Harold, I would like to second Harrison's reply. I am not blind, but I do have a physical disability and I recognize that it's most natural to have a support structure emerging from the group itself. As a facilitator you can have a positive influence in shaping a culture of what the Dutch started to call 'Durf te vragen' = Dare to ask. In my experience: the more you take special measures with the focus on people with a disability, the more you have the risk of getting 'outsiders'. Good luck!
Niels @shakingtree PS. What I do in 2013, thanks to the facilitation world: http://checkthis.com/qqnc 2013/1/22 Harold Shinsato <har...@shinsato.com> > Thank you Michael & Harrison, > > The need for the American Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 reflected a need > for a change in consciousness to support those with disabilities. Despite a > professional requirement to understand and look at Section 508 of the U.S. > Rehabilitation Act when government contracts for software companies started > to be directly impacted in 1998 because of the changes to that law to > support digital accessibility, I still felt an inner "humbug" when I saw > most of the best parking spaces left empty in public parking lots because > they were reserved for the handicapped. > > The movie "Music Within" helped me understand. It's the true story of > Richard Pimentel who lost his hearing in Vietnam and became an activist for > the ADA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Within. This movie depicted > directly something you said, Harrison, when they showed how someone with > cerebral palsy became the center of attention in a restaurant because there > were no facilities to make it possible for him to come into the restaurant > himself, and he had to be personally carried up the stairs. What was worse > was the depiction of how his disability made him a target of discrimination. > > I really appreciate both having the faith, as a facilitator, that those > without eyesight will be able to get their needs met and the community will > support them and work it out. Yet I do wonder if there is also a need as an > event organizer to do something to make it possible for those with > handicaps to navigate the event without the need for them to be highlighted > or stand out. It might be a bit confrontational to hear this - but even our > community has challenges supporting the handicapped. There were no > elevators or ramps at WOSonOS 2011 in Berlin to over half of the session > locations, which made those with mobility challenges unable to attend those > sessions. > > Michael, several of your suggestions seemed like they would help support > the sight impaired. It might be a little extra work, but having someone > transcribe the session announcements and times would help the blind, but > would have other benefits. I've heard reports at some of my open space > events that accessibility to the schedule wall was an issue especially > right after the morning sessions are announced and posted. I've been > thinking getting a larger wall would support that, but I also specifically > heard that the event was overwhelming to those with social anxiety. I can't > help but think having a way to find sessions by going to a website could > support that - and enable a lot of the technology that is available now for > the sight impaired. > > Harold > > > > > > > On 1/21/13 2:56 PM, Harrison Owen wrote: > > I have never done an Open Space for Blind People… but I have done many > OS’s with some or many blind people. And as near as I could tell, they did > just fine. Their own coping skills worked, and the community pitched in > (with a nice subtlety) – so I never saw or heard of a problem. But I did > get one comment from a person of challenged vision… who thanked me for not > making him a special, stand out person… just one more people. Needless to > say it was not me doing/not doing anything. But you get the drift. Unless > somebody has suddenly gone blind, they do make it in the world, and with > the light touch of a caring community (and what else do you have in OS?), > everything seemed to work out just fine.**** > > ** ** > > Harrison**** > > ** ** > > Harrison Owen**** > > 7808 River Falls Dr.**** > > Potomac, MD 20854**** > > USA**** > > ** ** > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)**** > > Camden, Maine 04843**** > > ** ** > > Phone 301-365-2093**** > > (summer) 207-763-3261**** > > ** ** > > www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> **** > > www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website)**** > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > OSLIST Go to: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org**** > > ** ** > > *From:* oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org [ > mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org<oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org>] > *On Behalf Of *Harold Shinsato > *Sent:* Saturday, January 19, 2013 12:12 AM > *To:* OSLIST > *Subject:* [OSList] Supporting the blind at an open space event**** > > ** ** > > Some friends in Missoula Montana are holding an open space event about > digital accessibility March 9 this year. > http://accessibilitycampmissoula.org/ > > Looking over the records I found fewer posts about this than I expected. I > saw posts about supporting 1 blind person, but they will have at least > seven and I don't think they'll have enough volunteers to support one > helper each. So they are thinking about some kind of ipad readers around > the session postings. > > How has the community here provided accessibility to the blind, especially > for the schedule wall? > > Thanks in Advance! > Harold**** > > -- > Harold Shinsato > har...@shinsato.com > http://shinsato.com > twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>**** > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click > below:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > -- > Harold Shinsato > har...@shinsato.com > http://shinsato.com > twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush> > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > >
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