William & Mary worked hard to accommodate disabled guests at the actual Commencement ceremonies. The ceremonies were held in William & Mary Hall, in what is normally the basketball arena. This facility, which seats 8,600 to 11,300 people, depending on how the floor is configured, has 10 wheelchair seats. I’ll repeat that: between 0.08% (no, [...]
May 242010
May 242010
Last year I did the Bolder Boulder 10K in my everyday wheelchair. When I registered, I was asked to sign an agreement (see Am I the Pusher of the “Conveyance”?). This year the agreement has been revised. The revision is an improvement: WHEELCHAIR PUSHER AGREEMENT This Agreement is made between BolderBOULDER, Inc., the producer of [...]
May 192010
Flight from Washington DC to Denver A 777. Widebodies are good, because they have to have certain amenities (a semi-accessible lavatory, an onboard wheelchair to get to the semi-accessible lavatory), and bad, because they are so large, boarding starts really early, and when you have a tight (and late) connection, it can be hard to [...]
May 182010
Flight from Norfolk, Virginia, to Washington DC [Background information: this is a very short flight, usually in a small regional jet. Regular travelers know that even carry on bags frequently won't fit in the overheads, if there are any, and must be gate-checked. Wheelchair travelers know that (regardless of plane size) the wheelchair needs a [...]
May 172010
Thoughts from a parent and alumna on attending my daughter’s graduation from William & Mary: So hot and humid! After 16 years in the Rocky Mountain west, I can’t understand how people can live there… …but the heat and humidity are really great for the plants! After 16 years in the Rocky Mountain west, I’m [...]
May 082010
I’m frustrated with the racing chair. It’s hard to get in and stay in the right position. It’s hard to do the stroke right, staying in contact with the rim long enough, flexing the wrist, keeping the elbows up during recovery. It’s hard to steer – the chair is really designed to go straight. It’s [...]
First, I’ll admit that I’m inconsistent in how I respond. Today’s incident: My department at work had a picnic. I’d forgotten about it until it popped up on my calendar at work. I briefly thought about calling the department secretary, because it seemed very likely that it would be inaccessible (“by the tennis courts” = [...]
From Haddayr Copley-Woods, and Minnesota Public Radio: DON’T Ask strangers intrusive personal questions such as “what’s wrong with you.” Sure, you are curious. I myself find some fashion choices curious, but I have learned to live with mystery. Listen: Transcript (more or less): Dos and Don’ts when interacting with the disabled
Via FWD/Forward, from the W3C comes this resource-rich article about combating inaccessible websites: * Overview * Introduction * Consider your Approach * Identify Key Contacts * Describe the Problem * Sources for More Information * Request Reply * Follow-up as Needed * Sample Emails Overview Steps to help you report websites with accessibility problems are [...]
May 012010
Today is Blogging Against Disablism Day 2010. As always, the contributions are varied and thought-provoking. Check out all the entries at Diary of a Goldfish: Blogging Against Disablism Day 2010.
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