Wheelchairs and Secondlife
Anyone who knows me well knows I am the founder of Wheelies, the world’s first disability themed virtual nightclub, which has international acclaim. People will also know I was one of the first avatars to use a wheelchair fulltime. What I saw as a matter of course as actually caused ripples around the world as terms of impairment as a form of identity.
The use of a wheelchair within secondlife can be seen as culturally significent and the request for secondlife architecture to reflect the same rules of accessibility as in the real world is one of cultural relevant and acceptence.
It is therefore disturbing when at the recent Helen Keller Dayn event in secondlife, one speaker seemed to imply in as pan impairment context, only access issues relating to the physical impairment, eg sensory and dextral issues were real and that in world wheelchair access was fake and unneccessary. Considering that it was the visable use of wheelchairs in sl which ignited the issue, I was remarkably annoyed!
I have painfully learnt all impairments and their related experiences are important. And that the use ofm wheelchairs may signify ‘real’ access issues which are not as obvious.
The fansination with this issue will continue!