We must never forget

Well it’s September 11th, again. What’s different is this year is this was my first real opportunity to watch more than an online video here and there of a non-American news source, alJazeera in this case, covering 9/11 on 9/11. And concurrently, too. Which helped. But what I think was most important was getting a better perspective — it’s the 10th Anniversary after all, they could have dedicated more commentary toward its implications, but I’m not complaining — on the event’s aftermath around the world. Objectivity counts. Today is about so much more than just America.

That said, I also rewrote both my About and Accessibility statements recently, too. I stripped out all the technical detail relating to the stuff I spend much of my time away from here doing. And the reason I’m choosing today, of all days to post this bit of shameless self-promotion, is how 9/11 has come to relate to the topic I wrote about in my revised statement concerning Accessibility.

We must never forget, or in the very least start acting like we give a shit about, how our actions affect others…

Witness the evolution

A little while back I referred to another project that I’ve been consumed with. In addition to my volunteer role at the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC). On the 5th of this month, the 15th anniversary of my accident, I officially launched Abledaccess. And as promised (damn, was it really in February?), I’m announcing it here today.

Honestly the rough idea for this project, well it’s original intent at least, has been fermenting in my head for quite sometime (since October of last year?). But the perfect opportunity to have it grow before it had even begun presented itself in January, so I pounced on it. This is all pretty exciting for me. Not only is this another forum for me to work from and write about, but it’s an amazing opportunity to be involved in the larger coding community. Meaning, in addition to it being a blog, where I’ll discuss accessibility and usability realities — or how I experience and see them — I’m also openly developing a WordPress blogging theme called FSSFive. Using various framework’s and component’s that the IDRC has developed, and continues (being a keyword, all this stuff is very much in flux, at the moment) to develop, to help internet users enjoy more equaled access to the net.

But keep in mind, it’s currently a rather simplistic representation of what a WordPress theme can be. I want to nail down the basics before I worry about presentation (read: how it looks). As I said it’s currently under development and will constantly be changing and improving. If you should ever feel so inclined, stop by and check me out either at Abledacess, or my Github repository.

Witness the evolution…

Further context into this context

So here we go again. This past Friday a man named Anders Behring Breivik allegedly detonated a bomb in Norway, killing 7. And, in a separate incident, while impersonating a police officer, but carrying a firearm (which Norwegian police don’t do, according to one al Jazeera interviewee) shot and killed up to 84 additional people attending a youth camp on an island an hour or so north of the Norwegian capital of Oslo.

The details, while absolutely horrific and entirely deplorable, aren’t what I’m most interested in. Or even the hysteria that predictably ensued for most of the day Friday, not to mention part of yesterday, following these events. You know the typical rush to judgement these acts were immediately thought linked, as terrorism, with Fundamental Islam without creditable evidence. Turns out it wasn’t terrorism at all, thank God, it was just right-wing extremism — like people are supposed to be assured because this is different somehow? Which is my point.

Give me a break. Please, I’m begging you. Shut the fuck up!

Continue reading Further context into this context

Usefully indispensable?

So with Canada Post’s workers heading back to work next week, regardless of your feelings towards unionized labour, I think a little context is required.

But before I get into it I should state I’m not going to provide, nor am I looking for, commentary concerning either the deal the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (C.U.P.W.) were after or the House of Commons legislation forcing them back to work. Honestly I haven’t been following either side closely enough to provide any sort of informed insight.

I am, however, ready to cite two recent news stories that appeared in the media recently where union’s, on the one hand, proved useful (read: indispensable) to an individual seeking justice. But on the other proved indispensable (read: useful) for a corporation resisting their worker’s their right to organize to temporarily dismiss grievances…

Continue reading Usefully indispensable?