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Recent Posts

  • Human Exclusions for People with Disabilities is More Difficult than Digital Technology Accessibility
  • Mental Health: Lack of Accessibility, Inclusion and External Challenges May Create or Compound Mental Health
  • Leverage Collective Intelligence, Accessible Digital Technology and Music: Creates Happiness and a Beautiful World
  • Enjoy Nature by Combining Different Abilities to Enhance Experiences for All
  • How To Publish Photos /Images Even People Who Are Blind Can Visualize
  • Prosper in the New Year: Keep Focused on Goals Despite Distractions and Confusion
  • Slow Down and Enjoy the Fall Season
  • Reach Out to the disAbled for Assistance to Design and Develop an Intuitive and Accessible Application or Web Page
  • Resolving Accessibility Barriers in Isolation: Achieve with Kindness
  • Coaching and Mentoring Can Assist with Leadership and Self Confidence

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Human Exclusions for People with Disabilities is More Difficult than Digital Technology Accessibility

As a person who is blind I am grateful I have the ability to leverage assistive technology to access and interact with digital technology (software, webpages& documents). When I experience digital technology that is accessible to people who are disabled including those who use assistive technology following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 it makes me very happy.

It is encouraging that some organizations have realized in order to compete successfully in the competitive global marketplace, accessibility for digital technology is becoming more critical as just one of many components in creating an equitable and inclusive environment for everyone.

 

Impact of Digital Technology with Accessibility Issues

Digital technology with accessibility issues not only creates barriers to equal participation for some users it also causes added stress and frustration. Accessibility issues also have these same effects on everyone who is in contact with the person who experiences these barriers such as co-workers, spouses, family, friends and others.

To heighten these accessibility issues not everyone may believe the user when they say that the issue they experience is a technical accessibility issue. One misunderstanding for example is when someone who is not knowledgeable in the technical aspects of accessibility and not knowing any better may tell a user who is experiencing an accessibility issue that their issue is not a technical accessibility issue. They may believe the issue is due to lack of training. They may also tell the same user that they are not experiencing a technical accessibility issue since they may be able to get past the issue by counting keystrokes. For example the user is told to attempt to get to a particular location in the digital technology and type or interact with it with little or no awareness of where they are. Or someone might say the user should attempt to activate hyperlinks on words or sentences that are not coded correctly for assistive technology users to know that they are hyperlinks until the user finds an active hyperlink that works.

This extremely challenging experience of hunting around and interacting with user interactions that do not work is like using a computer or mobile device with a shattered display or one that is extremely dim preventing someone from seeing the complete screen. Also it is like using a keyboard with some of the keys broken causing errors in typing.

No Time for Improvements

Fortunately I have been working in the accessibility field for many years and have been using assistive technology for over 20 years. I am also a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies  by IAAP. I can explain and demonstrate the technical accessibility issues with the application or web page owner. However for those who have similar skills as I do certain application or web page owners might think it is too time consuming and not worth the effort to make a needed accessibility enhancement .

When someone is being excluded due to accessibility issues because no one has the time or wants to prioritize resolving the issues, it makes the person feel like they have two disabilities.

  1. For example a disability which requires assistive technology and the issue is caused by the digital technology not being accessible to the users of assistive technology causes a barrier. This is also true for people who do not use assistive technology and experience accessibility issues.
  2. Several people not understanding the broad range of disabilities people have and not taking any action to remove the inclusive or misunderstood barriers could be the second disability. This exponentially compounds the problem of just the initial accessibility exclusion and makes these people feel like they are not worth the effort to be equitably included.

 

Solving Human Exclusions for People with Disabilities is Difficult

Creating an equitable environment for all requires passion, empathy and a willingness to take the time needed  to learn and understand everyone’s unique and beautiful differences .

This is just one reason why solving one aspect of inequalities  of people in the world is more difficult than creating accessible digital technology. This reason is because we  cannot force people to change attitudes or influence people to take needed time to understand people with disabilities using technology like we can do for solving the digital technology accessibility issues.

When we think about disabilities we need to be sure to include people with a broad range of visible disabilities as well as hidden disabilities.

This attitude or lack of knowledge regarding the people side of how and why to create equitable environments may be a result of the times we live in today such as the need to complete things more quickly with fewer people and less support. Also, another issue in today’s world there is very little or a complete lack of verbal communication between real people and doing more online without any verbal communication. However I know that on-line communication is extremely beneficial for people who may have voice disabilities, hearing disabilities, other disabilities or challenges.

Also unfortunately to save time I’ve noticed that people do not take as much time to talk on the phone and prefer to send instant messages.  Not holding personal two way conversations does not have the same person to person interaction requiring interpersonal communication skills which can lead to solid friendships, partnerships or productive collaboration.

Fortunately  These Exclusions  Can Easily be Overcome

These exclusions can easily be overcome with consideration. I feel if everybody had the option to slow down, listen to others and care about what might be preventing every person from participating and having a happy and fulfilling life we would all be better off. I believe this kind of attitude would go further for making  positive progress in this fast-paced world we live in today when peoples’ first thoughts are of how to cut corners, which can exclude certain people.

Although there could be many solutions to some of the equity issues one thought that comes to mind to help would be to get a Chief Accessibility Officer to oversee everything regarding accessibility if these issues were within a organization or company. Also if these issues were within an organization or company people would need to be trained on the technical aspects of digital accessibility so people experiencing accessibility barriers would not be falsely accused of doing something wrong when in reality the issue is actually a technical accessibility issue. Also if this is in a controlled environment such as an organization or a company providing detailed training on a broad range of disabilities and empathy is another solution to some of these equity issues.

If you are experiencing any of these obstacles in your career aspirations or personal life  try to stay positive and assist where you can with improving equality issues for the disabled.

Does anybody have any thoughts or comments about how we can slow down and not exclude people because of time constraints or misunderstandings? Has anyone experienced similar interactions? Any recommendations on how to resolve exclusions for people  with disabilities which is a problem that I believe goes far beyond accessibility issues with digital technology.

Thank you and stay positive, keep a smile on your face, slow down, talk to others, leverage accessible digital technology and most important utilize all peoples’ unique skills. Together we will spread happiness and understanding.

If you have any comments or feedback can you please send an email to Bill Tipton since unfortunately the comments are closed to my blog site.

Bill

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

May 24, 2022 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, Innovation, People with Disabilities, Technology, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mental Health: Lack of Accessibility, Inclusion and External Challenges May Create or Compound Mental Health

Since October 10 was World Mental Health Day I hope this blog post can bring some awareness to the seriousness of those who are affected with any mental health condition.

Although I am no expert in mental health I feel people with mental health issues experience unique challenges. I have some thoughts that in my opinion may negatively impact mental health below that in some cases can be reduced or removed to help promote a healthier life.

I believe that experiencing digital technology usability/accessibility issues and inclusion barriers  in general can contribute to mental health issues. The usability/accessibility issues regarding accessing digital technology could be if a person has a disability and they use a form of assistive technology such as a screen reader and the application they are attempting to use does not conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. Therefore, the application may have accessibility issues preventing people with disabilities or other unique challenges from using the application at all, effectively or efficiently causing stress and exclusions. If this happens frequently in my opinion it would lead to mental health issues. If these inclusion barriers occur over an extended period such as years, the negative impact on mental health I feel would be even greater. This would not only impact the person who is directly being excluded due to usability and accessibility issues it would also affect the family who lives with the person. This is because the added stress would be carried over to family life thus expanding the scope of the mental health issues to family members.  

Since we are in a unique time in the world today where we are coping/fighting a global pandemic (Covid - 19) which could also cause additional stress perpetuating mental health issues that would compound these issues caused by lack of usability/accessibility and inclusion in the world.

In addition to those two challenges that could lead to mental health issues just by themselves if someone already has a mental health issue caused by a medical condition their mental health issue would be even worse.

Besides those three stressful situations if someone added an additional stressful situation such  as a family member experiencing a long-term medical condition it can compound the stress level and could lead to a mental health issue.

On top of these challenges if someone has a disability and during normal times they are able to function without limitations although with the four other challenges I mentioned I feel most people may  be overwhelmed with added stress. They may even feel the loss of control of the situation especially if they are alone trying to navigate through the maze of challenges which can lead to mental health issues .

Although others have more challenging experiences of mental health issues to get us thinking and raise awareness I have noted some challenges my wife and I have experienced over the past year or so that could possibly lead to mental health issues.

  • My wife has not been feeling well since March/April 2020 and her issues are growing in numbers and getting worse although fortunately none seem to be life-threatening .
  • Observing my wife being sent to many urgent care visits , having many tests, given many types of medication for over a year without providing any relief to her uncomfortable issues all of it made for a stressful situation.
  • In August 2021 fortunately we were able to see a primary care doctor in person then my wife was sent to many other doctors, had many other tests and was even sent to the emergency room without any relief. There were long delays in-between doctor appointments for which she experienced little improvement.
  • Since the pandemic hit and attempting to be safe ordering everything online including food to be delivered added to the stress of wondering how we would eat.
  • Although things are just starting to get better in regards to the pandemic due to a relapse in her health issues  she had to revert to ordering everything online again for she is not able to drive even to the doctors.
  • My being completely blind and relying on assistive technology to access digital technology and at times experiencing usability/accessibility issues which prevents me from having an equitable experience and causes sadness. Although not a happy comment I sometimes jokingly tell others that it happens so frequently it’s like I might have post-traumatic stress syndrome/disorder due to these exclusions.
  • At times have others think I am making a mistake in using an application or providing technical explanations simply because I am blind thus causes me to be frustrated.
  • My wife and I living by ourselves and having to track down help when we are not able to do something with just the two of us causes stress.

Some questions to consider and think about when it comes to your own experience and others:

Do you have a mental health issue brought on by a medical condition or brought on by external sources like I mentioned above? How do you help your mental health issue either get better, be stable or not get worse? Have any ideas/suggestions on how to avoid causing mental health issues for others?

Although as I mentioned I am no expert one goal for family and friends affected  with mental health issues I feel should be feeling included, happiness, love , well-being and practicing resilience.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://intercoms/wdtipton

October 26, 2021 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, People with Disabilities, Personal Development, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

Enjoy Nature by Combining Different Abilities to Enhance Experiences for All

When we were not experiencing a Covid-19 pandemic and did not have certain restrictions in place to help keep us safe I used to enjoy going on hikes with a friend. I am completely blind and walk with the aid of one long white cane and one white support cane. Depending on the trail I am on there may be dangerous obstacles I need to maneuver around such as large branches crossing the trail, large rocks on the trail, very steep drop offs on the side of the trail or deep ruts crossing the trail. If I tripped on a large rock or branch, stepped in one of the ruts or fell off a ledge next to the trail this could cause serious injuries. There could be a low hanging branch I may hit my head on. Since I cannot see I may also not be able to move out of the way in time if a mountain biker comes up too fast and collides with me which could possibly cause injury. These are just a variety of some of the obstacles I have to maneuver around in order to experience fun and relaxation while hiking/walking in nature.

 

If you are a person who is deaf or hard of hearing you may not be able to hear any wildlife that may be nearby on your hike preventing you from enjoying the full experience of nature. For example the sounds of birds chirping, hawks screeching in the sky above and deer leaping as they scurry to hide as you approach them. Or you would not be able to hear a mountain biker as they approached from behind allowing you to move to the side to avoid being hit and injured. You may not even know you are passing a nice bubbling creek because it is mostly hidden by trees and bushes and you cannot hear it.

 

This combination of a person who is blind and a person who is hard of hearing like one of my friends is an excellent example of how someone can enjoy nature by combining different abilities to enhance the experience for all.

 

There are many ways we complement our abilities. If I hear a mountain biker coming up from behind us I can warn my friend by turning my head to face him so he can read my lips while attempting to hear me with his specialized hearing aids. This lets him know to move to the left or right based on where I hear the sound of where the bicycle is coming from. After I alert him he can turn his head to get the exact location of the bicycle and then verbally guide me on where I should move to and be sure I do not get hit by the bicyclist. If I hear a bird chirping in a nearby bush or tree or hawks screeching above I can alert my friend and point in the direction of the sound from the bird allowing him to locate it. After he does he can then describe the bird to me and let me know the species if he knows it. If I hear some rustling in the bushes as we pass them on the trail I can point in the location I hear the sound so he is able to see what kind of wildlife maybe near us. This sound could be a deer running away from us, a ground squirrel searching for food or a lizard maneuvering through grass. If the trail has a dangerous steep drop off on one side my friend will guide me to the other side so I stay on the safe side of the trail to prevent me from stepping off the side. If there is a steep rut crossing the trail my friend will guide me away from it so I can bypass the rut safely without stepping into it and getting injured. Also if my friend feels the trail is too hazardous I can reach out and hold his arm so he can sight guide me safely.

If I hear the sound of babbling running water possibly from a creek I can point to the area where I hear the sound coming from. My friend can then locate the creek he may have missed since he cannot hear it. Also without my assistance he might miss the creek because he would not have seen it since most of the view of it could be covered by bushes and trees.

 

These are just a few of many examples of how partnering equally can assist all involved to enhance the joy and experience for everyone.

 

Do you have any examples of how partnering can increase the enjoyment for all? Can you share any examples of people with different challenges like I describe assisting each other to help make activities such as the hiking experience I described more enjoyable and safer? Do you have any additional tips for us to leverage partnerships to achieve more than we can on our own? Lastly can you share any stories regarding this topic of using your senses to enhance the other person’s experience who may be lacking an ability you may have?

 

We all look forward to hearing your valuable comments.

 

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://intercoms/wdtipton

July 18, 2020 in Disabilities, Inclusion, People with Disabilities | Permalink | Comments (1)

How To Publish Photos /Images Even People Who Are Blind Can Visualize

Like myself some of you add photos / images to your social media posts with a goal that these images will provide enjoyment, attract or keep the attention of your followers or friends. One thing you may not be aware of if you do not take one extra relatively simple step to make the images you share accessible by adding alternative text some of your followers or friends will not know what the photo or image is. Alternative text provides a textual alternative to non-text content such as photos and images. Without taking the step of adding alternative text to your images people who are blind or visually impaired who use screen readers may feel left out since they will have no idea of what the image is.

Also finding an image without alternative text may cause your followers or friends who use screen readers to pause and wonder what they are missing in the image, thus distracting them from the desired text in the social media post. Sometimes the screen reader user even has to go back and attempt to reread the text understanding that on their second attempt they will need to skip through some images without alternative text while concentrating on the text they can read in-between the inaccessible content. Or even worse, some readers may give up attempting to read the message due to the accessibility issues in the content.

Fortunately, in most cases it only takes a few extra steps to add alternative text descriptions to make your photos and images accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired and use screen readers.

Alternative text descriptions should describe the image in as much detail as possible. However, they should also be concise to reduce the amount of text read by the screen reader. To best determine what alternative text description to use, just close your eyes and think about what you would want somebody to tell you to describe any image you cannot see enabling you to clearly visualize what the image looks like in your mind.

If your publishing software does not allow for adding alternative text directly in your publishing user interface it is possible you can incorporate HTML or ARIA directly in the code your publishing software published. For some suggestions refer to my two HTML examples below and for more details see the resource section.

If you are able to edit and view the HTML code, look for a line that says something similar to the example below:

<img src="filename.gif" alt="filename">

Replace the text in between the quotes after alt="with the alternative text description you want. For example, for the photo below I used “Bill wearing blue jeans, a red, black and gray flannel shirt, blue vest, sunglasses with support cane extended and long cane in pouch clipped to belt standing by lake at Grant Ranch Park with green rolling hills, trees, shrubs and a gray cloudy sky overhead”.

Bill wearing blue jeans, a red, black and gray flannel shirt, blue vest, sunglasses with support cane extended and long cane in pouch clipped to belt standing by lake at Grant Ranch Park with green rolling hills, trees, shrubs and a gray cloudy sky overhead

 

If the image or photo is decorative and adds no meaningful content add “” after alt =“”.

Although the suggestion described above is focused on HTML, these alternative text description concepts can assist for Facebook, Twitter and Yammer as well.

Below are some resources with details to help you add alternative text to images in Yammer, Twitter and Facebook. Also, there are tips to leverage HTML and ARIA if your publishing interface does not allow adding alternative text directly. Lastly, I have additional resources to help you learn more about alternative text and why it is so critical to help increase inclusion and decrease exclusion.

 

  • How to add alternative text to images in Yammer
  • How to add alternative text to images in Facebook
  • How to add alternative text to images in Twitter
  • WebAIM-Alternative Text
  • WAI Web Accessibility Tutorials-Images Concepts
  • WCAG WG-Using aria-labelledby to provide a text alternative for non-text content
  • w3schools-HTML img alt Attribute

 

On the topic of alternative text descriptions does anyone have any other recommendations to help create a more inclusive environment for people who are unable to see the photos / images shared in social media?

Do any of you have suggestions on how to include everybody equally in our social media posts? Does anyone have tips to help increase inclusion for people with other disabilities besides blindness or low vision?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable comments and suggestions.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

May 15, 2020 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, People with Disabilities, Technology, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reach Out to the disAbled for Assistance to Design and Develop an Intuitive and Accessible Application or Web Page

Are you responsible for the application or web page development cycle? Is one of your goals for it to be intuitive and accessible for everyone to use efficiently?  You could be designing or developing an enterprise application installed on a server accessed by a browser by anyone over the internet. Maybe you are designing or developing a consumer or an enterprise application installed on a computer, mobile device, or a web page. Or you may be deploying a digital service and have these same goals of equal access.

As part of your careful design and development process you may have implemented user interface (UI), User Experience design (UX), accessibility and usability techniques to help with this goal. 

One valuable resource you may have overlooked to assist is getting some guidance from people with disabilities. Since they may use a variety of assistive technologies, they could provide excellent feedback on User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), usability as well as accessibility. To be sure you are evaluating for a broad range of assistive technology (AT) I suggest you at least have people evaluate with screen magnification, screen readers and voice recognition AT. Also people with disabilities have other unique and valuable skills that could be beneficial to your design.

Although other people with disabilities or challenges can assist just as well as I can, I will explain some skills a person who is blind may have that can relate to assisting with developing an organized and accessible user interface with some added accessibility tips.

Since I am completely blind it is helpful to keep track of things around the house and in my office. To assist with this goal I attempt to keep things in a familiar and organized location. This organization allows me to easily and quickly locate what I am looking for by utilizing landmarks by touch alone.

The way I locate things and get around in my physical world could be compared to designing a user interface in the digital world where all aspects of the application or web page are usable and accessible. This includes all user elements in the application or web page.

Some examples of user elements are hyperlinks, buttons, radio buttons, check boxes, drop down lists, form fields, navigational elements and additional user elements.  This design includes insuring text and all user elements has sufficient contrast in an organized well-designed user interface where all actions can be performed by a keyboard. This user experience design and development attention along with accessibility techniques will aid in creating a positive user experience to help prevent frustration and unintentionally excluding some users.

One example from the physical world might be how some people who are completely blind walk down a hallway. They could know when they reach the fifth doorway on the right side of the hallway from cane tapping, sound differences as they pass doors or if they use a guide dog.  If they have been in the room before they may know what the layout of the room is based on past experience. If you translate that to user interface design in the digital world you could think of each doorway as navigating down to the third heading level and know what is within that heading based on the text of that heading and the text of the second level heading.

Another way you can think about designing an effective user interface and creating a positive user experience is by being able to find your way around no matter where you are located within the application or webpage. For example from the physical world if I drop something on the floor and I hear it bounce or slide far away from where I am located I listen for it hit the floor. As it either bounces or slides across the floor I focus on where it stops making the noise to give me an idea of where it might be. I can then locate it by feeling navigational landmarks on the floor such as furniture to help me avoid obstacles and guide me to what I have dropped. This is similar to designing an effective user interface with key landmarks on it that will guide the user to sections, user controls, form fields or other user interaction types.  This design will help the user to intuitively use the application or web page successfully.

Another example from the physical world. Just think of a completely blind person attempting to walk alone without the aid of a long white cane or a guide dog in an unfamiliar area. Their chances of locating a glass of water they were told would be on one of the tall cabinets in one of the rooms could be difficult or time consuming.

If you label all like user element types the same throughout the application or webpage and have sufficient descriptive landmarks this will assist users in effectively knowing how to interact with the user elements and move around the user interface with ease.

In addition to the Design, Development and Accessibility Section further down I have a few accessibility and usability tips below. If I use HTML terminology please translate these to whatever coding language you are using.

  • Insure every user element in your application or webpage is accessible by a keyboard because not everyone uses a mouse. Designing for keyboard accessibility not only helps the disabled who use specific types of assistive technology it also will help the keyboard only users who do not have a disability.
  • Be sure all essential graphics have alternative description to enable the screen reader users to understand the complete content and interact with all user controls.
  • Insure all hyperlinks describe the destination and are descriptive when reading out of context and none of them have duplicate names if the destination page is not the same.
  • Be sure the tab order and on-screen focus is correct. When you use your tab key to navigate through the interface the focus should mirror the visual order of navigation, links and controls on the page with sufficient visual indication of focus. 
  • Insure any tables are accessible by identifying the row and column headers and use captions if needed.
  • Be sure all aspects of the application or web page have sufficient contrast to help all users.
  • Insure like user controls are named the same within the same application or group of web pages that have the same topic to help the user from getting confused. Example: Do not use both buttons and hyperlinks if they both act like hyperlinks.
  • Use headings and utilize other landmarks to assist with navigating the user interface to speed up navigation for all keyboard, voice recognition such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, and screen reader assistive technology users.
  • The use of proper headings will not only help screen reader users, these will also assist keyboard only users and help with the structure and visual layout.
  • Headings will also assist people who use voice recognition assistive technology such as Dragon Naturally Speaking (DNS) since some of the DNS users could speak the concise heading name to jump from heading to heading.
  • Leverage proper semantics or the equivalent in your application or web page. If you cannot incorporate HTML in your application utilize the equivalent of semantic elements that are available in HTML in the specific technical requirements for your technology you are using to develop your application.  Also use semantic elements when developing webpages.  By leveraging semantics you can provide meaningful information regarding the user elements or page structure to the web browser thus to assistive technology users to assist them in using the product effectively.
  • Developing a usable and accessible application or webpage does not only assist the disabled it helps everybody. For example you may have heard of people without any disability talking about an application or web page where they were so confused attempting to interact with it they had no way of intuitively knowing how to use it. This leads to extreme frustration and loss of valuable time.

After you complete your design and have a functioning product you are ready for your first pilot and to receive feedback. If you know of a person who uses assistive technology such as a screen reader, screen magnification or voice recognition ask them to try out your application or web page and provide their valuable feedback. If you do not know of anyone, contact a professional accessibility evaluation company to assist. You could also contact a non-profit organization related to people with disabilities and they may be able to get you connected with a person who can assist. In my opinion if they are located near you, you might even watch them use the application or web page in person over having them perform the evaluation remotely since this will benefit you in at least two ways.

  • You will see any difficulties they may be experiencing first hand to allow you to resolve the issues in the next revision or better yet on the fly when you are with them.
  • You will see a big grin on their face if you’ve developed and designed the application or webpage well and they can easily navigate it. I know personally I have a great big smile on my face if I am using an application or a webpage that is accessible, designed and functions well.

To learn about how people who are blind access information on their PCs or mobile devices read Understanding Assistive Technology: How Does a Blind Person use the Internet and How People Who Are Blind Can Orientate Themselves Using a Screen Reader.

Resources to Assist with Design, Development and Accessibility

User Interface Design Basics-Usability.gov

A Beginner’s Guide to User Experience (UX) Fundamentals-General Assembly

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1

Does anyone have any tips for User Interface designers, User Experience designers and developers for applications and web pages to help us design more effective applications or webpages that will result in a user friendly experience instead of a user unfriendly experience? Do you have any resources to share that will help us all in designing more effective and accessible user interfaces or techniques to design more intuitive and less cluttered user interfaces?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts, resources and any other information you want to share to help everyone to showcase talents equally and effectively without artificial limits.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

September 17, 2019 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, Innovation, People with Disabilities, Technology, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (2)

Why People Who are Blind May Make Better Project Managers

As a person who has been completely blind since May of 1999 I believe my senses have been enhanced in a variety of beneficial ways.  I have found that my newly acquired skills and senses have helped me to be a better Program and Project Manager which I have been doing for nearly two decades.

After becoming blind my organizational, planning and interpersonal relationship skills have also been heightened. I found I now have enhanced abilities to sense a person’s feelings and trustworthiness which can assist in my leading projects. These enhanced abilities benefit in other professions as well.

Below are a few examples of the enhanced skills I gained after becoming blind that could assist in being an effective Program or Project Manager that other blind or visually impaired people may also have.

  • I have the ability to adapt and learn quickly with tenacity and resilience. After suddenly going blind I was in a coma for three months. After being in the hospital for seven months I was finally able to be released. I then had the opportunity to learn the required blindness related skills I needed to accomplish tasks as a newly blind person. Besides learning on my own I also reached out to others and organizations to help educate myself to enable me to return back to work quickly. These tenacity and resilience skills can be helpful in any project a person is managing.
  • I have the ability to laugh at myself which can help reduce stress in projects I manage. One of many examples is when I was writing my Lemonade on the Road to Recovery story that was published in the Blind Californian. In it I talk about some rehabilitation after I had not taken a drink of cool liquid in approximately five months, I laughed a few times when writing the story, although some might think the story was tragic or sad.
  • I have the ability to quickly make course corrections for successful results. An example is, I may drop something and listen to the sounds as the object bounces and slides across the floor. The ability to locate the object being completely blind is an enhanced skill that can make course corrections in projects relatively easy compared to locating something in complete darkness.
  • I have learned to be patient and flexible. Another example is when I was pushed into a waiting area in the hospital during my seven month stay I waited for hours and hours by myself for a procedure while sitting in a wheelchair. Not being able to see anything around me and not knowing when anyone would show up forced me to learn the value of patience which is a valuable trait when managing projects and teams.  
  • I have the ability to increase my network opportunities by communicating with organizations I interact with which enables me to be around other people who are blind, in addition to people with many other types of disabilities. This first - hand education enables me to have a diverse perspective when managing programs and projects with people with a valuable diverse skillset. This also enables me to equally value the diverse perspectives of others to deliver unique and inclusive projects.
  • I have a can-do attitude. An example is I always find a way to accomplish a task. Many people who are disabled run into accessibility/usability barriers and find unique methods to overcome these barriers. This provides excellent education for overcoming obstacles or perceived barriers within project teams.
  • I have the ability to overcome the incorrect attitudes about abilities of the disabled. One example, is when somebody assumes a person who is completely blind makes mistakes when dialing a phone number or following text directions in an email message. When these inaccurate assumptions are presented it gives me the opportunity to educate everyone in the project team while respecting with kindness the people who are unaware of the successes and abilities of blind people. With proper assistive technology and accessible tools blind people can accomplish most anything a non-disabled person can do which will assist their team in succeeding. These misunderstandings also give me opportunities to learn when it's best to let things go or attempt to educate those who are not aware.
  • I have the ability to work virtually as if I am in person. Since I do not see anything, it does not matter if I am sitting across the table with the person or group I am working with or they are half way around the world. I can sense if the person or group I am talking with understands me from listening to their voices, including speech tones, pitches, volumes, and sensing emotions.  By using these abilities I am able to sense others reactions to my conversation which enables me to make any course correction in my communication style for maximum effectiveness.  This skill assists to deliver successful projects.
  • I have a better understanding of demonstrating the value of partnerships and leadership. Because of strategizing and tactical skills I possess I may have authority and solid facts to back up my actions. Although sometimes it's best not to take all actions that I am able to take because this brute force method might actually inhibit relationships that may impact the project and long-term credibility for ethical and compassionate behavior.
  • I have enhanced leadership skills which are demonstrated when working with a diverse team of employees, contractors and others who I am not directly responsible for. It is beneficial for me to leverage my enhanced senses to act as an ethical leader to assist in getting the project completed even though I do not have authority.
  • I have a more accurate sense of timing based on how difficult each component of the project is and the ability to gauge the skills of each team member and their perceived commitment to success. This skill helps me better understand when to launch each component of the project to improve the chance for a successful outcome for all components to be delivered on time and within budget.
  • I have learned to be grateful, value family, co-workers and relationships every day. Without going through extreme struggles at times that my wife and I endure by ourselves without any help I would not be able to help out others by leading and participating in valuable projects and programs.

Although I explained some skills that I have these are not unique to me alone. I believe all people with disabilities harness similar skills who have a variety of disabilities that can be leveraged to help companies progress in their goals to assist their customers.

Does anyone want to share other examples of skills people who are disabled have that can aid in project or program management roles? Can you share other unique and valuable skills people with disabilities have, other than blindness or low vision, that can assist them in all professions?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

 

January 29, 2019 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, Innovation, Leadership, People with Disabilities, Personal Development | Permalink | Comments (4)

Holidays; Sharing Your Time Can Be a Valuable Gift

During the holidays I enjoy participating in get togethers with family and friends. I am aware not everyone has family or friends nearby. Also, some people believe they are too busy to share time with others and prefer to be alone. I feel one should participate unselfishly with others if given the opportunity. Over the past few years I have lost many loved ones and am grateful I was able to be with them sharing memories when I had a chance to.

During this time of the year we have many opportunities to share our self with others. For example, for the people in the US we recently had Thanksgiving. We also have Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years among many other holidays.

If your special holiday traditions involve the purchase of gifts, I understand some wish to participate in such However I believe a gift of sharing yourself can be more valuable than any store purchased gift.

I am aware of the value of assistance and sharing because of the many challenges my wife, Kathy, and I attempt to overcome daily. I use to do all the driving when I had eyesight. Now that I am blind and can no longer drive and my wife does not feel comfortable driving on freeways traveling is difficult. Not having the option to drive introduces unique challenges when Kathy is sick and I need to bring her to the doctors, get medicine for us or do grocery shopping. Repairing/maintaining minor things around the house is challenging and extremely time consuming. Reading my postal mail and responding to correspondence is also difficult for me.

Why We Have New Obstacles We Are Grateful To Overcome:

On May 26, 1999 I had become critically ill and went into the hospital. I spent seven months in the hospital, in which three of the months I was in a coma.  I returned home from the hospital on December 28, 1999. We received medical bills totaling over one million dollars which caused Kathy and I to address several challenges. When we received the medical bills at this stage in my recovery I was in bed and could not get out without assistance. Unfortunately at the same time the landlord raised our rent.  Also we no longer had medical coverage due to exceeding the limits of the insurance policy.  Therefor we were on our own to pay any remaining costs out of pocket.

Despite these difficulties, the alternative of my dying during my hospitalization would have been far worse.   

I am grateful to be able to say I survived so I can share my time with others and enjoy life and all the difficulties it presents at times. Even though my life has changed forever when I hear the song by Barbra Streisand,  “The Way We Were”, it reminds me of the way it used to be.

I am happy my wife Kathy and I were able to uphold our wedding vows we committed to each other on June 14, 1987 which are noted below and to continue to give each other the best gift of all.

I (name), take you (name), for my lawful wedded wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. 

I am grateful I have the opportunity to work in my profession long hours at times with little downtime even through some weekends. Despite the challenges my wife Kathy and I continually face and somehow overcome I still try to find time to provide my gift of helping others.  Examples are being a mentor, helping to increase accessibility/usability in my workplace, helping drive inclusion and helping others in my community.

Below are some suggestions on how an individual can share time with others as well as demonstrate gratefulness. 

Examples of Valuable Gifts from My Wife Kathy, Family and Others:

  • I am grateful Kathy did not take the advice of others and leave me when I was in the hospital during my seven month stay. This gift enabled us to continue on our life journey sharing life’s experiences together.
  • I am grateful Kathy did not accept the advice of the hospital personnel of sending me to a rehabilitation facility far away from family and friends when I ran out of insurance after being in the hospital for seven months. She gave me the loving gift by taking me home to provide  some rehabilitation herself which also enabled me to connect with local organizations to further assist me instead of my being isolated in some far-off location.
  • I am grateful my dad provided the gift of building me a standing frame from plans he got from one of our local hospitals. This enabled my wife Kathy to work with me daily at home using this device along with the other required therapy.  Although most doctors thought I would never walk again, using this standing frame with other therapy eventually enabled me to walk again with the assistance of two canes, one support cane and one long white cane for navigation.  
  • I am grateful after I got home from the hospital in December of 1999 for some family members, a co- worker and others who came over to provide the gift of assistance.
  • I am grateful after having a total hip replacement in 2013 Kathy provided the gift of bringing me home to help me perform  the required rehabilitation which enabled me to recover and heal at home instead of sending me to a rehabilitation center.
  • I am grateful I have Kathy to provide gifts all year long such as maintaining our home, our yard, our car as well as doing the finances, cooking delicious meals and all of the other things she does daily from sunrise to well past sunset, occasionally taking some time off for herself.
  • I am grateful that Kathy decorates our home for the holidays sharing the gift of enjoyment and holiday traditions for all who are able to experience the holiday wonderland.  This environment spreads the happiness and cheer that goes with creating a festive and loving environment.
  • I am grateful to have received the gift of positivity and prayers from many people all around the world to assist me in coming out of my coma and surviving my critical medical condition.

Other Examples of Valuable Gifts:

  • I am grateful for the gift of assistive technology. When I went blind this technology enabled me to retain my job after a lot of training and commitment to re-skilling myself.
  • Give the gift of your personal companionship by spending time with others to help decrease loneliness and promote happiness.
  • Offer your gift of experience, time and expertise to help people in your workplace, non-profit organizations, neighborhood, your community and other places around the world who can benefit from your skills and knowledge.
  • Provide the gift of assisting the less fortunate, the disabled, the elderly or those who are in need so as to help increase optimism and self-esteem as well as helping them with tasks they cannot do themselves.
  • Provide the gift of knowledge by teaching, mentoring and give guidance to people in your personal and professional life to help in order to share educational opportunities.
  • If in your professional life you are in direct contact with customers you should provide the gift of treating them with respect and caring like you should do for everyone.
  • If you work in an organization or business and are able to develop programs to assist employees or customers with challenges or disabilities in the work-place or customer facing products or services you can provide a unique gift by launching programs to assist these employees and customers to be more self-sufficient.
  • One can provide the gift of inclusion and equal access by developing and promoting accessible and usable web pages, applications and devices.  This practice can help increase inclusion and reduce exclusion.

These gifts I have listed are equally reciprocal as gifts to yourself. When you give the gift of yourself there are others that receive your gifts through the people you touch.  One other side benefit of providing such gifts is that you will never know who you may have helped from your generosity and caring.

Do you have any suggestions on how to share unselfishly and celebrate holidays while helping others? Can you provide ideas as to how to have time to help the less fortunate, the elderly or the disabled? Do you have any stories to share to help us all learn the benefits of providing the gift of assisting others in need while increasing happiness?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year and can find some time to create happiness for others!!

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton

December 04, 2018 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, Inspiration, Leadership, People with Disabilities, Personal Development | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lack of Awareness Can Result in Accessibility Obstacles

Has anyone ever heard discussions about people with disabilities not necessarily needing or requiring access to particular applications, web pages or documentation because they assume people with disabilities will never use them?

Or, maybe you have experienced people displaying a lack of awareness of what skills disabled people have to offer? Others may not be willing to fully utilize the valuable and unique skills people with disabilities have. Maybe that is because they are unaware of how effective assistive technology can be at levelling the playing field and assisting employees to be as effective as anyone not using assistive technology. Some uninformed people may assume no disabled person could be a people manager or a leader of others. Therefore, their thought process is that applications needed to perform that job function is not required to be accessible since no disabled person will use those particular applications, web pages or documentation. This thought process unfairly restricts promotional opportunities for the disabled.

It is also possible you may have heard someone tell a person with a disability that they do not need to use that application therefore it does not need to be made accessible. Perhaps you have also overheard the excuse that it is not likely a person with a disability who uses assistive technology is going to become a system administrator, therefor that function of the software does not need to be made accessible.

I know of people who are disabled and use assistive technology successfully who perform very technical roles. For example, database administrators, system administrators managing systems locally or remotely using software, application developers and scientists as well as others working in many other highly successful professional roles including managers.

To increase accessibility/usability I feel it is not beneficial to make assumptions on who will use a product. It is far easier to design and develop all applications, web pages and documentation to be accessible and usable to all people. This best practice will also save valuable time and money if a person reports an accessibility issue that requires the developer to immediately drop everything and retrofit the product for usability/accessibility after the product has already been designed, developed and released to the public.

Has anyone ever experienced any of the awareness or stereotypical challenges I talk about above regarding accessibility? Does anyone have any ideas of how to break the assumptions that people with disabilities should not be restricted to certain jobs or professions despite their education and skills?

Does anyone have any thoughts on the value of accessibility and the benefits of demonstrating inclusion and valuing all people equally? Has anyone experienced any positive examples regarding this topic that you might want to share? 

Lastly, does anyone have other tips or success stories to help educate us all on the benefits of fully utilizing the complete talents of people with disabilities instead of restricting their professional or personal progress?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable comments and tips.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

https://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wdtipton                

October 23, 2018 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, Innovation, Leadership, People with Disabilities, Technology, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (1)

Attending the American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference and Helen Keller Achievement Awards Ceremony

My wife Kathy and I had an enjoyable time attending the American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference and Helen Keller Achievement Award ceremony and Gala in Oakland California this April.

  Bill in Charcoal Grey Suit with White Shirt and Mauve Tie and Kathy in Black Pantsuit and black and white lace top

You can read about the last time we attended the Helen Keller Achievement Awards ceremony in New York City in my blog post I did “Helen Keller Achievement Awards & Exploring NYC without Eyesight”.

I enjoyed attending the sessions and due to my accessibility experience having the opportunity to talk with others in person I otherwise know virtually and seldom get to meet in person. One example is having the opportunity to talk in person with Jennison Asuncion, Engineering Manager, Accessibility at LinkedIn. Attending this event also gave me the opportunity to meet people I have never met before who are as passionate as I am about accessibility for products and services. These people also share the same enthusiasm as I for increasing accessibility in the work place. These shared goals include sponsoring inclusion for people with disabilities also with hiring, retaining and promotional opportunities. It was refreshing to be around people who understand the technical and business reasons for insuring people with disabilities are included in the work place to enhance the diverse conversations that lead to better project outcomes.

I especially enjoyed the General Sessions” How Leading Tech Companies Are Raising the Bar for Blind and Visually Impaired Users” on Thursday and “Empowering a Future of No Limits: Employment panel” on Friday. In Fridays’ general session some speakers discussed why leading companies value the unique skillsets people with disabilities have to offer. I also definitely enjoyed listening to some of the speakers explain how their companies have established partnerships between product accessibility, HR, Diversity & Inclusion to promote internal accessibility goals to assist current employees with disabilities along with the goals of attracting new talented employees.

After the Helen Keller Achievement Award ceremony I was very excited and fortunate to meet a longtime, mostly virtual friend Jenny Lay-Flurrie , Chief Accessibility Officer from Microsoft. She was honored and awarded one of the three Helen Keller Achievement Awards for Microsoft’s significant strides in developing inclusive technologies to empower people with disabilities.

Read about this prestigious award and the other 2018 Helen Keller Achievement Award Winners that include Facebook and Haben Girma who I was also fortunate enough to meet and congratulate virtually after the event.

You can read some of the highlights from The 2018 American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference in the April 2018 AccessWorld®. Also you can find some of the pictures of this event at American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference and Helen Keller Achievement Awards (Facebook) Photos.

Has anyone else attended events where you learned the value of accessibility and the benefits of demonstrating inclusion of all people equally?  If yes, what did you learn? Do you plan to incorporate anything you learned?  If yes, what do you think might be your largest obstacle you may have to overcome in order to promote any change if needed?

We all look forward to hearing your valuable comments.

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.tipton.39

Twitter: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

 

April 24, 2018 in Accessibility, Disabilities, Inclusion, Leadership, People with Disabilities, Personal Development, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

Perseverance to Survive an Extreme Blizzard in the Wilderness at Lucky Dog

While lying on my back in my sleeping bag in the wilderness approximately 1.5 - 2 miles away from the closest small town I was cold and exhausted. Attempting to sleep occasional snowflakes would fall onto my eyelids. During the night I kept a plastic water bottle filled with snow snuggled against my body and prayed my body heat would melt the snow in the water bottle enabling me to quench my dire thirst. In the morning I attempted to drink from the water bottle and unfortunately found no water. I was very disappointed to discover none of the snow melted after enduring an uncomfortable sleepless night with a cold snow filled water bottle huddled next to me. With anticipation I planned my next actions that morning.

My story is from my recollection with some very much appreciated feedback from three of my friends who participated in this trip with me.

Planning a Cross Country Ski Trip Vacation

I had the opportunity to go cross country skiing a couple of years after graduating high school in April of 1982. I planned this trip during an early spring break from college and a vacation from work. Having never skied before I believed this would be an enjoyable and challenging vacation and was very much looking forward to getting away. I planned this trip with two of my friends, Stan and Terry. Our plan was to meet three other friends Tom, Pat and John at our destination Lucky Dog. A few of us were familiar with Lucky Dog since we had been camping at this location over holiday weekends for years. We planned to bring backpacks filled with enough food and supplies to last a week. In preparation for the trip each of us went shopping for a variety of delicious food. Stan, Terry and I planned on sleeping in a somewhat large old wooden barn approximately 15 feet x 25 feet with a ridgeline of about 14 feet that was present at our destination in many past trips. This barn was at the Sandusky Mine, at the confluence of Lucky Dog and Sandusky Creeks. Tom, Pat and John may have had this same idea of using the barn as shelter. We thought even if the weather was bad this barn would provide adequate protection.

What is and Where is Lucky Dog

Lucky Dog is an old gold mine that was no longer in production near Lucky Dog creek. Lucky Dog is in the gold country of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The closest town is Forest City which had a population of 13 at the time of our trip. There were only a few houses and no stores on the one very small main road this town had. The closest town with a store was Allegheny which is approximately 6 miles from Lucky Dog. Besides the few houses in Forest City there was an old spooky looking graveyard on a hill overlooking the town. Most of the tomb stones were falling over they were so old. A lot of the people who were buried at this graveyard were buried during the gold rush days when the town was more populated.

Ready for Some Enjoyment and Relaxation

After renting skis, ski boots, and ski poles, completing our shopping and packing we were now ready for enjoyment and relaxation. On the morning we left for our trip I said goodbye to my then girlfriend and now wife Kathy.

Stan, Terry and I took Stan’s car on this trip. It was a 1967 red Alfa Romeo GTV. We loaded our 3 fully packed backpacks, 3 sets of skis, all 3 of us (Stan-driver, Terry and me) plus other needed supplies into this small sports car. We were a little cramped as we traveled although nobody complained.

Finally on the Road

When we left on April 1st it had been snowing in the higher elevations prior to our trip. Although it had snowed in the high elevations we were a bit concerned that we would not have enough snow to go skiing since the elevation of our destination was approximately 4000 to 5000 feet above sea level. After a few hours on the road we were excited that we were now in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range and getting closer to our destination. As the road climbed in elevation we were not able to see any snow which added to our anxiety that there would not be enough snow to ski on. At one point on Highway 49 near the bridge over the South Fork of the Yuba River we found a huge automobile sized boulder in the middle of the road. We had to maneuver around this boulder that must have slid off the mountain side.

When we were approximately 20 miles away from our destination it started snowing lightly. Now that it was snowing we laughed with joy as we anticipated the fun we were going to have. As we got closer to our destination it continued snowing harder and harder. We eventually needed to put on our tire chains to help with our car’s traction. Shortly after we turned off the road we were on and started down a narrower road we could hardly see the road since it was covered in deeper snow. The falling snow also obscured our vision requiring us to drive slower.

By this time the road had narrowed significantly due to the distance to any main roads and towns. Now that we were getting further out into the secluded wilderness we no longer passed other cars on the road. The trees that surrounded the road were covered in snow making our travel through this winter wonderland very scenic. We were now getting very close to our destination and we all became very quiet because we were a bit anxious, or at least I was due to the increasing darkness and the additional falling snow. It was very difficult to see around any corners on this very windy and narrow mountain road. As we attempted to stay in the middle of the road we ultimately plowed our car very gently into a snow bank. Luckily where the car rested was close enough to our planned starting destination and it seemed to mostly be off the road therefor we left the car parked there.

We Had Arrived at Forest City

With our delay driving in the hazardous snow conditions it was now almost dark. When we looked around to orient ourselves we could see our friend’s car ahead of us partially covered in snow parked near a snow bank. Since at the time of this trip in 1982 cell phones were not generally used nor did any of us have one therefor we could not call our friends to let them know where we were or ask them where they were.

Since we had reached the location where we would transition to skis we got out of the car and stretched our legs which felt nice. After some quick stretching we put on our jackets, backpacks, gloves, hats, skis and gators for those who had them. My backpack was very heavy on this trip because I did not bring the usual freeze-dried food, so instead I brought real good food, not wanting to skimp on more appetizing meals. This food increased my backpack weight for I generally only bring freeze dried food if I was going on a larger organized trip. Before we left the car during our final packing we found we had a slight problem since we did not have enough room in any of our backpacks for the rain fly. We decided to leave the rain fly behind since we were going to ski to a location with a barn that we planned to use as our shelter.

Time to Go Cross Country Skiing

Now that we all had our skis and backpacks on it felt nice to start skiing to the barn in the ankle-deep snow. We skied in the dark by moon and star light. With the snow falling we could not actually see the moon or stars, although we could see how the light made the snow glow brightly all around us as it fell. This glowing reflective whiteness combined with darkness enabled us to travel without the need of any flashlights or other unnatural light sources.

To get to our destination we turned off the main road our car was on and crossed a small bridge that went over a creek that connected to a dirt road. Once we started down the snow-covered dirt road we quickly found the snow was much deeper, maybe because nobody had cleared the snow from this dirt road. We also realized this cross-country ski trip would not be easy. By now the snow was falling harder and harder. Occasionally we would have white outs where we needed to stop skiing since we could not see our hands in front of our faces. When the white outs would occur an earie, silence came over our group. Each time they would occur I would pray they would not go on forever. Luckily each time a white out occurred it did not last too long and after each one ended we were able to continue.

We were also fortunate the winds were not blowing too strongly and the snow-covered road we were traveling on was relatively level. On one side of the snow-covered dirt road was a very steep drop off in which we did not want to get too close to in case the snow gave way causing us to fall off the road into the darkness below. If one of us did fall down over the edge it would be next to impossible for that person to climb back to the road through the deep snow. The other side of the snow-covered road was a steep mountain covered in snow with an occasional snow-covered tree sticking out of it.

As we traveled very slowly through the deep snow, we wondered if an avalanche would occur and possibly bury us or knock us over the steep edge. We did not talk much during our travels to save our energy. Plus, we feared when we were next to the steep snow-covered mountainside the sounds of our voices would cause an avalanche by the reverberations. When we did talk our voices were somewhat muffled due to the falling snow above us and the deep snow below us.

Blizzard Intensifying

As the storm intensified and we traveled further away from our car the snow continued to get deeper and deeper.

Since this was my first time cross country skiing and skiing of any type I was having difficulty. I soon fell over in the deep snow and sunk into the soft powder far below the level I had been skiing on. With my heavy backpack on and no solid footing I struggled with all of my might to stand up again in this powdery snow. I compared this experience to getting out of quicksand although I had just heard about how difficult it is to get out of. In my desperate struggles I could not take off my heavy backpack to allow me to stand because it would sink in the deep powder. I was also not sure anyone could have pulled my backpack out of the deep powder. My friends could not reach down to give me a hand to help me up fearing they would fall as well, which could cause me to sink deeper into the snow. I struggled some more with all of my might and eventually pulled myself up to my skis. I fell a couple more times shortly after that and vowed to never fall again. The amount of energy exerted attempting to get up again was not worth falling.

Soon our ski tracks were so deep we could not easily get out of them. The person leading the group used the most energy since they had to plow through the very deep powder to make the tracks for the rest of us to follow. To give the leader a rest we would rotate duties at leading.

At one point in our trek a small mouse came running down the snow-covered road. It took a turn and unfortunately fell into our deep ski tracks. Due to the deep track it could not climb out. Stan tried to help the mouse by picking it up with his basket on the ski tip pole and gently flung it out of the track. To our astonishment and sadness this extremely light mouse fell into the snow and sunk out of sight. As we continued we thought this mouse would eventually climb back to the surface of the snow.

We Found Our Friends

Hours passed and we all wished we were at the barn or could find our friends Tom, Pat and John in the snow storm.

As we rounded the next bend in the road through the darkness and falling snow we could see a snow-covered tent in the middle of the road. With excitement we found it to be our friends. They were also happy to see us. They explained the storm had become too severe for them to see in the whiteout conditions and since neither of them had ever been to the barn they were concerned they would never find it so they stayed in the middle of the road hoping to have us come along. They offered to squeeze us into their tent with them to spend the night.

We thought we were about half way to our destination of the barn which could provide adequate shelter therefore we turned down their offer to stay with them. Before we left Tom, Pat and John told us they would meet us at the barn in the morning.

Many more hours passed as we ploughed through the very deep powder with the snow storm continuing to intensify.

Most of the time nobody was talking as we traveled. This lack of continuous conversation could have been to help maintain our strength and save our energy, or maybe we were just too tired or in a daze of self contemplation. We could not get food from our backpacks during our trek because if the others were like me my fingers were too cold to unzip my zippers on my backpack. Also, if we took off our backpacks they would sink in the very deep powder.

The sound around us was muffled due to the falling snow and the snow-covered trees that surrounded us. When I looked up all I could see through the falling snow was a light glow of darkness. This color gently transitioned   to the brighter color of the snow on the mountains and road we skied on making this environment a silent surreal experience. I am sure the temperature was far below freezing outside. Due to the amount of exercise I had been doing and my proper clothing my body did not feel too cold except for my hands and feet.

We Made it to Our Shelter (the Barn)

In the distance through darkness and falling snow we thought we could see a structure. Once we got closer and confirmed it was the barn this sight brought happiness and anticipation with the thought of shelter and rest. As we skied up closer to the barn we were all terribly disappointed because we found that someone had taken down all the walls on the barn. The barn still had a roof, although there were now only boards of the frame with large gaps in-between each holding up the roof. We were all very exhausted and needed to rest. Our friends were too far away to go back during such a severe storm at this point, therefor we all made our way into the shelter of the barn.

After removing my backpack I was so terribly thirsty I went to look for water in the Sandusky Creek while Terry and Stan waited at the barn.  Although the creek was only approximately 50 feet away I was gone at least half an hour attempting to locate the creek in the blizzard and darkness. Unfortunately I returned without water since I was unable to reach the creek due to the deep snow. I   also felt my attempt to locate the creek in the blizzard was getting extremely dangerous and I also sensed if I proceeded it would be like committing suicide. When I returned to the barn I laid down on my sleeping bag and insolated pad and huddled near where Stan and Terry were in their sleeping bags. We were all very hungry and thirsty. We were all too tired to get any food out of our backpacks. Plus, my fingers were too cold to unzip the zippers on my backpack to get at my food, or my stove to heat up some snow to melt and get any drinking water. This was the first time I had taken off my backpack or sat down in hours and although I was beyond exhausted sitting felt nice.

While lying on my back in my sleeping bag in the wilderness approximately 1.5 - 2 miles away from the closest small town I was cold and exhausted. Attempting to sleep occasional snowflakes would fall onto my eyelids. During the night I kept a plastic water bottle filled with snow snuggled against my body. During the night I prayed my body heat would melt the snow in the water bottle enabling me to quench my dire thirst. In the morning I attempted to drink from the water bottle and unfortunately found no water. I was very disappointed none of the snow melted after enduring an uncomfortable sleepless night with a cold snow filled water bottle huddled next to me.

Morning Had Come

All too soon it was morning. We knew we could not stay another night in this barn without any walls. The blizzard was still going strong outside and we realized we needed to leave quickly. When we looked at the opening where a door would go if this barn had one we noticed this exit was almost covered to the top of the door jam with fresh powder. With astonishment of almost being completely snowed in we planned our next actions. We literally had to climb out after digging the snow out of the way to get back to ground level to start our journey again. In an attempt to leave as quickly as possible with a goal to make it back to Forest City before it got dark I skipped eating. If I did have anything I could have had a small piece of beef jerky.

By morning the very light powder snow was so deep we could only travel inches at a time. The person in the lead would kick their ski back-and-forth under the snow until one ski tip would eventually break through to the surface. Once the ski was free they then lifted the ski up as high as possible then took one step forward into the very soft powder. After the ski was on somewhat solid snow again this exhausting process would be repeated over and over again to travel. We used this technique as we carved a trench approximately 4 feet or more deep enabling the ones following the leader to follow in their tracks. The powder was so light on either side of the trench; my ski poles never hit any solid snow as they felt like I was swinging them freely without any resistance in thin air. By now all of us were exhausted beyond words. The strongest and most experienced skier had to take the lead most of the way.

The others behind the lead skier would hardly move while waiting for the leader to take another step forward. Since I was not an experienced skier I would usually be near the end of the line of our group waiting for the leader to take a step. While I waited I would constantly be doing deep knee bends, touching my toes and moving my fingers and toes to help prevent severe frost bite which could require amputations when I returned. I would also move my upper body from side to side enabling the snow that had accumulated on me to fall off my backpack. I would also occasionally reach up on my backpacked behind my head and scoop off some snow to suck on to moisten my mouth. I was cautious not to eat too much snow since I did not want to lower my body temperature by eating large amounts of it.

We Found Our Friends Again

After skiing for a few hours, we eventually found our friends Tom, Pat and John on the snow-covered dirt road where we had left them. They were packing up their gear and tent most likely to start their trek to the barn where they thought we would be. They explained their igloo-style dome tent had become completely covered with snow by morning. As they opened the zipper to the door of the tent they encountered a wall of snow which caused the other side of the tent to collapse. It was a rude awakening after experiencing a cold night, therefor they realized they had to head back to the car as this trip was not turning out as they hoped for. They had packed up their food and hot drinks, although they had a little left which Terry graciously accepted. Pat was having difficulties with the skis he rented and at one point he lost one of his clips that held his ski boot to his ski. I thought to myself if we did not find the clip so Pat could put his skis back on there was no way we could get him out since the snow was far too deep for him to travel without skis. Luckily after a little digging around in the powder we found his boot clip.

Soon all of us were slowly and painfully on our way back to Forest City. During the many hours we traveled I kept thinking to myself over and over again that I would not let myself die. I felt how easy it would be to give up and lay down and die in the snow. I felt I would not feel any pain and die peacefully if I chose this option. I felt as if death would be just like going to sleep and never waking up. Since giving up was not an option for me I continued.

Looking through the falling snow we noticed an object off in the distance. This was the snow-covered bridge going over the creek that connected the snow-covered dirt road we were on back to the road where we had parked our cars. Since we were almost back to our cars we began to feel a sense of relief thinking our ordeal was almost over.

We made it Back to Forest City, Now What?

After a grueling 11 hours of traveling the approximately 1.5 -2 miles to make it back to Forest City from the barn we were almost there. I thought about how much energy and calories I used during this long trek.

Upon crossing the bridge to Forest City just before reaching the main road which was plowed the   snow was up to our waist/chest/chins depending on the height of the person and where we stood on the road. Stan looked over at Tom as he impatiently made parallel tracks with him and all Stan could see was Tom’s head above the snow!

At this time two men from a house of he distance a little way up the road stood out on the road watching us struggle in the snow as we passed below the cemetery. Once we had crossed the bridge and made it to the main road that was partially plowed we began to look for our cars. To our astonishment all we could see when we looked in the direction where we had parked our cars were two snow moguls completely burying our cars. The road was also covered with many feet of snow therefore we could not get out even if our cars were not buried.

Attempting to Locate Shelter

Since our cars were buried our first thought was to camp in the snow-covered road. Then we thought about our second option which was to attempt to get to one of the houses in the very small town to find shelter. We could see a couple of houses off the road although they looked almost impossible to get to due to our exhausted state and the deep snow.

As we looked around we could not see or hear any sign of life not even the two people we had seen earlier as we passed below the cemetery. We figured, maybe most people no longer live in Forest City or had left for the winter.

The first house on the road had a large covered porch in which we planned on taking shelter under. It was very difficult getting up to the porch from the road due to the amount of deep snow. I was so exhausted I stayed back on the snow-covered road while Stan made it to the house. Stan took off his skis and took one step onto the stairs of the porch and suddenly   a roof-load of snow fell off the tin roof on him. We were all so tired, nobody said a word, not even Stan. Stan then climbed out of the snow and just to be sure nobody was home he knocked on the door to ask who ever lived there if we could take shelter on the porch. When the door opened an elderly lady, Miss Vivian (what the local's called her) answered. She quickly said "If you are stupid enough to be out in this storm you deserve to die and slammed the door shut. Stan immediately knocked again, and this time her husband answered. He let us use the phone and Stan called one of his local contacts Scott in Pike although he was also snowed in and couldn't help us. After the phone call Miss Vivian's husband brought all six of us coffee which we all gratefully accepted as we drank it down. Even though Miss Vivian was still not going to let us stay on her front porch, we at least had gotten some fluid into us which sparked some life into our dreadfully tired bodies.

Caring and Generous Person Shows Up Out of Nowhere

The only other person in town must have seen us and walked over to us as Miss Vivian was rejecting our pleas for shelter. This kind stranger named Ralph quickly told us we could stay in his basement. Upon hearing this excellent news we became very grateful and happy. It looked like we would survive. After we had skied to Ralph’s house we took off our backpacks and skis on his porch. We then followed each other through Ralph’s house to the basement as his wife Asbestos looked on, probably wondering who these six strangers are and why are they in my home. The basement had a single light bulb hanging by a wire in the center of the room. Some snow blew in through the foundation skirting and gave the appearance that the walls of the foundation were made of snow. Also plywood littered the ground. It was not the most pleasant accommodations, although we were   very grateful!

After taking off our wet clothes we hung them over the pipes in this basement to allow them to dry. Now that we were on solid ground I was now able to get into my backpack easily for the first time and eat some snacks.

Some time later, Ralph who invited us to stay in his basement told us to come and have some hot food his wife Asbestos had caringly prepared for us. My eyes sparkled with joy in anticipation hearing this exciting news. We all went into the living room where they had a nice warm fire going. We all had a dinner of beef stroganoff, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, vegetables, pie for dessert and drinks.

While we were sitting around eating we over heard a conversation on the CB or short-wave radio (not sure what kind of radio). Ralph who was a gold mine manager had people who worked for him who were still lost out in the blizzard possibly out towards the Ruby mine above Downieville. We could tell from his conversation he was organizing a rescue party for the morning. Ralph’s foreman was also trapped in a mobile home a couple hundred yards up the hill from his house. They talked on the radio and at one point the foreman said his generator had died and he was going to go see if he could fix it so the heater would work. He let Ralph know in case he didn't make it back. Eventually he radioed back saying he got it running again. He had used a piece of plywood and laid it across the snow, crawled across the plywood, and repeated the process to and from the generator until it was running.

Ralph enjoyed telling a few people on the radio about the crazy young guys he took in that were actually trying to camp in this storm.

That night we all slept peacefully in the living room instead of the basement. As soon as the sun rose we all enjoyed a hearty home cooked breakfast prepared by our gracious hosts. As soon as we were done with our delicious breakfast we got shovels and dug out our kind host’s truck.

As we were digging it out with joy and gratitude, he told us a helicopter was coming to take him to try to find his workers. By now the snow had stopped. We noticed the thermometer on the porch registered 10 degrees. This made me wonder how cold the temperature was when it was dark outside or when the blizzard was in its most fierce stage.

After we had freed Ralph’s truck we then placed plywood over his windows on his house to keep the snow from breaking them before the snow plow/ blower came up the road. We had to cover the windows because the snow plow’s blower chute was broken and wouldn't change directions allowing the snow to be blown away from the house.

Soon the snow plow/ blower came and cleared the road. We watched in anticipation as the snow plow/ blower driver just missed the Alfa Romeo I had ridden up in by inches. The driver cleared the road so close to Stan’s car that after the snow plow/ blower passed some red paint on one of the doors was now exposed. The car antenna was now bent possibly from the weight of the snow.

We had to move our cars before they could land the helicopter. After we dug around our cars we pulled them out from the snow banks with Ralph’s vehicle. Not long after our cars were free the helicopter landed in the road and picked up Ralph, our caring and thoughtful person, who may have saved our life’s and was now off to attempt to rescue his own workers.

Time to Depart Our Winter Wonderland and Celebrate

After our cars were free from the snow bank we quickly packed up our two cars and left for home on April 2nd before any other snowstorms rolled in. In our car with Stan, Terry and myself we celebrated by singing songs with joy in our hearts, listened to music and talked all the way home. We had conversations about the happiness of life and how lucky we were to survive such an ordeal. We also talked about our gracious hosts Ralph and Asbestos and how some people can be so caring and generous. I also thought about Miss Vivian who declined to assist us when we first made it back from Lucky Dog to Forest City. It could be she was afraid of six strangers and did not know how to react. I was grateful to have had previous experiences in the mountains which helped with this challenging blizzard adventure.

Safely Back Home

When we arrived home, our families, friends and co-workers were happy and relieved to see us alive and safe. I felt my ability to return home safe was a joyous celebration and a second chance at life. The blizzard had been on all the local news channels and everyone who knew where we were had been a bit worried knowing we were out in such severe elements.

When I returned to my then employer Gemco department store in Cupertino California one of my managers Clint quickly walked over to me and said with joy in his voice “we thought you had died”.

I did not know at the time how beneficial experiencing such a perseverance to survive our cross-country ski trip in an extreme blizzard would assist me later in life. This experience may have assisted me in some way when in May of 1999 I had my second experience with the possibility of dying. This experience was due to suddenly going into a coma for 3 months, going completely blind, losing the ability to walk for 1 year, enduring many surgeries, medical procedures and countless hours of therapy and training to re-skill myself.

One thing I do regret about the trip is that my fingers were so cold I could not get my camera out of my backpack during our cross country ski trip. When we made it back to Forest City I was focused on how we would get out and back home therefor I was only able to take the few picture's below.

Captions to Pictures

John, Terry, Stan, and Tom all dressed in wool shoveling snow around a vehicle as Terry smiles.

  Ralphs Buried Truck - Friends Shoveling Snow

Ralph’s house as the snow plow/ blower makes its way up the road.

Ralphs Snow Covered Home

Stan’s Alfa Romeo buried in snow

Stans Snow Covered Alfa Romeo

Beautiful snow covered hillside and snow covered trees

Beautiful Snow Covered Hillside with Trees
 

Statistics from This Major Storm We Survived

From Tahoe Nuggets #230 WINTER OF 1982: 

It’s been 30 years since one of the deadliest avalanches in Sierra Nevada history broke loose at Alpine Meadows Ski Resort and killed seven people. For those of us who remember this tragic event on March 31, 1982, and the days of grief and hope that followed, it represents a benchmark in time. The 15.5 feet of snow that fell at the Central Sierra Snow Lab between March 27 and April 8, 1982, still ranks as the greatest single snowstorm total on record for Donner Summit.

The Donner Summit Caltrans rest area on Interstate 80 is approximately 37 air miles from Forest City.

Noted in the San Francisco Chronicle for Thursday April 1 and Friday April 2 1982:

6 feet of new snow fell on April 1st and then 4 additional feet fell on April 2nd.

216 inches or 18 feet of snow fell at the Mammoth Lakes area.

The article called it “the biggest early spring storm on record”.

Read the complete articles San Francisco Chronicle graciously provided below. Note to some Assistive Technology Users the PDF files will need to have Optical Recognition performed on them.

Download 1-SFC-April_01_1982_page_1

Download 2-SFC-April_01_1982_back_page_column_1

Download 3-SFC-April_02_1982_page_1

Download 4-SFC-April_02_1982_page_4_column_1

Download 5-SFC-April_02_1982_back_page_column_1 

Conclusion and Reflections

One does not know how one’s previous experiences can be invaluable for any future challenge. You never know how the current challenging and difficult times can provide invaluable learning opportunities. Has anyone else experienced such compassion as we did when Ralph rescued us you want to tell us about? Do you have any camping, backpacking or cross-country ski trips experiences where you needed to push yourself demonstrating perseverance you want to share? Does anyone have comments about our trip?

We all look forward to hearing from you.

 

Bill Tipton

Contributing Author,

Global Dialogue Center

http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wdtipton

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March 28, 2018 in Inspiration, People with Disabilities, Sports, Travel | Permalink | Comments (3)

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