- From: Wayne Dick <wed@csulb.edu>
- Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 05:28:56 -0700
- To: EOWG <w3c-wai-eo@w3.org>
I think aging and more generally hidden disabilities need to be addressed explicitly. Now looking in the mirror reminds me of aging each day, so that's not hidden. But the disabilities of aging are often not severe individually. Vision is reduced, but not to legal blindness. Mobility is reduced, but not removed. A elderly person may not be able to drive, and public transportation may be limited or unusable. It doesn't take a lot of these physical and mental infringement to accumulate into a major loss of function and life includes just too many barriers to participate. The issue of being labeled is a tough reality to face. Admitting the limitations of one's age may not is not as bad as saying, "I'm an alcoholic," but it’s a rough piece of acceptance. However, a person cannot find accommodation for a disability without first admitting a problem exists. So, I think we need to address the issue of aging and the host of milder disabilities that can accumulate to shut people off from the world. We need to be gentle, because we may be asking people to accept something they want to deny. The gain for those individuals is however much greater than the initial shock of self admission. The web is such a ubiquitous vehicle for connecting to the world that we need to make its presence known for those who want to use it.
Received on Friday, 29 July 2005 12:29:11 UTC