taught me resilience and adaptability, qualities that I’ve carried into both my personal and professional life. But they also gave me the determination to give others, in similar situations, the support they need to succeed. I wanted to ensure that people who just need the right help to overcome their barriers and realise their potential would have access to it. That’s why I founded Microlink.
Between 1994 and 2010, Microlink became the leading provider of DSA equipment for students in the UK between, working closely with the DfE to help shape the scheme. In 2010, we entered the corporate space, We took the lessons learnt from supporting DSA students and applied them to the workforce. For over fifteen years, we have set the standard for managed workplace adjustments. We work with major global clients, supplying top-tier assistive technology, accessibility solutions and tailored training and coaching.
We don’t just provide tools for people with disabilities; we give people the chance to realise their dreams and secure their future. At the heart of Microlink’s ethos is a belief in self-dignity and independence. Through work, we empower individuals not only to achieve those things for themselves but also to positively impact the lives of others around them.
Since 2019, we have been expanding our operations globally. Our ambition is to help millions of disabled people in education and the workplace worldwide, and we have taken significant steps towards this target over recent years. We now have a significant presence in India, MENAT regions, Europe and in America. Through this expansion, we are forging collaborative partnerships to improve employment prospects for disabled individuals around the world.
That is also the motivation behind creating Microlink Education, a dedicated arm of the company which is bringing assistive technology and wellbeing strategies to the education sector. The goal is to create pathways from the classroom to the boardroom for everyone, and Microlink Education runs a number of programmes which have seen real success in making this a reality.
Among these are Be ThAT Teacher – which supports teachers to understand and use assistive technology in their classrooms – and Raising Attainment with Wellbeing – which helps schools to create inclusive spaces for all children by adopting a child-first approach centred around their wellbeing. Together these programmes have reached hundreds of schools and impacted thousands of children throughout the UK. The impact of our program has been tremendous with amazing feedback from the schools we served. We have won several government contracts to roll these out to many other schools
