It might actually be more appropriate for Vulcan Viper to write this, but anyway... Since it's been so long that I've posted something on my blog, I thought I'd finally share something again. This time, it's a text that I made quite some time ago it was intended to be among these testimonials, but it has yet to be added.
As far back as 2009, Second Life had already become so big that news about it traveled all the way from the US to The Netherlands, where I live.
When I saw something of Second Life, I saw it as an ideal platform for showing how to build in real life, so that everything would be accessible to people with disabilities. So, on August 22, 2009, Vulcan Viper was born. I started a group called Accessibility In Mind with the idea of sharing my new approach in there, but it didn't really take off.
I did get a job with Goff Management Group (GMG) and later with Verballis Translation Services. I love my jobs and also participating in GMG’s weekly GeekSpeak event, but my biggest reason for staying in SL is Virtual Ability.
Virtual worlds, and especially Second Life, offer the chance to visit places, even if in real life they are much too far away, or completely inaccessible to someone who, like me, needs to use a wheelchair for his mobility. Virtual Ability adds to this in a way that may only take a few words to describe, but means so much, especially to people with disabilities. This is, I suppose, what keeps me coming back time and again.
My needs may vary, and I may not always be willing or able to express what I feel, but whatever I wish for - be it solitude, support, a listening ear, advice - I can always find it in Virtual Ability.
I even found love, but the love of my life is kept out of SL, due in part to people believing that SL is to blame for what has happened in her real life. But, let me get back to Virtual Ability.
Whenever we do anything, it’s very important to us that everyone can enjoy it. To that end, I help by giving a voice to those who cannot speak, or typing for those who can only use voice. Sometimes, I also describe what the sighted among us can see, although I don’t think I’m very good at that.
In the past, I’ve given presentations on topics such as Esperanto, meditation, and managing passwords. I also regularly lead an event entitled Going for Games, during which we go to an area filled with games which we can enjoy. In doing these simple things, I hope to give back to Virtual Ability for everything they give to me...which I doubt I could ever do justice to.
So, what do I enjoy doing in Virtual Ability? Oh, let’s see... There’s Slatan’s weekly Mystery Tour, where we go to all sorts of places in Second Life. I also enjoy the weekly campfire hour where we grab a sleeping bag and chat about whatever comes to mind. Then there’s Show & Tell where we share something we found during the past week, be it in real life or SL. There’s also MermaidSue’s Always Better Together, which is an informal meeting where we chat about a different topic each week, which is related to living with a disability.
Outside of Virtual Ability, I enjoy GeekSpeak which is a weekly event where we discuss some geeky topic. I also enjoy many performing artists such as Essence McGinnis, Mavenn, Samm Qendra, Stinna Celt, Harmonia Trefoil, and Phil Setner. I also enjoy going to gigs by DJs such as Eria Ziemia and our very own Keao Wright.
But, let’s get back to Virtual Ability again. VAI has so much to offer! There’s our sanctuary, where only VAI members go, Gentle’s Beach Café, Deaf Chat Café (I hope I got the name right), we have apartments that VAI members can rent for only L$1 per week, we have a library...but, consisting largely of people with disabilities, the most important thing we offer is understanding; the understanding that a disability can cause one to be sensitive to things which most people might find harmless, or that lack of social contact in real life can make one feel insecure, or that a disability means that one needs more than a minute to type one word, and that may not be all.
Such understanding is simply priceless, and I doubt you’ll find that anywhere but in Virtual Ability.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. If you have any questions or comments, then please let me know in the form down below.
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