Mom Not Otherwise Specified, a blog worth your time

I've been meaning to write this for a couple of weeks, but a painful oral surgery whose effects lasted through the Thanksgiving weekend had me slowed down. Sorry about the delay in getting this here.

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading my tweets and was told about a very worthwhile blog post. I'd never heard of the blog, but relied on the credibility of the person I was following and went to check it out. Man, was I floored!

The blog was one called
Mom - Not Otherwise Specified
and is written by, well, a mom who writes
"On raising a son on the autism spectrum, progressive politics, pop culture, and coffee addiction."

But, it is so much more than that. The writer grasps the different emotional perspectives of her son, as filtered through his autism, and relates them so vividly in her writing. This blog is very well written and I would encourage the mom to keep on writing. After some period of time when you've gathered enough material, I believe it would make an awesome book. Yes, you write that well.


If you've not read her blog before, do go there on the link above. Just read the latest post (Nov. 7, 2009) about her son meeting country singer Dierks Bentley, and I think you'll understand why I'm such a fan of her writing.

Additionally, if you've never heard of Dierks or his music, I think you'll be a big fan of his after reading this. Dierks totally rocks for how well he took on his job.

Thoughts on more access spinning off of iPhone 3.0's accessibility

I’ve still not even checked out the iPhone, with its new, whizbang 3.0 OS offering out-of-the-box accessibility, but I’m here to tell you that there is a lot more than buzz going on about this in the blind community. There is thought and reflection on where this can go from here. To wit, I share two recent blog posts.

First, an intelligent thought is offered by T. Reid in his cleverly titled piece
Accessibility, There’s An App For That!

T. begins by looking at the idea of reading Amazon’s Kindle books on the iPhone, using the already available Kindle app with Voice Over, which would beat the Kindle’s own, now-neutered text-to-speech potential. He also looks at other possible apps that might come from innovation. Read his post to see his thoughts.

And, my good friend Marcus Engel has also stepped into the reality of technology and finally claimed some geekiness wherein he proposes the idea of an
App to run NLS books on the iPhone.

Now, that idea Marc is proposing isn’t just an idle thought. He’s already stepped up to the plate and initiated communications that might get something going here. Read his post to see what I mean. Also, make sure to write an email of your own, encouraging the development of this possible app

accessibility@apple.com

Good work, guys!

Carlo Lingiardi offers insight to adjustment process following onset disability

as a result of writing this blog,I’ve met several people, and today, I want to share one of these people with you, as he’s also begun his own blog. I feel his writings reflect a good and honest perspective of what it is like for somebody going through the dynamic process of adjustment to life after a traumatic, onset disability.

While pursuing one of his interests, competetive bicycling,
Carlo Lingiardi,
Had an accident which forever changed his life.

Previous to the accident, Carlo had been an executive with an international shoe company. However, the October, 2005 accident resulted in Carlo being in a coma for two months. The traumatic brain injury he received has left him using a wheelchair, unable to walk by himself, and he is also now blind to some extent.

One of the treatments Carlo is most optimistic about is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). He writes about this regularly and his hope and faith in this treatment can’t be overlooked.

You will also notice that his family is one of the constant subjects in Carlo’s writings. He echoes one of the earliest understandings I had about an onset disability – we don’t function in a vacuum; what happens to an individual impacts the lives of all those who are around him.

I wish Carlo well in his pursuits and pray that his recovery delivers what he is hoping for. I’ll be following his progress as he writes about them in the future.

Blind Bargains 2009 Access Awards voting underway-- go vote

For those who don’t know about
Blind Bargains,
The regularly updated and very useful web site list daily deals of interest to those of us who are blind and into technology. I receive their daily email update, but they also offer an RSS feed to keep readers updated of the latest deals.

Besides just listing great deals on tech-related issues, last year the Blind Bargains folks began awarding the Access Awards. They kicked it off by first asking for reader input on a variety of categories regarding blind technology and access. The categories included best software, hardware, web site, blog, and others.

Well, that was last year and the sophomore nomination process is over. It is now time for the voting round in the second annual Blind BargainsAccess Awards.

I am very humbled and proud to find Access Ability nominated for best blindness-related blog. I would sincerely appreciate it if you would go to the
Voting Round page
And cast your vote for Access Ability as the best blog.

The other nominated blogs are almost all names which regular readers have seen referenced as sources of information here on Access Ability. They are blogs that I read regularly and whose authors I regard with utmost esteem. So, it is truly an honor to be grouped with these blogs which are very well respected within the blind community. I am proud to be mentioned worthy of hanging with these guys:

Blind Access Journal,

Fred’s Head Companion,

Mobile Space,

and
The Ranger Station.

And, aside from just voting for the best blog, please take the time to cast your vote for the other categories as well.

Blind Bloggers group offers resource for problem solving

This news is not directly related to DSS at colleges and universities, but does relate to issues of web accessibility, and is very particular to myself as a blogger who is blind.

Blind Bloggers
is a new group on
Google Groups,
which is just what its name states, a group for bloggers who are blind.

Boy, does this bring back memories. I recall some issues I used to have when I first began blogging where I needed to ask somebody a question about using Blogger with a screen reader. Thankfully for me, I knew two people, both blind screen reader users, who helped me solve problems as they arose. This group is one of those “slap yourself on the head” kind of ideas, where you say, “Now, why didn’t I think of that?” The group gives a gathering place for those who have some knowledge to share with others who might encounter similar problems. It is yet another resource to reach for.

For background, the Blind Bloggers group spun off a conversation on the
Accessible
Google group.

The question was raised if a group existed for blind bloggers. One of the now 13 members of the Blind Bloggers group was seeking a resource to resolve some problem she was having and it was an issue that might be typical for bloggers who were blind.

Voila! A star was born.

(Thanks to
Tim O'Brien
for starting the group and letting me know about it.)

We now resume our normal blogging day.

Why are some disabled people so mean?

In the regular email announcement I get from
Disaboom,
an interesting topic for discussion and perspective taking was the lead, featured article.

In her blog post,
Vicki
Discusses the subject, “Why are some disabled people so mean?”

Don’t get the wrong idea. This was not a topic Vicki chose at random. This was something she found on
Yahoo Answers
While browsing through questions. Actually, I think Vicki was surprised that there Was a question posted that actually had the title
Why are some disabled people so mean?

The original question on Yahoo Answers read:

today I saw this older disable woman having a really hard time opening a door so I went over and opened the door for her. She gave me a dirty look and didn't even thank me. Once inside the store she started holding her purse like I was going to steal it.

This isn't the only disabled people who's been mean towards me. So I made a promise to myself today not to help another disabled person.

I’m not trying to steal Vicki’s idea here. I think there is room for much discussion on this subject. That’s why I’m writing this.

There are mean people in any segment of the population, no matter which segments one might compare. You can break it down by gender, race, culture, or whatever, and there will be mean people in any given segment. Sure, there are mean disabled people, but there are a lot of nice ones as well. Perhaps the nice ones don’t leave as strong of a lasting impression.

I’m sorry that this poster had a bad experience with that one woman, but perhaps he needs to see how he came across. I’m not a hater of people helping me out, but I’m not necessarily helpless just because I’m blind either. I also believe that people want to help, but don’t always know how to offer their assistance. Some fumble the ball and force their unsolicited help on the disabled person.

To give a prime example from real life, On more than one occasion, I’ve been at a street crossing, waiting for a light to change so I could cross safely and had somebody actually take my arm to lead me across. They didn’t ever ask, but just grabbed my arm and said, “Here, let me help you,” and tried to pull me along like a human tow truck. Perhaps these people didn’t notice my ability to get to that corner on my own, through other intersections safely and independenly with my guide dog. I tried to be polite in those situations when I pulled my arm back and said, “No thank you, I’m fine.”


And, polite society seems to indicate that as somebody who sometimes needs assistance I should be nice and cordial in all situations where somebody offers help, whether I asked for it or not. I can’t promise that. It gets old when it happens more than once every now and again.


However, I can promise that I am grown up and mature enough that I don’t leave that encounter thinking, “Why are some non-disabled people mean?” Come to think about it, if I posted a question to Yahoo answers with that very thought, I don’t think anyone would take it as more than some pitiful rambling from a poor, whining blind guy.

All is not lost, though. At a recent speaking engagement, the manager of a hotel and conference center asked me what is the best way to help somebody who has a noticeable disability. He wanted to hear my perspective so that he could share it with his staff. My reply was for the staff member to introduce him or herself and ask if there is anything that they might be able to provide assistance with. This leaves it up to the person with the disability to indicate the type of help that might be most useful. Just because there is a visible disability, there may be a greater need than what is obvious. By asking how they can be of assistance, well-meaning people leave the invitation offer up to the person with disability, empowering them to be able to decide what is best for them.

I a Mr. Positive nearly every day and present an upbeat approach to almost every situation I face. Once in a while, though, I do encounter somebody who strikes me wrong. If I offend somebody, I expect them to let me know. Likewise, if somebody offends me, I’ll let them know that they did. And, I promise I can do it nicely most of the time. However, every once in a while, my reaction might sting a bit. So, don’t hate me and I promise that I won’t hate you either.

Meeting the challenge of finding employment

One of the regular RSS feeds I subscribe to is
Fred’s Head Companion,
sponsored by the American Printing House for the Blind and of general interest to blind and visually impaired readers. However, I often find that the items discussed or information being offered would be useful and of interest to a broader scope than tjust the BVI population.

This is definitely the case with the recent post,
Meeting the challenge of finding employment.

The insight offered covers many subjects -- from resume writing, filling out an employment application, interviewing tips, and some information that would be of use to anybody just entering the world of work. The information would apply equally well to a high school student looking for a summer job or to a college graduate entering the professional world. It works just as well for somebody managing an onset disability trying to think through the sometimes daunting prospect of re-entering the job market. The post raises job issues that others will need to address, but also poses these questions, such as transportation, in the light which are essential issues to be answered by job applicants with a disability.

Check out Fred’s Head Companion for this post, but when you’re finished, either bookmark it or put it in your RSS feeds. If you’re reading Access Ability, then FHC has relevant information that will suit your needs just as well.

New assistive technology blog to share with you

I just learned about a new assistive technology blog that I want to tell you about.

James Bailey’s
Managing Assistive Technology in Higher Education
Blog is one of those “right on target” resources for postsecondary disability service professionals.

I learned of this blog through a news alert about his most recent post,
Faculty Development and Document Accessibility,
Which gives some great suggestions for helping faculty understand just what some assistive technology can do. The post offers the idea that by conducting this type of outreach, the DS coordinator can also open the faculty members’ minds to what the needs of different students are as well. Bailey uses this piece to stress the positive aspects of universal design and shows how this can be implemented by proactive involvement by the DSO.

Even if you are in some other role besides postsecondary disability services, this blog may provide useful information. If you have an understanding or need of assistive technology, then check it out. It is definitely on my list of blogs to watch. I’m adding it to my RSS feeds and to my blogroll.

And, if you like what you see and want more, Bailey also has a personal web site,
jamesbailey.org
where he offers additional AT resources and also promotes his consulting business.

Next edition of the Assistive Technology Blog Carnival hits the web

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the barker announced in his resonant, commanding tone. “Step right up and enjoy the carnival!”

Yes, this means that the latest edition of
The Assistive Technology Blog Carnival
is now up and running.

There is a collection of twelve posts gathered there on a variety of subjects. These run from using AT to play computer games to using both audio and eTexts for accessing textbooks. There’s even a piece about a virtual world that was created for people with autism in the Second Life realm.

Go read the carnival and leave a personal favorite in the comments. Also, give some thought to becoming a member of this growing community and submitting a post for the next installment.

Are we all Web 2.0 crazy?: A blog that is more than it appears

I’ve found another good blog to share with you. This blog's author's name will be familiar if you've read recent comments left back and forth between Ruth and myself.

While it is relatively new and the blog’s title does not indicate that it deals with assistive technology, don’t let it fool you.
Are we all Web 2.0 crazy?
Has recently Jumped feet first into the quest for web accessibility.

Ruth is a librarian at Oxford University…yes, that Oxford…and works with students with disabilities. She has a keen interest in assistive technology and web accessibility. Though sighted, she has recently tackled a few well-known web pages with JAWS to see just how accessible they are with a screen reader.

Check out Ruth’s blog and share feedback on her findings. If you’ve got a site that you’d like Ruth to check out, drop her a comment. I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.

While this blog may be new, I find Ruth’s insightful writing fresh and interesting. I’ve got her in my personal RSS feeds so I can keep up with her writing. You can also find her blog on my blogroll on the side.

No Limits to Life blog and Assistive Technology carnival

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

I guess it can be called information overload. I get a little overwhelmed, read a good number of some good articles and posts and, with all good intentions, bookmark them to come back later and write about them. Then, sometimes, things happen in my non-blog life, distracting me and I get a little slow in getting the post written.

This time, my hesitation has led to me being trumped.

For over a week now, I’ve had Lon Thornburg’s
No Limits to Life
Blog bookmarked, planning to write a post here about this smartly written assistive technology resource.

After leaving a comment on one of Lon’s posts last week, he checked out Access Ability and has written a very complimentary post about my humble blog. Thanks, Lon. (He also sent me an equally complimentary email about Access Ability.)

Despite looking like a tit for tat exchange, I’m still going to rave about No Limits to Life, though. This is one of the most intelligent and realistic perspectives I’ve seen presented on using assistive technology. I feel this is a great sister site that anybody who reads Access Ability would find of interest. The issues and concerns shared on it are timely and of interest to those in the postsecondary disability services field, as well as anybody with an interest in disabilities and assistive technology.

As an extra topping on this sweet dessert, Lon has also begun the
Assistive Technology Carnival.
If you’re wanting to familiarize yourself with the carnival style presentation of ideas, do check out this site.

The way the carnival works is that different bloggers write posts related to the proposed theme by the deadline and the host site writes a brief piece, linking to each of them. Last month’s theme on the initial round was “How you use assistive technology.” I had just read that round of the carnival when the deadline had passed, so I missed out on that one.

This month’s theme is “My favorite post” and the only restriction is that it must be related to assistive technology. The deadline for inclusion is Friday, April 25, 2008.

Like the blog says, “Any level of user is welcome. This is not just for experts.” So, if you are so inclined, submit your favorite blog post (or link to it)by email to
lonthornburg@nolimits2learning.com

Alternatively, you can also submit your post directly to the blog carnival site at
http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_3810.html

I’ve also added both the No Limits to Life blog and the AT Carnival blog on my blogroll for future reference.

I’ll see you at the carnival!

Blog author approaches self advocacy in personal manner

I’m always one to speak up for self advocacy and take this matter very seriously. However, I had a good chuckle at the steps the author of the
Stone Deaf Pilots blog
Recently Took to ensure accessibility at her gym.

To put it in a nutshell, the gym has several television sets in the cardio room. Sometimes, one of the sets had closed captioning enabled, but at other times, none did. When she raised the matter to the staff, she was met with stonewall responses and a perceived indifference to her needs. Read the post linked above to see how she raised awareness to the need for closed captioning to be enabled and see if you don’t find yourself cheering on her advocacy efforts.

Useful guide on interacting with people with different disabilities

A very useful guide to understanding how people with a spectrum of differing disabilities perform varied tasks and how to interact with these individuals can be found on the
For Inspirational blog.

The opening paragraph sets up much of what follows.

“Nearly all employers and human resource professionals are aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Yet, how often do you, your colleagues, or the average individual have contact with someone who is visually impaired/blind, using a wheel chair, or profoundly deaf? When you do, how do you react? Interact? Ignore? Assist? Marvel at their ability to move through their environment living full and productive lives?”

“What can you do to put yourself and the person with a disability at ease? Well, this is our purpose here. It is not to attempt to answer all your questions. Rather, to discuss appropriate methods for interacting with individuals who are disabled while squelching many myths and misconceptions. You'll learn what to do and not do, techniques and technologies used for employment as well as in daily living.”

The paragraphs that follow are informative and work to share insight to the world of disabilities. More than focusing on the disability, it emphasizes the individual’s sense of ability, which is definitely worth sharing.

Being that no other source is cited, I’ll assume that the writer of this material was the blog’s author, niki16. However, checking niki16’s profile informs readers that this author writes 159 blogs on a wide range of subjects. A random examination of many of those blogs will show several posts by niki16 as recent as yesterday. So, niki16 is either very busy or has some automated program doing lots of blogging.

I’m not here to dis the author, but to share the useful information. I’m just questioning the source.

growing up with a disability offers grown up insight

I just came across
Growing up with a disability,
A blog written by David , a college student who understands so much more than his 21 years belie.

Evidence of this maturity is spelled out very clearly on his blog’s “About” page:
“I am 21 years old and am taking a year away from college to pursue this project. I like sports, music, travel, and conversation. And, I have cerebral palsy.”
And
“I believe society often underestimates the complexity of living with a disability - the joys, the challenges, the ordinary, and the extraordinary. “

There are two points worthy of noting in those statements.

First, Did you notice how he identified himself? Not only did he take the person first approach, but the cerebral palsy was included almost as a footnote. Yes, he happens to have a disability; however, this is but one facet of David’s character, which is overly abundant in his writings.

Secondly, in the last statement, he speaks volumes when he said, “the ordinary, and the extraordinary.”

The general public categorizes people with visible disabilities which are classified as severe all too often in one of either two bins-- the “poor soul” category with no semblance of normality in life, or the “supercrip” who is the maximum over-achiever, and moste suredly an anomaly amongst his or her disabled peers. However, like David points out, many people with these extreme disabilities would probably call their lives ordinary.

I am making a genralization in that last statement, but am speaking from the many conversations I’ve had with friends whose disabilities span a broad spectrum of conditions and limitations. These people have a life, family, friends, and enjoy activities and hobbies like most ordinary folks. They may have to go about these activities a little different to participate, but the enjoyment is the same. They are just ordinary people, but happen to have a disability.

Okay, enough pontificating from me. Good work there, David for putting so succinctly what it took me a couple of paragraphs to write out.

One particular post I found interesting on David’s blog was his most recent, Sept. 9 post about going to college. In that post, he spells out the assistive technologies of all sorts which has served him well and gives credit to an often overlooked genius among his helpers. This post also says a lot about the individual resourcefulness each of us provides and how we can all benefit from synergy. Not to mention, that post has some very useful tips on adaptations, remedies, and fixes others might find useful.

Patricia E Bauer offers professionally written resource blog for disabilities

I have been reading a blog regularly for a couple of weeks now that I want to share with you.

It is written by
Patricia E. Bauer,
“a freelance journalist who is fascinated by the convergence of science, medicine, ethics, public policy, disability and the media.”

Ms. Bauer has professional writing credentials to be envied. According to the blog site, “She has served as senior editor of the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine; special assistant to the publisher of the Washington Post; reporter and bureau chief at the Washington Post, and pundit on public affairs television in Los Angeles. Her articles have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times and many other publications.”

Her interest in disabilities and the related issues of this domain may stem from the fact that she and her husband are parents to two children, one of whom has Down syndrome and is a leukemia survivor.

As one might expect of a professional journalist, her writing is of top-notch caliber and her resources of information for the blog are broad reaching.

The blog site is rich in news and issues concerning a bast spectrum of disabilities. It is definitely a site to check regularly or put into your RSS feeds.

Some resources for students with ADHD or LD

Here are a couple of resources that might be of assistance for anybody dealing with either Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a Learning Disability (LD).

The first is a blog, written by a woman named Shane, with a straightforward name, the
ADHD & LD Resource blog.
Shane has some credibility, not to mention motivation, in understanding the subject of her blog, as she is a stay at home mom of a 10-year old son with ADHD and three LDs, and she has tried to gather as much information as she can to understand her son’s needs. As these needs evolve, so does her blog.

Reading over Shane’s postings, there are obvious signs that she is writing about a preteen and his family who are learning to manage his disability. So, you might be asking why I am writing about this blog on Access Ability, whose target is postsecondary students and the professionals who work with them? Easy. In my own experience, I’ve observed that there are many people who don’t learn of their ADHD or LD until adulthood, particularly when struggling through college courses that have become distressing way beyond the coping skills that have previously served to help them compensate. Shane's information and resources can serve anybody with ADHD or an LD, regardless of age.

Shane’s blog is a good resource for both ADHD and LD, but, as she admits, she does draw a lot of information from
SchwabLearning.org,
A web site dedicated to being a “parent’s guide to helping kids with learning difficulties.”

The Schwab Learning site is completely searchable, with informational dropdown boxes that include “postsecondary” as an education level, so you DSS professionals might be able to find some resources here that you didn’t already know about. And, if you already know about Schwab Learning, let this serve as a reminder to share the site with your students who could add it to their toolbox of resources.

And, don’t forget to share Shane’s blog with them as well.

Two sites offering wheelchair perspective

I have been following a couple of web sites for a little while I want to share with you. They are related as both are written by men who use wheelchairs. However, in some ways, that is where they split. They are different, as the first offers the resources of a professional rehab counselor and the other is a savvy and literate mobility expert. Their similarities are the strength of the resource each provides.

The first one is a web site titled
Pitt Rehab Counselor,
Written by Greg Traynor, a man who had a spinal cord injury while diving in 1999. As the web site’s title indicates, he is a rehab counselor in Pittsburgh.

On his site, Greg provides some useful links under various categories ranging from accessible entertainment to a variety of adaptive activities including driving, gardening, and sports. He also provides a good gathering of other resources, which is where I found the second site I want to share with you.


WheelchairJunkie.com
Is a site operated by Mark E. Smith, a self proclaimed mobility superstar. I can not vouch for Mark’s mobility skills, but will take him at his word on that. However, I can attest to his ability to capture thoughts and events in a manner which grabs the reader’s attention. On his site, which seems to be a gathering place for his latest blog entries, Mark describes day-to-day encounters and thoughts he has in a direct, yet personable style. He is both candid, as evidenced by his post about
Equality at the Strip Club,
and also very insightful to the world of disabilities. For proof of the latter, read his
July 27, 2007 post
where he compares the level of rehab care one gets from the perspective of sudden trauma versus progressive disabilities.

I know there are other disability related blogs and web sites that are worth noting. Trust me, I read many of them regularly. I have just been impressed with these two sites lately and wanted to share them.

Assistive technology allows "low functioning autistic" to function beautifully

I usually use the forum of Access Ability to provide links to web sites that provide qualified and worthy resources or news that is of interest to DSS professionals. As a result, I limit links to any personal blogs, as many are only personal soapboxes and do not usually provide credible, professional information. However, I have discovered one that is definitely worthy of the attention of DSS professionals. Let me direct you to
Ballastexistenz,
The blog site of Amanda Baggs, a woman with autism.

Her doctors describe Ms. Baggs as “a low-functioning autistic.” However, when you read her blog, you will see that this label is very misleading. What this misnomer fails to grasp is the stimulating intellect that Ms. Baggs’ possesses. The mind which hides behind her disabling condition can totally flourish when provided the proper assistive technology.

Ms. Baggs is a video blogger with a demonstrative video posted under her on-line name of
SilentMiaow
posted on Youtube. Her video
in my language
was shot, edited, and posted by Ms. Baggs herself.

On the link of her blog marked “About,” Ms. Baggs explains the insightful and thought-provoking source of the name of her blog and further discloses:
I am a non-speaking physically disabled and autistic woman who’s lived in institutions, whose income comes from a disability check, and whose services are funded by the state.”

“This blog is about assorted ideas, but most will have something to do with human rights, autistic liberation, disability rights, and so forth.”

Check out her blog and see what I’m talking about. For somebody who classifies herself as “non-speaking,” she sure has a lot to say…and she says a lot that is worthwhile. Her video is a strong statement of this fact.

I originally came across this post through another blogger’s writing about Ms. Baggs via a news alert for the terms “assistive technology.” I think her Ballastexistenz blog demonstrates a hallmark example of what strides people with disabilities can gain via AT.