This page is updated by the One Voice columnist who calls himself Web Lurker.
He says he spends more time than he probably should lurking around the internet, which he will continue to do until he can find an accessible board and surf like everyone else.
His self-styled mission is to te
ll you about some of the websites out there of interest to disabled people.
Red Disability is exactly what it says on the tin - a socialist website on disability issues.
They describe themselves like this:
Red Disability is not a group, charity, political party, or any form of formal organisation. It is a website on disability issues, and how they relate to a left-wing socialist outlook.
Red Disability's view is that disability prejudice is not caused by human nature, but by stereotypes promoted by the organisation of capitalist society.
Disability discrimination can be overt discrimination tied in with prejudice, but is perhaps more commonly the exclusion of people with disabilities from activities resulting from an inaccessible built environment.
isability discrimination is a form of oppression, which can be overcome by various actions, at all levels of society.
It's good to see a political approach to disability issues, and they have a lot of information on our rights, so why not go and have a look for yourself - the website is set up to be friendly for people who use text readers as well as sighted web users.
The website is here: Red Disability
This Month I've been looking at Disabled Blogs - with One Voice's blog getting a couple of new writers, I thought I'd have a look at what other disabled people are saying accross the net.
A lot of disabled people's blogs are, by their nature, personal documents or world-views, so often you find that you disagree with quite a bit, but then something really strikes a chord - that's the beauty of blogs - millions of different opinions that help you to refine your own opinion on millions of different things!
Anyway, here are 2 of the more interesting blogs I found in my short trawl of the Blogosphere:
Same Difference is regularly updated and has a good range of blog subhjects from current affairs to soap opera charcters. Recent posts have included hate crimes , Disabled Parents and social services, and Dyslexia. The blogger has an interesting take on the social model of disability, describing disability as "the Ability NOT to do something", but you don't have to share her world view to be interested in the bredth of issues she covers. She also welcomes guest bloggers.
Check it out: Same Difference
Everyone else has a blog describes itself as an anti-blog - this might just be code for 'I'm not writing essays, I'm just giving you the best bits' - the Brighton writer largely confines herself to pithy sentences and observations, that often have me laughing out loud - not expected behaviour when you are in Wolverhampton Library!
Two recent posts that made me laugh:
Crippled Achievements #27159 - I have sorted out my wardrobe.
(Nothing is folded.)
My physio has drawn me stick men illustrations of the exercises I am supposed to do If I try and take them abroad, I will get arrested.
Why not take a look today
This month, I've been taking a look at uhad2bethere.co.uk which aims to be a subject based online directory of websites and the services or information they provide. The website has a lot of information, but it is a bit hard to find if you are not looking for something specific. The site search engine is good - type in 'Independent Living' and you get the Independent Living fund, various independent living centres, and independent living products - all useful search results.
Type in 'Wolverhampton' and the search results include the One Voice website (you are here!), and a conductive education centre.
So the search engine is very useful. But if you just browse a subject, you might lose 2 hours of your life! There is a lot of information on the site, and sometimes it's not in the category you would expect, but the site is well worth repeated visits, as you are likely to learn something new, even if it wasn't what you were looking for!
Did you know, for example, that there is an accessible property register?
I didn't know until I visited uhad2bethere, But it is a site I will tell people about in future, because finding accessible accomodation is always difficult.
I give uhad2bethere site the big thumbs up, but use the search engine if you are looking for something specific.
Most of us know it as the BBC's disability podcast, but Ouch! has evolved into a useful microsite over at the BBC, - not just a podcast, but forums for disabled people and others to have a say on anything that interest us, news, interviews, arts and message boards
You can subscribe to a regular newsletter, or subscribe to or download their podcast (sound file - like a radio show)
I'm a sucker for the podcast, which i download via itunes, so that i can listen to it and have a chuckle in bed. But if that doesn't sound like fun to you, you can listen at the webiste, or download it to your computer and listen when and where you want.
One of the best things about Ouch! is that it has a lot of funny and sarcastic stuff on it, so if you want a laugh amongst like minds, you should have a look or listen.
Give Ouch! a try today, and see if anything interests you - I bet you'll stay for half an hour!
Ouch! Website>>>This Month I came accross a new site aimed at helping capacity building in disabled people's organisations - that means helping us to get the skills to improve our effectiveness in promoting our ideas and rights.
It has some good graphics e, good access, but you can't get any of the useful information until you register, and fill in some forms.
It is a pity that some useful sites, providing information to help disabled people like to keep control over who views their information - keep the internet free like a library - that's my thought for the month! You can have a look here: