(Dis)Ability in Second Life Research

This week on Virtual Ability Island, Ambrosia108 Azalee discusses her ongoing research study about Second Life and its disabled residents. Her second discussion is tomorrow at 8AM SL time. For her first, DrFran Babcock was there in the audience, and wrote about the event.

Read about the discussion in Events. 

Press Release: "(Dis)Ability in Second Life" at Virtual Ability

(Dis)Ability in Second Life: Ongoing research.
PRESENTER:  Ambrosia108 Azalee
WEDNESDAY January 30, 11am SLT
or
SATURDAY February 2, 8am SLT
The Sojourner Auditorium

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/53/172/23

Find out about an ongoing qualitative study on (dis)ability and Second Life...  and why it's important.

PRESENTER BIO:
Ambrosia108 Azalee is an MA student in Educational Technology at Concordia University, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her primary academic interests relate to (dis)Ability, human experiences in virtual environments, virtual identities and communities, and implications of technology and its design.

Presentation in text and voice simultaneously.

International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference at Virtual Ability on

Gentle Heron called me to say that this weekend, Friday and Saturday, August 3 and 4, there will be a Conference at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island. It is the Virtual Ability’s International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference. There will be numerous presentations by international experts on subjects of interest regarding The idea of “community.” You are all invited to attend. You can find information on the subjects and presenters at http://blog.virtualability.org. and the full schedule is found at http://www.virtualability.org/idrac2012 .

One personalilty who will be there and do an interview with Alice Krueger, President of Virtual Ability, Inc is Philip Rosedale (Philip Linden), founder of Linden Lab. He will be discussing how the virtual world infrastructure facilitates community development. Of the Conference, Alice Krueger stated, “I am looking forward to learning more about the various communities people with disabilities are involved in. Being included in community affairs is a basic human right, too often denied to those of us with disabling conditions or chronic illnesses. Following up on last year’s IDRAC conference which focused on legal protections for these populations, this conference will highlight some of the ways people have used those protections to attain full community membership.”

There are many that I have met within Second Life that have disabilities, challenges, and chronic health problems that have a place to live and develop skills that would not be possible in real life. We have formed many communities with them. Learn about the concepts behind “community” and its importance.

The Auditorium can be accessed here http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/53/172/23 .

Gemma Cleanslate

Friday Events at Health Info Island & Virtual Ability

An Informal Garden Chat about Herbs- Saffron
Presented by: Olivia and Crayon Schlag

Time: 11 AM SL time

This event is an informal garden chat about herbs. Saffron is an extremely expensive herb. It is taken from the pollen-producing organs of the crocus flower. Saffron is used both to color and to flavor many kinds of foods. Saffron is under investigation for a number of medicinal uses as well as in cooking.

This event is an informal garden chat about herbs, led by Olivia Sage-Schlag.

Olivia is a Master Gardener with the University of Saskatchewan who helps teach some of the Master Gardener classes there. Crayon, along with Olivia, has the privilege of serving as the co-administrator and author for the SemperFlorens (always blooming in Latin) website and co-owner of SemperFlorens Sim in SL. The Sim serves to cultivate diverse botanical arrangements and educate visitors.

Health Info Island Herb Garden at Healthinfo Island (128, 128, 24)

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Digital Life & Wellness Survey in Second Life
Presented by: Katherine Cunningham

Time: 1PM

RTI is seeking participants who meet the following criteria: US residents with any of the following: diabetes, HIV, cancer and chronic pain conditions.

This presentation will discuss study specifics of the Digital Life & Wellness Survey conducted by RTI International. Topics of discussion include the purpose of the study, eligibility requirements, and what participants can expect if asked to participate. The presentation is expected to last 15-20 minutes, followed by time for questions/answers. The presentation will be in voice, with text transcription.

Katherine Cunningham is the Recruitment Coordinator for RTI International, a research organization.

Research Pavilion at Healthinfo Island (133, 196, 30)

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Waiting for the World to Wake Up to Trauma's Toll
Presented by DrFran Babcock
Time: 4PM

This talk is going to frame many of the problems of the world today in the context of the outcomes of early trauma and abuse. Through this lens the idea of Sanctuary and Trauma-informed Care become the only way to move to the future.

DrFran Babcock is the avatar of a long time Occupational Therapist and administrator in a psychiatric hospital. She has 30 years of experience in Behavioral Health, and is an advocate for the needs of the mentally ill.

The Sojourner Auditorium at Virtual Ability (53, 172, 23)

Discussion on Respect of Intellectual Property at Sojourner Auditorium

Intellectual Property Respect
Presented by: Zinnia Zauber

Monday, August 22, 2011
12pm SLT/PDT and repeated at 6pm SLT/PDT
The Sojourner Auditorium, Virtual Ability Island (53, 172, 23)


Learn about how protecting and respecting Intellectual property makes us all successful and safe.
*** viewer 2 or compatible viewer recommended ***


Presenter Bio: I am an artist, instructor, and superhero (arts advocate) promoting the importance of creative education and community.

I am a college instructor and arts advocate promoting the importance of creative education and community participation in the arts that are active and inclusive. My superpower is expression through color.
I teach with the University of Washington Virtual Worlds program, Peninsula College, Nonprofit Commons, and my own smart art instruction.

Voice and text.

Presentation on the Disabled at Virtual Ability Island

Representation of Disability in the Virtual World
Presenter: ZiplockedGoldfish Twig

Thursday, January 13, 2011
8:00pm SLT
The Sojourner Auditorium, Virtual Ability Island

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/54/170/23

ZiplockedGoldfish is a student of Media at a major US university. This presentation is based on the findings of her research as an in-world anthropologist; in which she questioned the representation of disability in virtual worlds – through the lens of personal, social, and cultural expectations.

She seeks to define ‘virtual disability’ and to debunk the falsities regarding virtual disabilities expressed in the writings of a predominant Second Life theorist, Tom Boellstorff.

e-Volunteering

Ever wondered if it's possible to do meaningful volunteer work, even if you can't leave your house or bed?

It is!

The National Service Inclusion Project is going to share with us lots of information about virtual volunteering options. They will help us match our interests and skills to causes. We will learn about communication, accessibility, and support while volunteering.

The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) is training and technical assistance provider on disability inclusion, under a cooperative agreement (#08TAHMA001) from Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). NSIP partners with the Association on University Centers on Disability, National Council on Independent Living, Association on Higher Education and Disability and National Down Syndrome Congress to build connections among disability organizations and all CNCS grantees, to increase the participation of people with disabilities in national service.


The event is at Friday, October 15, Noon SLT at The Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island at (56, 169, 23).

The NSIP website is at http://www.serviceandinclusion.org

Gentle Heron