Topic: Asides

So with this in mind, I began to reach out to people of this marginalized community to get to know them more. And then I had epiphany number 2: These people are brilliant and amazing. Actually that doesn’t encompass it well enough, the are BRILLIANT and AMAZING. Yes, all caps is needed here.

The people I met are super intelligent, creative, patient, passionate and compassionate. They have discovered methods and tools to accomplish many of their goals, which are usually the same as yours and mine. Yet, despite being able to prove the desire and skill to do what drives them for a living, they are denied employment.

That’s the dream: To build a design and development agency comprised primarily of people that have the skills but are denied the opportunity because something allows the government to call them “disabled”, because they are not.

I’ve been thinking of something like this in the dark corners of my mind. But this is the first time I’ve seen it written down. And you know what that means? It’s more likely to happen! Read more about Gregory’s idea.

Jan 27, 2012 9:50 pm by: Blake Watson

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A quick shoutout to my friend Marissa at Abled Is. She is undertaking a fascinating exercise in empathy in 2012 by getting to know a new person each month who has a health condition or worthy cause that needs to be learned about and shared. She’s calling it “12 Months, 12 Journeys, 12 Lessons”. I’m thrilled that she has asked me to be one of the 12 participants in order to share about my condition, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). It’s going to be interesting and fun and I can’t wait to see who all she interviews. Stay tuned.

See the very raw video explaining the idea.

Dec 20, 2011 9:49 pm by: Blake Watson

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A rough idea:

A SaaS model that allows users to choose from a range of web features that are not accessible to them. Those preferences are saved on the Service. Web developers can check users’ preferences before programmatically implementing the features in question.

For example, before a jQuery slideshow is implemented, a check is done against the Service to make sure that slideshow transitions are OK for the current user (because it could cause motion sickness for some people). This would probably be done in a PHP function. If there is no conflict, a PHP function is run to implement the slideshow. If there is a conflict, a fallback PHP function could be run.

Graceful degradation.

Oct 11, 2011 3:52 pm by: Blake Watson

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Media guru and good friend of mine, Dylan McLemore, touches on what makes good products great.

We like the idea of being Macs, not PCs. Computers were boring plastic boxes meant to function as part of an office workspace (it’s called a “desktop” for goodness sake). Macs aren’t just trendy; they embody a creative spirit. From the physical design to the applications they are best at running – Macs were made for artists – and everyone wants to be an artist.

Oct 5, 2011 9:57 pm by: Blake Watson

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When my disability took away my ability to type on the clunky keyboards of times past, Apple released the thin notebook-style keyboards that allowed me to keep typing. When I was no longer able to type on those keyboards, a wonderful Mac onscreen keyboard app saved me. When I lost the ability to play video games because I wasn’t strong enough to operate a controller, the iPhone’s touch technology brought it back. When I wanted to write a novel and pointing and clicking on an onscreen keyboard was too slow, an iPhone remote app let me type on my Mac using the iPhone’s small touchscreen keyboard.

The technology inspired by Steve Jobs has helped me keep going when my atrophied body was trying to stop me. I applaud his accomplishments and am grateful for his help. So here’s to the crazy one himself.

Oct 5, 2011 7:14 pm by: Blake Watson

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Being a web designer myself, I was totally psyched to hear the September 1 episode of The Big Web Show. Jeffrey Zeldman and Dan Benjamin talked with Marissa Christina, a web designer looking to learn the ropes and who has a vestibular disorder that causes severe, chronic dizziness. I’m excited for Marissa and her opportunity to reach out to web design icons. The interview was not technical, so whether you’re a web designer or not, it’s worth checking out.

Sep 9, 2011 8:53 pm by: Blake Watson

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Since traveling is a bit tough for me, I’d love to be a part of some kind of virtual WordCamp or WordPress meetup. How cool would that be?

Aug 25, 2011 10:53 pm by: Blake Watson

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The power is currently out at “I hate stairs” HQ. For Matt and I, power outages mean that our lives come to a grinding halt. Everything I do is on the computer and the Internet. We can’t even go to bed because we require air mattresses to relieve pressure points. Our chairs need to be charged every other night. Out ceiling lift needs to be charged every day. Not to mention Mississippi in the summer is hot an humid. So here’s to hoping the power kicks back on soon.

At least we can play on our phones. :-)

Jul 24, 2011 6:24 pm by: Blake Watson

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I’m pretty excited about about the new Assistive Touch feature in the upcoming iOS 5. Mac Rumors reports:

The Assistive Touch settings were in place in iOS’s accessibility settings in previous betas, but is only now active. The new features are meant to provide additional interactivity for those who might have trouble using the traditional gestures and buttons on the iPad.

Now I just need one more feature: Bluetooth mouse support. Yes, I know jailbreaking it would get me that feature. No, I wouldn’t risk breaking my device and voiding the warranty.

Jul 13, 2011 3:02 pm by: Blake Watson

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I’ve added Making Self-Employment Work for People with Disabilities by Cary Griffin & David Hammis to my wishlist. It might just be the first item I actually buy for myself from my wishlist.

Perfect for sharing with individuals with disabilities and their families, this guidebook shows how self-employment can work and offers the realistic, practical advice needed to get a small business off to a strong start.

Jul 3, 2011 8:42 am by: Blake Watson

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… about 80 percent of those with disabilities were not considered to be in the labor force, meaning that they were not employed and were not looking for work. Just 30 percent of people in the general population fell into this same category.

One area that did appear to improve job prospects for workers with disabilities was increased education, the report found. However, even those with advanced degrees lagged behind similarly educated individuals without disabilities when it came to hiring.

Of course, that’s because the system will disown you if you get a job.

Jun 28, 2011 4:44 pm by: Matt Watson

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As a disabled resident of Mississippi, I’m not surprised at all by this news piece I just found out about:

Vermont offers the best Medicaid services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities while Mississippi provides the worst, according to an annual ranking released Thursday.

Jun 27, 2011 8:47 pm by: Matt Watson

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This better be darn good considering the epicness of the video preview.

“The problem with equipment currently available to help the disabled community get into videogames is that it often costs way more than someone on disability can afford,” AbleGamers.com EIC Steve Spohn said in the announcement. “These controllers will be higher quality with lower cost. What’s not to love?”

Blake cannot use standard video game controllers and doesn’t want to invest in an adapted one. It has become harder for me to use my Playstation controller also.

Jun 26, 2011 2:18 pm by: Matt Watson

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I plan on writing about this later tonight or tomorrow. It’s controversial in many respects. I like this sentence from Sarah’s post at Same Difference:

So rather than being encouraged to end our lives before they have to end by being taught that we have a ‘right to die,’ I wish that all disabled and terminally ill people could be taught how valuable their lives are.

Jun 24, 2011 4:42 pm by: Matt Watson

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I am thinking of starting a blog similar to usesthis.com but focused on assistive technology.

Apr 18, 2011 11:49 pm by: Blake Watson

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