Virtual Ability

Virtual Ability Sim

Hello everyone.  Pluton Karas here again, ready to tell you all about another sim I found which has left me impressed.

As I already mentioned in my last entry I recently met an avatar named Starling Ansar whose user is deaf and mute.  I wanted to invite Starling to a taping of The 2nd QuestioN, but since the show is voice chat based she was unable to accompany me.  I asked Pookie Amsterdam, producer of the show, about closed captioning for the hearing impaired.  The response I got was unexpected, and from an unexpected source.

An audience member named Gentle Heron responded to my query.  It turns out Gentle's user is affiliated with Virtual Ability, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities in gaining access to virtual worlds such as Second Life.  This assistance is provided both in real life and in Second Life.

In real life the organization helps individuals by assessing their particular needs (perhaps an individual is incapable of using a keyboard) and providing advice and resources to acquire necessary hardware and software (such as voice recognition applications).

Once an individual is physically capable of accessing Second Life the organization provides assistance through it's community network to help him successfully integrate into the virtual environment.  To this end the organization has a sim named Virtual Ability which serves as a Second Life entry point and is designed to walk the new resident through the basics of the Second Life interface.

Flight Instructions

The most important way the organization assists residents is by providing a community that "offers members information, encouragement, training, companionship, referrals to other online resources and groups, ways to contribute back to the community, and ways to have fun".

In the organization's mission statement the following point is emphasized:

• Virtual Ability, Inc.'s success will be measured not by how many people stay in our group, but by how many use our services to grow into virtual worlds, and become productive members of society once there (italics mine).

If you have read my prior entries it comes as no surprise that I am impressed by that last line in the mission statement.  The concept that in this virtual world we all have access to new tools and environments which we can use to constructively affect the real world globally is mind blowing!  This organization has certainly done it's part in affecting the lives of real world users with disabilities.

Not only is the work done by the members of Virtual Ability important because they are helping those with disabilities gain access to this incredible medium, but there is also a body of research which boasts of the medical benefits virtual reality worlds present to persons with disabilities, including but not limited to the following:

• Benefits those managing chronic illness in rural settings where sources of social support and health information are limited
• Improves functioning in the categories of independence, communication, and learning among persons with a significant mobility and physical impairment
• Improves cognitive function and concentration for those who have suffered traumatic brain injury
• Improves health, as well as mental and physical functioning, during rehabilitation as a result of the patients having 'fun'
• Offers social skills training for persons on the Autism spectrum by practicing behaviors through role-play situations in a safe environment

All this information, and more, can be found at www.virtualability.org and at the Virtual Ability sim in Second Life.  I hope you pass this information along to anyone you may know who would benefit from the services of this organization.

Adelene Dawner

During one of my visits to the Virtual Ability sim I got to meet an avatar named Adelene Dawner whose user is autistic.  Adelene has been in-world for two years and has been active in and benefited from the disability community in Second Life.  I am curious to learn of others with disabilities who have benefited from their experiences in Second Life.  If this is you leave a comment with your story.  If you would like to forward this entry to an avatar whose user has a disability please feel free, and ask if they would comment on their experience.

Finally, let me apologize for the disjointed writing on this entry.  Is it disjointed?  I am not feeling well and perhaps the writing is fine and it is my perception that is being detrimentally affected by my physical state.

Enough.  I wish you all well.

Sincerely,

Pluton Karas