June 2, 2009 by camilavega
Second Life can be many things for different people. For me, and I am sure many other disabled people, it offers a gateway into a world where my disability doesn’t exist. There I can explore, learn and have fun without suffering from extreme fatigue, and without the use of my cane or wheelchair, I can even fly!
Recently I started volunteering at Virtual Ability Island, a resource, training and mentoring sim on Second Life for new residents who are disabled and also for others. Second Life can be a great experience or it can be scary and difficult. For a disabled person it can be particularly challenging. There is a great deal of technology to learn and so much to do you can become overwhelmed, or just not know where to start. Virtual Ability Island offers great training, basic and advanced, as well as special events and programs for people with physical and mental disabilities, or anyone who is interested. The mentoring program is terrific, it has enabled me not only to help others, but to make friends as well, and learn from the people who visit the Island. This wonderful service is made possible by the Alliance Library System (a consortium of 259 libraries) and Virtual Ability, Inc. For more information visit Virtual Ability at http://www.virtualability.org
Tossing my wheelchair into the sea!