I recently came across an article describing some of the ways in which SL is helping people with disabilities and abused children. In one example there was a woman who was helping abused children who were all the way in portugal reconnect with social skills. She said that "They easily get in touch with people that they don't personally know, this means we seem to break a barrier of socializing."
In another example, a program called live2give was taken on with 9 adults who suffered from cerebal palsy. The program allowed them to connect with people from all over the world to help them cope with their everyday problems.
I think SL is a great resource for people who may not be able to get out everyday whether they are scared socially such as the abused children, or just arent physicaly able to. I think that SL also helps them to dream and be someone in world that they are not capable of in real life.
Schilling
1 comment:
I've seen some articles on hospitals using virtual world technology to allow bed-ridden patients to get around without leaving their beds.
I hope that there continues to be exploration in areas such as these. Virtual worlds allow for many to participate in a society without the limitations of the real world and without the knowledge of other people's limitations. It is such a important part of people's lives to remain in contact with society. Developing a way for those with physical and mental barriers to maintain this connection can provide a valuable step in coping with a setback.
This world needs all the valuable brainpower it can get. It would be a shame to lose many strong mental resources due to physical limitations. Maybe Second Life can provide part of the bridge for some people to regain an active role in first life.
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