Sandi Wassmer
Here's to 2012: to hope and happy happenings
If 2011 has taught me anything, it is that I am indeed a weeble. I began the year with hope in my heart and have ended it just the same, but the stuff that happened in between is what has made me certain of my weeble status.
Virtual communities? Not really real
Over the past couple of weeks, two unpleasant slanging matches have played out very publicly over the Internet in the name of the web community and this has stirred up a wide range of emotions in me - from anger to despair and frustration to melancholy. Although there are people in the web industry who have become friends over the years, I certainly have never felt that I belong to any community, although I am painfully aware of how my ADHD restricts me from ever feeling part of anything. The difficulty i have in managing my emotions is something I am constantly having to contend with, and because of this i have learned how to detach and employ my cognition where my emotions fail me and that's what I have been doing as I have stood back and watched. So, now I am thinking. I am thinking and not feeling, being objective and not subjective. Of course, this is just my opinion, so it is not meant to be accepted verbatim, but it is not conjecture. It is drawn from both what I have experienced and what I have observed.
Freedom of speech, accessibility and responsibility
As I'm sure I have stated more times than I've had hot dinners, I love everything about design and technology, but there is a worrying trend in the digital age that requires urgent attention.
Ageing and disability: Independence, dignity and freedom of choice
As I have been working with Government on eAccessibility, which focuses primarily on considering the needs of older and disabled people, maintaining as much independence as possible is the principal goal and this goal is a constant, irrespective of the underlying cause of the loss of independence. It is something that I understand all too well and think about more than I care to admit.
My love affair with Siri: is the honeymoon over?
Ever since I purchased my iPhone 4S a few weeks ago, I have been evaluating my use of Siri: in doing so I have come to a few realisations about how I use technology in general. The one theme that prevails is that nothing is infallible. No technology is perfect and, as an end user, I find that I am forever making adjustments and adaptations, and that isn't such a bad thing.
Is disability the last taboo?
As I wander through the world trying to make it that little bit better, I am forever perplexed by how awkward so many people are around us disabled types. Sure, I don't expect people to have a detailed understanding of the machinations of living with the wide range and complexity of impairments that fall under the rather big banner of disability, but I would hope that there would be a little more compassion, tolerance and sensitivity when it comes to interacting with us.
Facing fear with compassion
When I registered blind, my world fell apart, but I didn't allow myself to be consumed by my grief. Instead, I surrendered to it. I came to terms with my loss - the loss of my eyesight, my independence and the life that I knew.
Hello lovely: A blind geek's first impressions of Siri
Today's blog is sponsored by Siri. Well, not really, but im using Siri to write it.
Why good design matters to this blind geek
Ironic as it may be now, I went to art school. I was taught to appreciate beauty in everything and particularly in every art form; for art is the expression of self. It tells the story of humanity, of our culture and our lives. But I was also taught that design was not so noble and I snobbishly believed this until I met Mark, who introduced me to the world of design and importantly good design.
Is web accessibility inaccessible?
I gave the keynote presentation at the recent A11yLDN event, where I laid out the stall for what I believe is the future of web accessibility. I called my talk, "Does anyone know the way to Web Accessibility utopia?". I worried about being contentious, well, not really, when I asserted that accessibility utopia does not exist, that the WCAG is out of date and that accessibility is a subset of usability. I pontificated about inclusive design, about being reasonable and that no one creating a website has limitless resources.
Businesswoman Sandi Wassmer registered blind in 2008. In her blog, she shares with us the 'shenanigans of visual impairment'. Find Sandi on Google+
Read Sandi's full profile...Tag cloud
accessibility, adhd, advocacy, altruism, apple, assistive technology, big society, carers, coping, coping with sight loss, digital inclusion, disability, disclosing disability, discrimination, education, employment, family, friends, grief, grieving, happiness, holidays, human rights, ignorance, impairment, inclusion, inclusive design, inclusivity, independence, iphone, legislation, life, living with sight loss, love, people, prejudice, psychology, registration, respect, rp, shopping, sight loss, social inclusion, stereotypes, technology, transport, vi people, visual impairment, web accessibility, white cane,
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