Virtual Ability Inc., will be hosting three events beginning today as part of it's on going series, Waiting for the World to Change. I spoke briefly with VAI's Gentle Heron who told me this about the series; "This started with the official UN day celebrating their Conference on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. They set up a series of topics, including education, employment, accessibility and Virtual Ability set up some information displays on Healthinfo Island about these topics, and then people asked for more information. So we've been doing a series of informational presentations by experts such as these three folks. The topics are varied, of course, but all relate back to the UN Conference."
The first is scheduled for today the 7th of January, at noon PST/SLT where Kevin Feenan (SL: Phelan Corrimal) will present "WAT's in a Name?". The event takes place at the SojournerAuditorium on Virtual Ability Island.
"Workplace accommodation toolkits (WAT) match disabilities with assistive technologies. In order for school systems to appropriately manage the learning environment its important to know what assistive technologies are most commonly associated with specific disability types. This presentation will provide a general overview for educational institutions of the nine (9) major disability types, the assistive technologies most commonly used, and which global databases can help provide access to suppliers of assistive technologies. By the end of this session, educators should be able to develop their own classroom accommodation toolkit for use in discussing appropriate options with their charges."
PRESENTER BIO: Kevin Feenan (SL: Phelan Corrimal) is CEO of Knomaze Corporation, a management consulting firm and President of Rockcliffe University Consortium.
The second in the series is scheduled for Sunday, the 8th of January, when Jason Pace (SL: Hydra Shaftoe) will present; "No more mop buckets: Profitably employing people with disabilities in real positions". The presentation will begin at 11 am PST/SLT and will be held at the Sojourner Auditorium on Virtual Ability Island.
"This event will be a presentation getting into the nuts and bolts of how a business can profitably employ people with mental disabilities (focus on the autism spectrum) in profitable roles. This will be a gritty, realistic session exploring the benefits and minuses of hiring such people, and ways of utilizing the special gifts that autism grants those employees while minimizing the impact of the negatives. "
PRESENTER BIO: Hydra Shaftoe (Jason Pace) is a project manager, community manager, technical writer, show host, convention organizer, marketer, IT professional, and former virtual worlds developer. He has been involved with virtual worlds for six years and has a good deal of experience in hiring and working with differently abled people in them. He also works as an organizer for the Second Life convention.
The third and final event will take place on Monday, the 9th of January at 6 pm PST/SLT. The topic , "Mental disabilities: Social and educational issues" will be presented by Dr. Selby Evans (SL:Thinkerer Melville). The location for Monday's event will be at, Exhibit 5, Healthinfo Island.
This event in the "Waiting for the World to Change" series has six segments:
• the major mental disorders or psychoses
• “ethnogenic” disabilities (conditions seen as disabilities as a result of cultural circumstances)
• experience-based disorders
• addictions
• developmental disorders
• what to do while we wait
PRESENTER BIO: Dr. Evans is a retired Professor of Psychology at Texas Christian University. He has taught courses in psychological measurement, computer applications, and systematic problem-solving. A published author, he has conducted research in pattern perception, and studies of cognitive systems, supported by U. S. Military organizations, NASA, National Institutes of Health, and other government organizations.
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