- Accessibility Changes Lives
- Ellie’s iPad Provides New Opportunities
This is the first post in a series about assistive technology. I want to show you why accessibility, adaptive technology, assistive technology, and other disability-friendly practices matter. Really matter.
Accessibility changes lives.
I don’t mean “changes lives” like buying a new house might change your life … accessibility changes lives so completely it’s almost impossible to imagine if you haven’t been there.
I am completely bedridden with my disability; I can’t sit up enough to use a wheelchair, so I spend 24 hours a day lying in a hospital bed set up in my living room. I can’t hold up a book or magazine long enough to read. I can’t open the curtains during the day because my eyes are too sensitive to light. I can’t paint or draw because I don’t have the stamina and strength. I can’t listen to music for more than 5 minutes or so, because of the sensory overload. Pretty much all that I can do is passive activities: listen to talk radio and audio book CDs, watch a little TV, talk to people on the phone.
If it wasn’t for my accessible computer setup, that would be my entire life. To be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure that life would be worth living.
With my accessible computer setup I can do almost anything I can imagine. I’ve used it to compose and play music. I browse and shop on the internet. I run support groups via mailing lists. I advocate for myself and others. I take care of all my finances and banking. I meet new friends who have then become RL friends who visit my physically. And, of course, I have created and maintain this blog and several others. My life is interesting and productive, and full of things I can’t wait to do.
I think we need more information around showing people with disabilities using technology, so able-bodied people can get a glimpse of how much this really changes lives.
I’m going to make a series of posts about it – this is just the beginning. This series won’t be specific to people using technology on Mac computers or Apple products. For just this one series, I’m going to include everything I can my hands on that shows the effects of accessible, partially accessible, and inaccessible technology, including showing and discussing how difficult it is for us to work around inaccessibility.
For a start, I want you to go and read about why closed captioning makes a big difference to online video. Go read it now, and then come back.
Now imagine that 99.9% of all the videos on the internet are like that for you; that they make no sense without the captions. That’s one thing that happens to people who’ve lost most or all of their hearing, and those who have an auditory processing disorder or disability such as aphasia.
Well, that’s all for the first in this series. If you have any videos up on the web, go and add captions to them! YouTube videos can be captioned right on the YouTube site, for others you can use the dotSUB website or a local computer program to create and add closed captions.
Thanks for reading! Make sure to subscribe to ATMac to receive all the posts in this series, as well as our regular offerings.
- Ricky Buchanan
atmacjournal September 14, 2009 at 1:29 pm
ATMac: Accessibility Changes Lives http://is.gd/3f3zb
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Alltop_Mac September 14, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Accessibility Changes Lives http://bit.ly/5MN70
Mac.alltop.com
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Rowan September 14, 2009 at 2:14 pm
So very well said. You might want to mention that it isn’t only limited to people who have lost their hearing though, but that it can come of several processing disabilities, such as either aphasia or auditory processing (as the two aren’t necessarily linked).
But still, overall well said.
Ricky Buchanan September 18, 2009 at 1:33 pm
@Rowan: Thanks for taking the time to comment. That’s a very good point, and I have added a sentence to the article as you suggested.
egolfer6 September 14, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Read @atmacjournal: Accessibility Changes Lives http://is.gd/3f3zb. Reminded me of “computer is life to me” http://bit.ly/xwGHm #SpecialEd
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rickybuchanan September 14, 2009 at 6:36 pm
@egolfer6 I’m going to include Elina’s video in one of the Accessibility Changes Lives posts, actually! http://is.gd/3f3zb
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
musingvirtual September 14, 2009 at 9:40 pm
New ATMac post: Accessibility Changes Lives: http://bit.ly/3Ykaij
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
stcaccess September 14, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Learn more about #accessibility’s impact in people’s lives from @atmacjournal: http://is.gd/3f3zb
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
34aLabs September 14, 2009 at 11:07 pm
RT @stcaccess: Learn more about #accessibility’s impact in people’s lives from @atmacjournal: http://is.gd/3f3zb
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
vdebolt September 14, 2009 at 11:16 pm
RT@stcaccess: Learn more about #accessibility’s impact in people’s lives from @atmacjournal: http://is.gd/3f3zb
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Virginia September 14, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Ricky, excellent idea for a series and a powerful first post. I’m looking forward to the entire series and know it will be important.
Ricky Buchanan September 18, 2009 at 1:30 pm
@Virginia: Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it and I hope you like the forthcoming posts in this series (and others!).
vishalsodani September 15, 2009 at 2:01 am
RT @stcaccessLearn more about #accessibility’s impact in people’s lives from @atmacjournal: http://is.gd/3f3zb eg of closed captioning
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goodwitch September 15, 2009 at 2:18 am
Ricky, thanks for starting this and for sharing your own story. Your making a difference for others…helping them see the possibilities and discover a way to contribute to making the web a better place.
You inspire me!
Glenda (the mostly goodwitch)
Ricky Buchanan September 18, 2009 at 1:29 pm
@Glenda: Thanks for your positive words – I hope you like the other posts I have coming up for this series!
laura_carlson September 15, 2009 at 3:04 am
RT @atmacjournal #Accessibility Changes Lives
http://bit.ly/3Ykaij
Nice one Ricky.
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
PerBusch September 15, 2009 at 4:30 am
For me, accessible technology makes life worth living too! RT @atmacjournal: #Accessibility Changes Lives http://is.gd/3f3zb
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
AnitaGraham September 15, 2009 at 4:32 am
RT @laura_carlson RT @atmacjournal #Accessibility Changes Lives http://bit.ly/3Ykaij Nice one Ricky.
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DesignedByBlind September 15, 2009 at 7:48 am
Accessibility Changes Lives http://tinyurl.com/ot29sr
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Christiane September 15, 2009 at 8:03 am
RT @DesignedByBlind Accessibility Changes Lives http://tinyurl.com/ot29sr
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
gimpgirl September 18, 2009 at 4:57 pm
New ATMac post: Accessibility Changes Lives: http://bit.ly/3Ykaij
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
darrell September 20, 2009 at 8:32 am
Accessibility Changes Lives http://tinyurl.com/ot29sr
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
DoreneFC September 20, 2009 at 9:52 am
RT @darrell Accessibility Changes Lives http://tinyurl.com/ot29sr
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
davidnielsen September 22, 2009 at 7:09 am
#Accessibility Changes Lives http://tinyurl.com/ot29sr Think of this when you decide how to prioritize accessibility.
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mbfortson September 22, 2009 at 7:39 am
Read @rickybuchanan ’s 1st #Accessibility Changes Lives post (& you should too!) http://tinyurl.com/ot29sr #a11y #disability
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Melissa September 22, 2009 at 7:52 am
Great post and great series idea.
You wrote “I think we need more information around showing people with disabilities using technology, so able-bodied people can get a glimpse of how much this really changes lives.”
Agreed! I think seeing how technology can further enable when it’s accessible (or create barriers when it’s not) can help people better understand the importance of accessibility and adaptive and assistive technologies.
I’m looking forward to future posts in the series.