Topic: Opportunity

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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Social novel writing and inclusion

Dec 20, 2011 9:36 pm by: Blake Watson

Thoughts about National Novel Writing Month and how it can be a great inclusive activity for people with disabilities.

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Imagine Conference 2011 – Day 1 Keynote

Oct 16, 2011 6:01 pm by: Blake Watson

Communities, parents, teachers, and administration who have higher rates of inclusion do so because they see what is possible for people with disabilities. Had Anne Sullivan not come along and saw what was possible for Helen Keller, what would the world be like today?

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We still have our dreams

Sep 10, 2011 8:25 pm by: Blake Watson

An honest account of one disabled man's hunt for employment and how an unlikely podcast episode taught him a life lesson.

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The mystical gods of employment find favor in our very own, Matt Watson

Aug 18, 2011 4:27 pm by: Blake Watson

Matt finds gainful employment as a green Spanish lecturer at Mississippi State University. This comes as another victory for which he didn't work in a long line of handouts. It's time to expose Matt for what he really is—a fraud.

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We Hate Stairs: A creative community

Jun 9, 2011 11:13 pm by: Blake Watson

The idea is that there are people with disabilities who spend a lot of time alone and who have skills that, combined with others' skills, could be used to make or do some pretty cool things.

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A place for creative crips

Apr 13, 2011 9:46 pm by: Blake Watson

Many people with disabilities find themselves spending a fair amount of time at home. That isolation can be frustrating. But what if there was a place where we could get to know others like us and use our skills to make/do something cool?

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Hit the ground running

Feb 6, 2011 6:53 pm by: Blake Watson

In my previous post, I mentioned things that I wanted to accomplish in 2011. Well, it seems I have really hit the ground running. In this entry, I talk about my new job as well as how my resolutions for 2011 are panning out so far.

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My handful of worthy goals for 2011

Dec 31, 2010 10:23 pm by: Blake Watson

A little reflection goes a long way. With the new year on the horizon, I look at what I hope 2011 has in store for me.

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Of writing fiction during NaNoWriMo

Nov 8, 2010 3:24 pm by: Blake Watson

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a group novel-writing event that is held every November all around the world. Here is a forum conversation between me and a fellow participant from Mississippi.

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This past year was research (or “A premium WordPress theme in two weeks”)

Aug 15, 2010 4:44 pm by: Blake Watson

One premium WordPress theme. Two weeks. I discuss my frustration with the government and how I intend to work one way or another.

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Mississippi needs a Web conference

May 17, 2010 10:43 am by: Blake Watson

Admittedly upset by how hard it is for me to travel, I discuss the benefits of having a local web conference.

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A really tiny keyboard

Apr 11, 2010 6:35 pm by: Blake Watson

The typing saga continues. I recently purchased an iPhone and I've managed to turn it into a disability-friendly, compact keyboard for the computer.

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Getting accessible books should be this easy

Feb 28, 2010 2:56 pm by: Blake Watson

Yesterday, I was browsing various design websites in search of inspiration for a new project I’ve begun. I got sidetracked by clicking on a few off-topic links (that never happens!) and somehow ended up reading the first chapter of “Speak Human” by Eric Karjaluoto. The book discussed the advantages of not being a huge company. [...]

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