Coaching from Dr. Skylar Covich in assistive technology, effective AI use, public-policy and historical research, and Wikipedia presence — grounded in a Ph.D. and nearly three decades using screen readers.
Services
Training on screen readers such as VoiceOver and JAWS — from getting started, to advanced techniques for spreadsheets, PDFs, and complex applications. Includes hands-on guidance on using AI with a screen reader for research, image and document description, and productivity.
Discuss this service
As a Ph.D. political scientist with research contracts for Wikipedia, Ballotpedia, and others, I help clients gather evidence and organize it into arguments — for electoral or advocacy campaigns, academic projects, and memoir or narrative writing.
Discuss this service
Coaching for professionals and families on getting real value from AI tools while staying alert to ethical and practical pitfalls. Especially useful for lawyers, educators, researchers, and parents of small children navigating AI in schools and daily life.
Discuss this service
Honest evaluation of your notability under Wikipedia's guidelines, an explanation of why your existing article reads the way it does, and — if appropriate — a game plan for improving your Wikipedia presence while following community standards.
Discuss this serviceAbout the Practice
A single practitioner offering four distinct services — chosen so each client can find exactly what they need without wading through the rest.
Years as a Wikipedia administrator
Every client relationship begins with a free introductory call. We'll talk through what you need, whether it's screen-reader coaching, an AI workflow, a research project, or a Wikipedia question, and decide together whether to move forward.
See the four services
Meet Your Advisor
Political scientist · assistive-technology instructor · Wikipedia administrator
Blind since birth, I grew up on Long Island and in Redding, California. I graduated from St. Mary's College of California in 2009 and earned my Ph.D. in political science from UC Santa Barbara in 2017. I taught political science at state universities for nearly a decade before moving into assistive technology, where I served as instructor and Program Lead at Braille Institute — growing their remote training program and establishing their booth at the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference.
Since 2025 I've consulted in both blind services and academic political science, with a focus on curriculum design, and I'll be returning to college teaching at Westmont College in Fall 2026.
Writing & Advocacy
These aren't services on offer. They're the topics I think, write, and speak about publicly. If any of them intersect with a project you're working on, I'm always glad to talk.
I'm fascinated by how technology for the blind has evolved from braille to audio books to screen readers — and by the organizations, people, and policies that shaped that arc. I hope to write a book or article series on the history of U.S. organizations for the blind.
I sing Gregorian chant and polyphony in the Latin Mass Choir at Mary Magdalen Chapel — one of the few blind singers currently active in these traditions, all learned by ear. I also write occasionally on Catholic social teaching and the life of the Church.
My academic work focuses on how religious interest groups engage with economic policy — especially groups that don't fit neatly into either major U.S. party. I follow election campaigns worldwide and maintain a wide, cross-partisan network of contacts.
Read More
Selected writing lives on Substack
Current Projects
Alongside client work, I hold several part-time roles and ongoing commitments. Here's a quick snapshot.
Returning to the classroom to teach political science at Westmont College, with an emphasis on curriculum designed to be accessible and AI-aware.
Part-time Communications Director for a Santa Barbara inclusive coffee shop and community center, currently raising funds to open.
Ongoing curriculum design and research contracts in both blind services and academic political science, following the end of my Braille Institute role in 2025.
FAQ
Something else on your mind? Email or call directly — see the contact section below.
Every engagement begins with a short introductory call — usually 20–30 minutes — so we can talk through what you need and decide together whether I'm the right person for the work. Email covich7@gmail.com or call (530) 276-1008 to set one up.
Both. I'm based in Santa Barbara, California, and can meet in person there. For assistive-technology training and every other service, I also work remotely with clients anywhere in the world.
No — I work with beginners of any age who are learning a screen reader for the first time, as well as long-time users looking to move into advanced applications, spreadsheets, PDFs, and AI-assisted workflows.
No, and be cautious of anyone who does. I evaluate notability under Wikipedia's guidelines, explain how existing articles came to read as they do, and — when it's appropriate — help build a compliant strategy for improving your presence over time.
Political-campaign background, public-policy analysis, historical research, and evidence gathering for advocacy or academic work. I've contracted for Wikipedia, Ballotpedia, and other projects, including a large study of how interest-group and large-donor money in state Supreme Court elections affects case outcomes.
Book a free introductory call and we'll figure it out together.
Request an intro callContact
The fastest way to reach me is email or phone. When you write, please mention which of the four services you're most interested in — or describe the situation and I'll suggest a fit.
Based in Santa Barbara, California — services available worldwide.
