VAI (Virtual Abilities Island) is one of Second Life's most heard about places on the grid, mostly because it helps those with disabilities get involved in the virtual world, Second Life.
It is a place where people help people from all over the world. Currently VAI was recently the subject of a rl documentary Called Login2Life.
The Sim is friendly and well designed to cater to all walks of life. The volunteers on the island provide their time and energy and never turn a person away.
Supporter & volunteer, Steve Rumsford is planning to do a special event to help raise awareness and money for the Sim. His idea is to do an event that has a cash prize, so he is asking for your help with donations towards the prizes so many people to come to Virtual Abilities Island
Please check out VAI and if you feel you can donate anything please do so, it doesn't matter if its 1L 20L or 100L. All donations will go to the event prizes so that they can throw one heck of a fundraising party!
Contact Steve Rumsford or donate here!
VAI Wishing Well: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/146/126/23
www.VirtualAbility.org
About Virtual Ability Island
Virtual Ability has been building communities of support for people with disabilities in virtual worlds since 2007. About three quarters of our group members have one or more kinds of disability (physical, mental, emotional, or sensory) or chronic illness; the rest are temporarily-able-bodied family members, caregivers, professionals, researchers, students, and others interested in disability issues.
Virtual Ability helps enable people with a wide range of disabilities by providing a supporting environment for them to enter and thrive in online virtual worlds. During our specialized intake process, we provide SL residents with customized orientation and training at award-winning Virtual Ability Island. There, new residents can learn SL fundamentals in an accessibility-friendly environment, and existing residents can receive ongoing training and information about health-related issues and support groups.
Once new members are in Second Life, Virtual Ability provides ongoing support and community as they integrate into SL society. We offer our members information, encouragement, training, companionship, referrals to other SL resources and groups, ways to contribute back to the community, and ways to have fun.
Healthinfo Island, to the west of Virtual Ability Island, houses a variety of sources of research-validated health information. Displays and kiosks on the east side of the island offer information on how to improve personal health. SL residents can ask health-related questions at the Consumer Health Library, and RL librarians will send back a personalized reading list. The Path of Support provides contact information about more than 100 peer support groups in SL. Healthinfo Island also houses an Exhibit Hall with additional health information.
Cape Able is one of the Virtual Ability residential Sims that supports the deaf, hard of hearing, and other disability communities. In addition to private residences, the island contains an art gallery that features works created by deaf/disabled artists. Cape Able hosts the only authorized virtual world Deaf Chat Coffeehouse which is sponsored by Starbucks in RL. In addition to social gatherings, Deaf Chat houses information about communicating with people who are deaf.
Cape Serenity is Virtual Ability's second residential Sim. In addition to private residences along the ocean beaches, Cape Serenity has a beautiful community parkland, and a library that features works by authors with disabilities.
All are welcome to visit and buy parcels on either Cape Able or Cape Serenity. Not all residents of the two Cape Sims are people from the Virtual Ability community... they are people who appreciate a quiet respectful neighborhood in which to live.
In RL, Virtual Ability, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation based in Colorado, USA. We are the leading provider of services and information for people with disabilities in virtual worlds, and conduct outreach and awareness activities to inform people with disabilities or chronic health conditions, their family and friends, medical professionals, and other caregivers of the benefits virtual worlds can provide.
We have consulted with clients including the United States Army, the Government of Canada, and College Open Textbooks on how to tap the potential of virtual worlds to address a wide range of disability-related issues. We are happy to provide consulting services to help Sim builders and organizations make their virtual communities more accessible and welcoming for all people.
One hundred percent of donations made to Virtual Ability (either in world or via our website), are used to directly support the services and activities of Virtual Ability, Inc.
Whether you have a disability or not, if you have questions or want to get involved we'd love to visit with you, answer your questions, and invite you to become part of our community.
If you would like to know more about us, please see our website at:
www.VirtualAbility.org
or IM a member of the Virtual Ability team: Gentle Heron, Eme Capalini, Treasure Ballinger, or Pecos Kidd.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments will be reviewed and posted within 24 hours. Please note any abusive content or outside promotional links may not be approved.