The other day whilst reading a feed somewhere in my hundreds, I came across a link to a video .. this video in fact :

I instantly felt a recognition and affinity and especially wth the subtleties in the kaos (yes, oh yes, there’s subtleties), so much so it sent me hunting for more. I found it’s a creation by John Callahan who has a wikipedia entry here.

If anybody really knows me they’ll see why I like this so much. Some, like the person who complained about the ‘insensitivity’ of the cartoon shown above, won’t see anything, as they really don’t wish to see the reality of humanity in all its raw openness anyway.

You see I realise the affinity I felt was with John’s humanness, not specifically his disability.

I’m not gonna say much more except this guy has insights only other quads could recognise and does a bloody fine job pointing out some of the idiocy anyone with a disability lives around and through. A true artist.

Here’s links to some of his other stuff worth a watch:

Interview snippett

Part 1 of a tv documentary shown on Dutch TV:

and his other ‘Quads’ animated cartoon series

and his songs on youtube

For many years I’ve had an image in my head of an absurd cartoon that I’ve just been waiting for opportunity to be drawn. It’s the kind of image I think someone like John would appreciate and could really do justice – If there ever was such a thing in this world.

FWIW

Dave

Strangely or not, I tend not to see myself as disabled. Maybe that’s why I tend to focus on sharing more about what I’m doing than who I am or what I think about disability specific things – whatever those are.

It’s possibly also why when I refer to people with a disability I use the term people ‘living’ with disability. After all, tha’s what I’m doing. It’s also the focus I put on the possibilities technology can and does offer to enrich that ‘living’.

Besides which, I’m just a practical sort of guy.

I’m not the best at conveying what I feel either about what runs deep and not most elequant expressing what I really believe.

Sure I’ve had my lucid moments on issues I’m passionate about, which you’ll find within the years of posting here, and on my other blog - like Social Isolation, Co-presence and Barriers. Generally though words get in my way. Thankfully others don’t have the same problem.

Just recently I came across a post by Lauredhel titled “On ambient intimacy and assistive devices” that had me saying “yes, yes, yes; that’s what I wanted to say to so many people so many times”.

In part she writes about being social …

The internet is the virtual watercooler (or coffeehouse, or playgroup, or pub) for people like me, isolated due to disability. And I’m fed up with able-bodied folk slamming electronic community as a meaningless half-life. I’m sick of internet use being constructed as a signifier of a person as a pathetic loser worthy of mockery. And I’m over ignorant pundits reviling the rise in electronic community as The End of the World as We Know It, a one-way highway to the inevitable disengaged, apolitical fragmentation of society.

And in an analogy to be physical assistive devices… ”

People who use wheelchairs, for example, use wheelchairs. They get around in them. Wheelchairs are useful, value-neutral objects. People are not “bound” to them; they’re not “condemned” to life in a wheelchair. The use of a wheelchair doesn’t mark a person as either a sinister or pitiable caricature. And above all, people are not synonymous with their wheelchairs. They’re people who use a mobility device, a tool. (emphasis mine)

The internet may be many things, but it is also my social assistive device. And that’s not tragic, or threatening, or worthy of scorn. It just is.”

Do yourself a favour and read the whole thing on her blog “Hoyden About Town”

Thanks Lauredhel. This so underlines why I have felt strongly for nearly 30 years about technology as a tool in general, why I think the connection and openness that a social web enables is important and points to why I keep persisting with the idea that is Lifekludger.

Dave

Disabled people often poor
Thursday, 02 April 2009
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Economic hardship can be both a cause and a result of disability, according to the study. Image: iStockphoto There is a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and severe disability in capital cities, according to a report released 1 April 2009 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Read full release here.

Using Virtual Worlds and Emerging Technologies for People with Disabilities

This two-part, interactive event will take place in two locations online:

First, the live discussion in the virtual world of Second Life at 9am PST
The follow-up discussion will take place for the rest of the day, 10AM PST- 6PM PST, in TechSoup’s Accessible Technology & Public Computing forum at: <http://www.techsoup.org/go/accessibletechnology>
Event Schedule:

9 AM PST in the Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater in Second Life.

Simon Stevens (aka Simon Walsh in Second Life) <http://www.simonstevens.com> will be speaking about his work in Second Life. Simon Walsh is chief executive of Enable Enterprises which manages the Wheelies nightclub for people with disabilities in Second Life and the Second Ability Second Life simulator. In real life, Simon has cerebral palsy and lives in Coventry, UK. He is a disability consultant and trainer working with many organizations large and small.

Simon will give a virtual talk via text chat in the Nonprofit Commons amphitheater, in the virtual world of Second Life

10AM PST- 6PM PST –the follow-on discussion will continue in an all-day, asynchronous (not-live) forum on TechSoup. This event will occur in a question and answer format in the TechSoup Accessible Technology & Public Computing forum <http://www.techsoup.org/go/accessibletechnology>

Online Event: Using Virtual Worlds and Emerging Technologies for People with Disabilities in this forum, Feb. 29th, all-day, asynchronous (not-live). No registration is needed; just show up here and post your questions!

Accessible Technology and Public Computing message board, TechSoup

Dave

While deeply immersed in an excellent story of registering his recently purchased boat, I nearly fell out my wheelchair when I read his recounting what was on the registration form.

‘One of the checkboxes on the registration form asks if I’m “retarded.” I thought we were done lumping the various ways our intelligences fail us into that particular bucket…’

Like him, I too assumed we were done with that use of classification (ie: labelling). I’m surprised that they just don’t be done with it and ask another question using that other archaic label that the US seems to have forgotten to leave behind (along with inches, pounds, miles and gallons) – “are you handicapped?”.

As one definition of retarded is conveyed as “to slow up especially by preventing or hindering advance or accomplishment”, I was left wondering if it was referring to the 90 horsepower motor that Mr Weinberger’s poor boat was afflicted with.

But alas, that’d be wishful thinking. I am unfortunately left with the conclusion it’s the actual people who made the registration form itself.

I mean really, if you were ‘retarded’ and wanting to register for a hunting permit or register a boat, would you answer yes to that question?

Mr Weinberger’s point is that “Requests for metadata are expressive”. Well, he’s dead right. That request certainly expresses some attitudes held by the ‘authorities’ behind the form.

I was impressed by Mr Weinberger’s awareness and the deft expression he uses. I’m looking forward to “Everything is Miscellaneous” even more now!

Dave

Another big group and two hours trying talk loud as I could meant I was buggered aftewards
but very fulfilled.

I changed a few slides and added some more things to the stack this year, with a renewed focus about what therapy, occupational or otherwise, should really be all about – enabling people to connect.

The revised slidestack can be seen here or from under the Lifekludger Popular page. This only serves as a guide and to give direction for me on the day – a lot more is said than appears on the preso. So if anyone wants more details please contact me.

Dave

Meanwhile I know we have many any varied public come off the streets and into our building to use our free public access computers.

Today the two worlds collided when I was asked to help when a user couldn’t get to a geocities site. I quickly resolved the issue as something to do with cache refreshing, but not before listening briefly to what this quiet spoken, well mannered, clean yet somewhat shabbily dressed person was using the geocities site and our public access computers for.

He’s quietly waging a war on social inclusion. Putting the plight of the homeless and disenfranchised of Adelaide out there for public attention. Even told me there’s a homeless person who checks out the free food places and reports what they are like to him for putting up on the site – almost like a homeless restaurant review – though that’s doing these guys a disservice in merely terming it that.

So, if you want an insight into the life of the backlife in Adelaide, and a taste of the kind of wonderful people who make up life in the city, as they embody the spirit of self-empowerment – check out the Social Inclusion War site.

Just sayin.

Dave

If you’ve been reading, or better still, listening to the Extraordinary Everyday Lives podcast, you’ll know I’ve been battling with some Government bureaucratic nonsense around my work place support. Things got real stupid real quick and for no good reason except trying to ‘handle‘ people living with a disability rather than work with them. Let’s all say together ‘c o l l a b o r a t i o n’.

Anyway, I wasn’t taking it. I was sick of rolling of one more time to have them see their version of ‘help’ imposed upon me. I took up the issue on the grounds of their own policy inadequecies. Funy how “everybody likes to see justice done…on somebody else“.

Well I heard yesterday that they had decided to allow me to keep doing what I had been successfully doing for 13 years anyway.

Chalk one up for the little guy.

Keep kicking against the bricks!

Dave

Google, Amazon.com, AOL and Yahoo are helping defend online peer Craigslist against a lawsuit that would hold the Web site liable for discriminatory housing ads that appeared on its site.

The lawsuit against Craigslist was filed by Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

The committee argues that Craigslist has violated the Fair Housing Act by letting its users post ads in which they discriminate in seeking tenants, asking, for instance, for a “gay Latino” or a “clean, godly Christian male.” The lawsuit cites about 120 ads from July to October 2005.

Now I live in Australia and so don’t know about this “Fair Housing Act” spoken about, but it made me ask myself how I would feel if an ad appeared asking for a tenant that had a disability. Which, if you’ve just tuned in, I do.

I think the answer is, I’d feel bloody good.

Face it, no matter how much they protest they don’t, people discriminate. While I’m no aficionado on equal opportunity – far from it, I’m just your normal guy with a disability – here in Australia it seems the question is whether the discrimination is ‘fair’ in the circumstance (whatever that really means – ‘fair’ discrimination).

I mean, how do newspaper classifieds get on? They have personal columns; Guy seeks Guy for … Girl seeks Guy for … etc. I guess it’s to do with the ‘Act’ they operate under. Anyway, I digress.

Given my previous musings about the new spirit of openness that seems to be appearing on the net around all things web 2,0, I wonder if what’s happening on Craigslist with this lawsuit isn’t just one of those old rocks getting beaten against by a new wave in a growing ocean.

I mean isn’t openness better in that at least we know where we stand?

Rather than a negative, I see what’s happening on Craigslist as a positive indicator of society. It is an indication of acceptance of and an expressed desire for people to be included by other people. It’s saying to the people being offered tenancy ‘you’re wanted‘ in society.

The reverse also applies and is also seen, in the negative light, in access to the built environment – when I can’t get in a shop to spend my money, when transport isn’t accessible to everybody, society is saying ‘you’re not wanted‘.

Regardless of an ‘Act’ or any real or perceived discrimination, or an argument over a written law, we should be looking what it says about the spirit of the society we live in. Inclusion should be celebrated.

Notions of what society says about inclusion really stood out to me in Second Life (SL). You’ve got all sorts of weird looking people in there, but everyone I’ve met seems to get along and be accepting. I wonder if it’s because, much like Star Trek, most avatars are based around a walking human form.

When I first entered SL I went looking for a place to buy a wheelchair. In fact, the only efforts I’ve made to build anything in SL are to attempt to build a wheelchair that I can sit in. So far all I’ve managed is rubber looking hollow wheels.

Alright, so you can fly in SL, but my point is when I see in ‘First Life’, classifieds everywhere advertising a tenancy for a person with a disability I’ll really believe we are beginning to live anti-discrimination rather than just talk and make laws about it.

In the mean time, I’m backing openness.

[tags]openness, web 2.0, craigslist, google, discrimination, disability, inclusion, accecptance, society, yahoo, aol, amazon.com, second life[/tags]

Put another way, you could say things are generally the same here in Darwin as home in Adelaide – aside from the obvious one, the weather.

There are differences obviously – but the weather really seems to be the only big difference.

There’s still the same stupid hiccups caused by miscommunications between different layers of staff. Qantas staff on phone are great and promise the earth assuring everything will be rosy and yet the people on the ‘ground’ obviously don’t get that message. What it seems like is a big company with lotsa little ‘groups’, all having their own internal ‘customer education’sessions on how to put the ‘company line’ yet not having enough interaction overlap to give a cohesive ‘customer experience’.

The best analogy I could give is it’s like a big game of ‘chinese whispers’.

The people do their best and are very congenial but there’s gaps in the system that generally you wouldn’t see, but travel with a disability and they become instantly obvious.

Besides which people either just don’t use common sense or have no real world idea of who they’re trying to serve – or maybe both.

And it’s not just in the air transport. The Hotel gave me the same type of experience. The needs were clearly outlined ahead of time to someone on the phone and somehow got missed, overlooked or just muddled up. Nothing was `life-threating’ or more than an inconvenience, but again it was clear that systems to ensure continuity of experience just weren’t either up to it, or the people just don’t care about details – even though they appear to.

‘It’s the little foxes that spoil the hedge‘ is how the saying goes. And, likewise, ‘The devil is in the detail‘. And that’s the upshot of it – the detail, the ‘little’ things.

In a world of ‘same-ness’ it’s the details that are going to make the difference.

And I’m not talking about details and little things in terms of mints on pillows, or smiles on faces, inflight treats or glib company catch phrases. I’m talking about every person in a company or organisation saying what they mean, meaning what they say and making sure it happens consistently down the line – paying attention to the details in the conversation.

Oh, I arrived fine, pretty much unstressed – even though I had to wait over an hour and half for a taxi at the airport, but really, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at that – it’s the same story in Adelaide. Luckily I was going on holiday and the time didn’t really matter. But if I had been on a schedule I would’ve been utterly stuffed and the rub is it would not have been due to a lack of detail planning with the information I had, but a lack of attention given to my detailed planning.

And so it goes. The saying ‘He who fails to plan, plans to fail‘ is holding less sway in my estimation of valuable things to remember….especially when it seems you’re dealing with systems whose value is on appearance rather than substance.

Dave

[tags]darwin, disability, travel, qantas, service[/tags]

I’m gonna try and get them down before the latter (cerebral) ones give out on me. Follow the links (web) and try to keep up with my thoughts.

I wrote in my previous post about how the problem getting people with disabilities involved in a conversation in the CRC was generally an empowerment issue to partake (consume) in the opportunity:
Empowering a conversation based on Focused Intention

That post pointed to Lloyd’s blog about the CRC. Lloyd previously blogged about strategic commercial advantages in developing technology after chatting with Mark Bagshaw:
Strategic thinking in Technology Development

Mark Bagshaw, Director Accessibility for IBM Australia & New Zealand, has been on about the commercial untapped market that exists in people with a disability for ages:
Smart Thinking And Money

So, the Tourism people are getting wise:
Tourism for the disabled regarded as a new niche tourism market

Okay. Tourism issues from the proprietors’ angle is largely about access to a built environment and transport. These businesses recognise that their premises are their business – using it is the thing they sell – access to and in and around their premises by people, even if they have a disability, is a value proposition.

Now we just need the ‘wiseness’ to spread. Last week I drove past 3 different places that weren’t accessible to go to a place that was to buy a particular electrical item. I was having lunch too at that time, so neighbouring businesses serving food also missed out on my moola. More and more, I just bypass places who don’t want my money because they don’t bother to see me as a consumer, and I spend it somewhere that does.

I think the key reason why the Tourist people are starting to get it and others aren’t is that for those others they don’t see their premises as part of their business. They see their business as selling food, or selling car parts, or selling gadgets…not selling building space (which is basically what accomodation owners do, albeit on ashort term basis). To them, the building is just a thing in which to put the stuff they want to sell.

All businesses need to start seeing that their business isn’t about selling ‘stuff‘ at all, it’s about people. Then the people will be their focus and doing things to remove barriers to getting the people to their ‘stuff’ will be seen as a value proposition.

Markets are conversations? If I can’t access the seller to talk about what their selling we can’t have the conversation and I can’t ‘consume’. Market-gone…..to someone who will have the conversation with me!

See, it’s not just a virtual market we’re talking about.

We were talking about the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) bid and the desire to engage people with disabilities, and those whom to the CRC will be potential ‘end-users’, as an integral part of the CRC operations. Blogging and emerging citizen publishing and communication mechanisms is expected to play a big part. However the bigger question is what are the barriers for participation and being involved? What stops the conversation?

The goal is to get input from the end result – lets call it ‘5‘. However this requires enabling those you are wanting results from to be at a level of ability – this end result – this ‘5‘. But not all will be. Sometimes they’ll be starting at ‘3‘ or ‘2‘ or some even ’1‘.

Empowering the people with technical and even moral support that goes beyond (or even behind) the actual end result that is trying to be achieved is a huge part of enabling the conversation in my thinking and experiences.

There are some things you can’t get straight at. Sometimes you cannot get ‘second‘ things simply by seeking them. Often you have to do ‘first‘ things first. Even further than that, some things are only ever a RESULT of doing ‘first‘ things first and ‘second‘ things evolve naturally as a result of those actions.

Now Lloyd and I totally agree we need this. But the question we were pondering is how do we show or put up a good case that investment in the arena of getting from ‘1 to 5‘ is worthwhile and neccessary?
How do we do this so we can agrue that the CRC bid includes funding for those activities?

It concerns me that CRCs are so ‘output‘ focused that those ‘inputs‘ required that are sort of ‘outside’ the scope of what would traditionally be seen as ‘core’ business, will be overlooked. Or it might be argued that it’s ‘easier’ or more ‘efficient’ to bypass such empowerment and building.

This would be such a waste, both in terms of the potential of the relevence of the ‘outputs‘ from the CRC but also in the lost opportunity to build the ‘inputs‘ – the real people’s skills and abilities and talents and self, to be raised to new levels for the long term.

What we need is someone like Seth Godin onboard to challenge the ‘traditional’ thinking.

While it might be seen as a different context, I see similarities to what Doc Searls’ termed the ‘Intention Economy‘. Doc says …

The Intention Economy grows around buyers, not sellers.

We have an intention for a CRC to build technology for independent living to improve people’s lives. In effect we have people saying ‘build us widgets so we can have a better life with this disability’. The ‘buyers’ here are the people and organisations who will use the technology.
The ‘sellers’ will eventually be the companies formed out of the CRC endeavours, but at this bid stage the selller could be considered as the CRC.

Doc also outlines that …

The Intention Economy is built around truly open markets, not a collection of silos.

The whole CRC concept is about developing and growing a ‘market’ around disability based on research outcomes. The crafted mechanism to deliver that needs to be driven by those it is intended for -and to do so it must include them! To come at it from the other direction, the traditional way, is to build a silo. And we all know what silos are used for – to store stuff – not distribute it!

For the CRC to build and grow the market it aims to, it must engage all the ‘buyer’ groups and individuals in its’ ‘economy’, and it must do it in an environment and ‘spirit’ of openness – in an ‘open’ (not merely transparent) way.

The CRC should be all about the people in a holistic sense, not just about ‘outputted’ technology.

People-centric not technology-centric.

[tags]crc, lloyd+walker, intention+economy, disability, disabled, independent+living[/tags]

The following is a direct crosspost from my Lifekludger blog. If you get the impression I’m not happy… you are right!

Virtual Geographic Kludging

Here’s the story. I had been hearing lots aboiut David Allen’s book “Getting things done”. I had heard it was available through audible.com and so wandered over there, credit card at the ready, to purchase a audio download of the book.

Having a disability that severely restricts my ability to handle physical “paper” books, the prospect of an audio book meant this would be more accessible to me. In fact, there is no way I would buy the physical book.

Little was I to know.

As it turns out, audible is more inaudible. It appears that because I have an address that is in Australia, and I foolishly gave my true address, the system will not let me access the audio book.

You can read below what audible said when I enquired.

A lot of bloody good that does me! All these publishing people may have their “legal” reasons for justifying their geographic discrimination, but whatever justification spin they want to put on it IT STILL DOESN’T HELP ME ACCESS THE BLOODY BOOK!

Just more barriers to overcome!

So, as a kludge I am asking anybody who does not live in Australia who may be willing to have a “virtual boarder” reside with them and donate their address for the sole purpose of lying to audible so I can actually PAY them to get access to a book.

Anyone who feels they will be able to help me out in this, please email me or leave a comment and I will email you.

Dave – Lifekludger

(I wonder what someone like Seth Godin would make of this response)

—————————————————————
Subject – Geographical restrictions

Discussion Thread
—————————————————————
Response (Arun V.) – 02/26/2006 08:59 PM
Dear David,

Thanks for contacting Audible, the world’s largest online destination for downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word entertainment.

I apologize for the inconvenience. This one is an issue of Geographical restrictions. Not all books are available worldwide.

When publishers decide to publish a work, they acquire the rights to distribute that title in certain parts of the globe. Sometimes they buy “world” rights, but frequently the rights for a book are split among several companies, each of whom publish for certain countries. As a distributor, we need to abide by the restrictions that publishers assume when they publish a work. Thousands of our titles are available for “world” distribution. You can find a catalog of our “world” titles at or by clicking on the “View All Categories” link on our left nav bar on our homepage.

If you need further assistance, please try our online Help Center, where you’ll find quick answers to many common questions and issues. You may also contact us directly during our regular business hours:
Mon – Fri we are open 24 hours
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

We appreciate your interest in Audible, and wish you many hours of great listening.

Sincerely,
Arun

[tags]publishing, drm, subversion, barriers, lunacy, gtd, david+allen, seth-godin, disability[/tags]

If you’d looked closely at my Flicker photos you would have seen some shots of a conference between James Farmer (edublogs), Mike Seyfang (Learndog) and myself (Lifekludger) resulting in James graciously offering to host the enableblogs site – a concept which had been burning in my brain ever since seeing a blog and imagining what they could do to empower an individual voice and link and grow conversations and ideas. In the enableblogs case, the conversations would be around disability and issues of ‘enablement’ generally.

That conference was barely 2 weeks ago.

Then last Friday,4 days ago, while chatting with James online, he switched on the WPMU magic for enableblogs to come to life.

The timing couldn’t have been better – it was a mere 30 minutes before I met with Lloyd Walker from Novitatech to take him into the world of blogging and what I think it has to offer his bid for a CRC here in Adelaide.

The meeting went well with Lloyd and by the end he was ready to sign up for a blog. How marvelous it was then to be able to plug him straight into an enableblog – the platform and environment where I envisage just such a project and blog should be.

Lloyd seems to have embraced the idea, including his first post a couple days later. I am sure when he gets a handle on things more and more good information will come out of Lloyd about the CRC proposal.

[tags]enableblogs, james farmer, edublogs, learndog, disability, lifekludger[/tags]

Qantas under fire over restricted access for disabled passengers

If it erks you too…..please go here and tell them!

Disability Blogs Roundup, #4

I’ll start the roundup this month with a welcome to some new disability-related blogs. Australian David N. Wallace has put up TWO: blob is his personal blog, and LifeKludger is specifically for posts about strategies and technologies for barrier-busting. Samples: the former has a nice post on the concept of disintermediation as it relates to the history of disability rights; the latter has a recent post about the kinds of specialized robot arms Wallace would like to see developed.

Thanks Prof.

As I look around at what’s going on in what Mike terms this “Web 2.0 world of disintermediation“, it occurred to me to draw a comparison to a situation closer to home.

In recent years many of the people with disabilities that had spear-headed advancements in independent community living, home care, integration and raising the status and lifestyles of those living with disability in South Australia, have died. They took with them many experiences and stories about their lives, exploits, defeats and victories.

As part of trying to get funding to get a history of disability project off the ground at work, we have captured a few short stories of current people we know as well as talked about the exploits of those recently passed. In all instances they leave me inspired. In effect, these people who were pioneers, or champions, of their time are today heros. And tey deserve recognition as such.

Most of their efforts forward were to be without a ‘middle man’ – in their case the ‘system’ and community attitudes of the time. And their foresight, vision and desire, mixed with huge doses of courage, is what got them nearer to where they wanted to go and empowered others to do so.

It occurs to me that the pioneers, or champions, of today are the heros of tomorrow.

Put your wagons in a circle troops!

Going back a few posts under the title upright drifters I wrote about a presentation involving my life-tools and other things I was preparing for an OT class.

Well that’s been and gone but there was a request for the powerpoint file, so I thought I’d put it up with a link from here.

Here’s the presentation file.

The presentation acts mostly as a guide to give direction for me on the day – a lot more is said than appears on the preso. So if anyone wants more details please contact me using one of my email addresses on my blog profile page or my personal web page. Or if you want to discuss something please leave a comment below.

I was actually heartened to see so many people who were genuinely interested in the profession they’re studying and some passion about inequity. I was impressed by some of the knowledge of current disability issues and in particular the discrepancies between the Australian Building Code (ABC) and the Australian Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the work being done in that area. All in all it was great.