Hello Katherine

Although I am not visually impaired myself, I am a researcher undertaking a national funded research project, which involves developing an accessible 3D virtual learning environment. As part of that research we have been interviewing people with disabilities in virtual worlds such as Second Life, and investigating "in-world" accessibility options.

I can connect you up via e-mail with the two sisters (one of whom is legally blind and the other visually impaired) who have worked with the programmer, the same programmer working on our project, on the virtual guide dog project if you would like. They are very helpful, and as visually impaired users themselves can probably give you more idea than someone like myself who understands the technology and have used it myself, but is not themselves disabled. The guide dog essentially responds to the chat window on the screen - if you type a command to find an object or avatar it will detect them within a reasonable radius and take you to the person or object. I don't know if they have tested it with windows eyes - they were using a tool called E.V.A. which is not reliant on screen readers - it is a self-contained in world chat text to voice tool.

There will be a Helen Keller day coming up in Second Life towards the end of June which will feature speakers and various events specifically aimed at assisting those with visual impairments.

I will post the information about the day to this listserv in case others are interested in attending. Do let me know if you want me to ask Louise and KC (their avatar names) to e-mail you for first-hand information about the guide-dog from a visually impaired user's perspective.

Cheers




Dr Denise Wood
Program Director (Media Arts)
Teaching and Learning Portfolio Leader




C2-33C, Magill Campus
Tel: +618 8302 4642
Fax: +618 8302 4745
Web: http://people.unisa.edu.au/Denise.Wood
CRICOS provider # 00121B

Secondlife slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/UniSA/178/234/23
Second Life: AKA Denlee Wobbit 
Skype name: denlee5025
Twitter: http://twitter.com/denlee
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=709371922
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/denisewood


-----Original Message-----
From: EASI's Library Accessibility Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Schneider, Katherine S.
Sent: Friday, 19 June 2009 11:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Second life and WindowEyes

Anybody who is blind and uses second life out there?  Tomorrow they're inaugurating a "guide dog" for the blind and I was thinking of trying it, but wanted to hear from others.  Kathie

Katherine Schneider, Ph.D.
Senior Psychologist, Emerita
Counseling Service
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
[log in to unmask]

If you work on your mind with your mind, how can you avoid immense confusion? - Seng-Ts'an

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---------------------------
Check out EASI New Synchronous Clinics:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm
EASI Home Page http://www.rit.edu/~easi
Online courses  and Clinics http://easi.cc/workshop.htm
Check the EASI Library Web http://www.rit.edu/~easi/lib.htm

>>> Error in line 8 of AXSLIB-L.MAILTPL: unknown formatting command <<<
 -> . . . . . . . . . <-