Monday, July 14, 2008

Calling All Designers

This post originally appeared on http://www.slmen.com



Remember what it was like being new in Second Life? How hard it was to navigate this place, literally and figuratively?

Imagine trying to get on your feet in this virtual world while handicapped. To many disabled people, Second Life is an escape, a chance to do the things that are not possible in "real" life: not only flying, but swimming and even walking. And learning to do these things within the virtual world of Second Life sometimes takes assistance by people who understand the unique challenges of someone with a disability online.



Enter Virtual Ability, Inc.

Virtual Ability, Inc.'s vision is to be the leading provider of services for and information about the disabled in electronic virtual worlds.

Virtual Ability, Inc.'s mission is to enable people with a wide range of disabilities to enter into electronic virtual worlds, and provide them with a supporting environment once there.

Virtual Ability, Inc. conducts outreach and awareness activities to inform the disabled, their doctors, and their caregivers of the benefits virtual worlds can provide;
identifying the need for, and helping with the use of, assistive hardware or software;
providing assistance with the signup, intake, and training process of entering a virtual world;
and offering ongoing support and community as residents become integrated into the virtual world.

Soon, a special orientation center will open, dedicated to helping disabled individuals entering the world of Second Life. "We want them to have a quality avatar right from the start," Eme Capalini said, explaining how sometimes a disabled person with limited ability to use a computer, depending on assistive technology such as voice activated typing software because of paralysis or limited use of hands and limbs, can be frustrated by the inability or extreme difficulty in doing what comes so easily to others in SL. She spoke of helping a disabled woman shop for a dress in Second Life. Capalini spent three hours with the woman, choosing a dress, then learning how to fit it to the woman's avatar.

How we can help

Virtual Ability, Inc. is in need of several items to help disabled SL citizens to quickly integrate into the Second Life environment, without the limitations prevalent in a disabled person's First Life.

It would be great if this orientation center could offer a couple of nice skins, ideally a light and a dark one for both male and female avatars, as well as a good furry avatar and perhaps some kind of fantasy or unusual avatar. The idea is to give an easy choice to disabled clients so that they can 'hit the ground running' and not be encumbered by limitations that cause daily frustration.

Please contact Eme Capalini if you can help with skins, clothing, or any other items in world.

Virtual Ability, Inc.