The people behind AKG: Yasin Haj-Abdo, vision specialist at YIS

Yasin Haj-Abdo works as a vision pedagogue within Vocational Introduction for the Visually Impaired (YIS) at AKG Sweden and is stationed at our Växjö office. Every day he meets people who are seeking guidance, security, and hope for the future. For Yasin, the work is about seeing each individual as a whole person – with strengths, dreams, and opportunities. This interview is part of a series about our employees at AKG, where we highlight the people behind our work.

As a vision rehabilitation teacher, Yasin supports participants throughout the entire process towards work or education. He works with guidance, structure, and motivation – but above all with creating a safe space where people dare to believe in themselves again. For Yasin, it is important that every participant feels seen, heard, and respected.

Working at AKG was a natural step for Yasin. He has long been driven by helping people find their direction in life, and he saw AKG as a workplace where warmth, an inclusive approach, and development are central. The combination of meaningful work and strong values made him feel at home immediately.

It is the encounter with the person that matters most. Yasin describes how each day opens up new stories, new perspectives, and new possibilities – and how every conversation requires both patience and trust.
“The best part of my job is being able to listen – truly. To understand people’s journey, their background, and their hopes. And to be a small part of their development.”

Yasin highlights something he returns to again and again: warmth.
At AKG, he feels that people care – for real. There is a strong focus here on thoughtfulness and on uplifting each other.
“We create a positive culture where every person gets to take space and be themselves. There is a genuine joy in seeing others succeed.”

For Yasin, who works in the visual services (YIS) at AKG, accessibility is a natural part of both everyday life and his professional role. That is why it means a lot that AKG is one of the first companies in the world to introduce Smart Payslips – a new type of pay statement in Kivra that is fully compatible with screen reading tools. This ensures that all information in the statement is accessible even to people with visual impairments.

In practice, Smart Specs means that screen reader programs can access all payroll information in a structured and reliable way. The solution has been developed in close collaboration with employees involved in vision-related tasks, ensuring that it works in everyday life and meets real needs.

“That something as fundamental as a payslip is fully accessible to us with visual impairments is a big step forward. It shows that AKG not only talks about inclusion but actually practices it.”

The new specification meets the EU’s criteria for accessibility and also includes downloadable certificates directly in Kivra. It is a concrete example of how AKG works to make things easier for all employees – regardless of need. You can read more about this!

Work gives energy, meaning, and perspective. Yasin describes how each encounter with a participant makes him a little richer as a person.
“Every person I meet teaches me something new – about life, about the world, and about never stopping hoping. It makes me grow, both as a mentor and as a human being.”

For Yasin, listening is a superpower.

“I am a person who constantly wants to understand more. People make us curious, challenge us, and inspire us. I believe that we can see the world with our ears, our heart, and our imagination as our eyes.”

Yasin is one of the employees who makes AKG a little stronger every day through his dedication, care, and belief in people’s ability to grow.