Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Intro to Audio Description

 


Thursday, February 17 at 11-11:30am SLT

Webinar sponsor: 3Play Media

 



What is audio description? While most people are familiar with closed captioning, audio description is another important accessibility requirement for video content. Audio description narrates the relevant visual information in a video to make your content accessible to blind and low vision users. 

This webinar will cover the basics of how to add audio description to online video, legal requirements for audio description, video player compatibility, examples and demos, how to create audio description, differences between standard & extended audio description, and benefits of audio description outside of accessibility.

 In this webinar, you will learn about:
  • What is audio description?
  • Examples and demos
  • Accessibility laws and compliance
  • Video player compatibility
  • Methods for DIY audio description
  • How to publish audio description
  • Tools & features to make the process easier
Why not add this skill to your disability-supportive accessibility-inclusive toolkit?


Monday, February 14, 2022

Where Did They Go?

An empty park with an empty bench

By Virtual Ability member Shyla, the Super Gecko

Sometimes people disappear from Second Life and we don't know why. But anyone can disappear for a while or even a long time.

When people disappear it can worry us - are they are safe? Maybe their computer went screwy and they can't get online. I don't know, and that leaves me questioning what has happened to them.

Here are some steps I have taken to ensure those whom I interact in Second Life know my status if I should have to be off the grid for an extended period.

I set up a contact system so people in the Second Life groups I am in can know my status.  Here are the steps I took.

1.     I asked a person in Second Life, who I frequently interact with and trust with personal information, if they would be my ‘main virtual’ contact.

2.      I asked a different person to be my ‘physical world’ contact and if it was alright to provide my ‘main virtual world’ contact with their phone number and email, so they could check on me if needed.

a)       I selected two ‘physical world’ contacts, one as a back-up.

3.      I created a list of people in Second Life I wanted my ‘main virtual’ contact to inform of my status should I be out of Second Life for an extended period.

a)       I only selected a few people, one from each group I interact with, so as not to overburden my ‘main virtual’ contact. I call these people ‘secondary virtual’ contacts.

b)      I asked each ‘secondary virtual’ contact if they were willing to notify others in their group of my status should my ‘main virtual’ contact advise them.

c)       I let my ‘secondary virtual’ contact know who my ‘main virtual’ contact is.

4.      I created a list of the ‘secondary virtual’ contacts who agreed to notify others in their group. I included User and Legacy names and gave it to my ‘main virtual’ contact.

5.      I also provided my ‘main virtual’ contact the contact information of my ‘physical world’ contacts and my own.

6.      I gave my ‘main virtual’ contact a note card with the following information:

a)       My personal contact information

b)      My ‘physical world’ contact’s information

c)       The list of ‘secondary virtual’ contacts

d)      When to reach out, meaning how long should my ‘main virtual’ contact wait before reaching out to my ‘physical world’ contact? A week? A month?

e)      I asked them to reach out to me first, and then my ‘physical world’ contacts.

f)        I thanked them and shared how special and important their service was to me and how I valued their willingness to take this on.

7.      Last, I committed to keep my ‘main virtual’ contact up-to-date, providing a new note card with any changes to my ‘physical world’ and ‘secondary virtual’ contacts.

a)       I plan on putting the date or a version number on any updated lists to make it easier for my ‘main virtual’ contact to know which contains the most recent information.

It seems like a lot, but it didn't take long, and everyone I asked appreciated I put this process in place.

It’s a gift to have something in place to ensure others know what might have happened if you leave Second Life for an extended period. I hope this is helpful in doing so.

 

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Weather Tip - What is a Blizzard?



The TV weatherman is calling for a blizzard. What does that mean?

Blizzards are significant winter storms that can cause lots of problems and damage., The National Weather Services has defied a blizzard as a winter storm with:

  • 3 consecutive hours or more with considerable falling and/or blowing snow,
  • visibility of a quarter mile or less, and
  • frequent wind gusts or sustained winds at or over 35mph (56 km/hr).

A ground blizzard occurs when snow is not actually falling, but loose snow on the ground is being blown about by strong winds.

For more definitions and a nice wind-chill chart: https://www.weather.gov/dmx/wintersafety

Here’s information on how to prepare to survive during a blizzard. The most important advice: Don’t leave your home!

  • https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather
  • https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm.html
  • https://www.almanac.com/are-you-prepared-next-blizzard
  • https://virtualability.org/get-ready/

Some people even find joy in blizzards.

  • https://www.almanac.com/joys-blizzards-1


Saturday, February 12, 2022

February on Healthinfo Island

Can you treat bladder dysfunction without surgery? Why won't my doc treat my bronchitis? What 49 other conditions (including Ehlers-Danlos) can mimic Marfan Syndrome? What can cause “brain fog”? What is mindful eating useful for?

Learn about these topics and more during February. See notecard for SLURLs to poster sets on Healthinfo Island. Get a full text notecard plus image descriptions.

Healthinfo Island Displays and Exhibits for February 2022

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this notecard. Click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images. 

If you click each poster, you will get a message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island

Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24