A Real Life Business Journey: Blind Single Mom Builds Real Life Access from the Ground Up by Angela Fowler Angela Fowler, a blind single mother and founder of Real Life Access, is breaking down barriers in the business world with a no- nonsense approach to accessibility and a vision that’s as strategic as it is personal.
It was Christmas of 2022, and Angela was on the verge of walking away from entrepreneurship altogether. Her latest business partnership had collapsed. Confidence shattered, she questioned whether she could really succeed on her own. “I told myself, never again. Never again will I go through the heartache of a failed business.” But as 2023 moved forward, so did Angela’s mindset. She began to see the partnership’s collapse not as a personal failure, but a lesson in control, boundaries, and trusting herself. She picked up the pieces and began to build something stronger.
From Foundation to Flagship By early 2024, she’d entered what she now calls the “foundation-building” phase: creating a website, establishing her brand, and launching the Access for Everyone course series—training designed to teach physical, digital, and cultural accessibility in a way that actually makes sense for small businesses. Then came the game-changer: Hiring for Champions. Co-authored in early 2025 with disability advocate and business consultant Daniel Hodges, Hiring for Champions is a 12-week training program that helps companies build hiring systems where people with disabilities—and everyone else—can succeed on their own merits. Angela explains, “We’re not teaching DEI fluff or feel-good slogans. This is about clear-eyed hiring practices, practical accommodations, and creating a culture where difference is normal, not exceptional.” Now in July 2025, Hiring for Champions is gaining momentum—and with it, Real Life Access is stepping into the spotlight as a company that delivers results, not lectures. A Philosophy of Understanding As someone who has been blind since birth, Angela knows the frustration of trying to navigate a world that wasn't built with her in mind. “About 90% of websites have accessibility issues,” she explains. “It’s like running a digital gauntlet. In my younger days, that used to really piss me off.”
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