Support Ability Commons!

My friend Pecos Kidd, who endured being blown up, sent me a little note and asked me to publish it. I asked him who I could blow up in exchange.


Something wonderful is happening and with one small action you can be part of it. Our friends in the Health Support Coalition have a chance to win 300,000 Lindens from the Annenberg School to create a SL home for a wide range of peer support groups.

"Ability Commons" is the work of Gentle Heron, Carolina Keats and many of the 41 members of the Health Support Coalition, including MDSLA, Crohn's and Colitis Support, Open Gates Peer Support, and Agoraphobia Support Group.

We need your help, right now. Please take 20 seconds to go to this website and vote for "Ability Commons." Rank them "1) Favored" and do your part to help us create an incubator for small and emerging groups.

Your vote will allow more people with disabilities and health issues to share our pleasure and purposefulness in Second Life.

Will you do more? Please forward this note to your friends - voting is open until June 30, and your help will make all the difference.

Thank you!

Find out all about their proposal and Annenberg/USC.

That being said, Pecos worked on another project that is being assessed for this same program. It's kind of cool: you click a big red button and it alternates between two kitchen scenes: one is a normal home with high countertops, etc.--the other is an accessible kitchen for disabled people. To toggle them you click a BIG RED BUTTON.

I complimented Pecos.

[11:42] Pecos Kidd: I think it demos the concept fairly well
[11:42] Harper Beresford: yes
[11:42] Harper Beresford: very well
[11:42] Pecos Kidd: And everyone likes to push big red buttons :)


This is what he wrote:

Please consider voting for "Independence House", which will create an interactive SL house to demonstrate various modifications that can be made to RL houses to improve access or usability for people with disabilities. Being able to visualize the impact of lowering the height of countertops, using ramps instead of stairs, adding handrails around bathroom fixtures, or even just rearranging a kitchen will help people with RL impairments understand what is possible, as well as better plan these types of modifications prior to construction.

Please take just a minute of your time and vote for "Independence House."

Your vote for "Independence House" by June 30 will help us win the 300,000 Linden prize, and create this important tool to help people with RL disabilities take practial steps to improve the quality of their lives.

Thank you - and please contact Kathee Gibbs in SL if you have any questions!