I just finished Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States and as thoroughly depressing as it makes me feel about the past, I’m as equally optimistic for the future. There was not much in the book that was surprising, which speaks well about the changes in
The further you are away from existing or understood user-behavior, the steeper the learning curve. While the ability of people to handle new and unfamiliar experiences varies—early adopters being very accepting of the unfamiliar, while the elderly being very averse—there is a point for everyone where the unfamiliarity
In the past I never really thought about of non-profits. I thought that only for profits could drive lasting change. Now, as I spend more time working with these community based organizations, I’m realizing just how large of an impact a community organization can have. But where did my
I had the fortune to speak at the Accessibility Camp DC this past weekend on the limitations of screen readers. There were about 20 people in the room and we had a great discussion about the problems that many of them have using and what we thought the causes were.
Home automation is one of those sic-fi fantasies that despite our best efforts remains just beyond our reach. In the last few years we have seen some progress, but they remain prohibitively expensive. The Mi Casa VeraLite wireless home automation kit is $180 + the cost of every wifi-enabled outlet and
The ultimate goal of treating disabilities is to maintain a normal lifestyle, both independent and unencumbered. Of all the accessible technologies that I have seen, of all the education and rehabilitation programs that I have heard of, it seems like treating hearing loss is the closest to achieving this goal.
Everyone in the US has heard about the MTV VMAs, Twerking, or Miley Cyrus in the last 2 weeks, and the music industry couldn’t be happier. By overtly sexualizing the wholesome teenager daughter of a beloved country singer, they deliberately provoked a large–or at least vocal–portion of
There is still a lot of room for improving the tools that are available for those with disabilities. As designers and entrepreneurs, ee should be focusing a lot more attention on these users. The challenges are exciting, and the benefits are enormous, and not just for those living with the
As someone who is unable to drive because of a visual impairment, driverless cars promise the freedom of mobility that many take for granted. I use the public bus system here in Pittsburgh on a daily basis, and as decent as the system is, having access to a car would
We all learned about Joseph McCarthy in school. The raging anti-communist who perpetrated a witch hunt against anyone who might have had tendencies towards anything that wasn’t Amurrican capitalism. While we did not witness the events ourselves, we have heard about the insuing frenzy that swept the nation, ruining
Leaving Silicon Valley after 3 years, I’ve come to learn something I didn’t know I didn’t know. It’s the reason why people hold living and working in the Bay Area to be so important. It’s the difference between someone sitting alone at their computer and
Yosemite Is stunningly beautiful. Seeing the park at different times of day really shows you how the personality of a place can change dramatically just by changing the light. You could visit time and time again, and it would appear noticeably different each time. It is a trip well worth