Disability Dialogue with Bill

Avoiding Health Consequences Related to Accessible Digital Technology

If you have been in the accessibility digital  profession for a while, I am assuming you have heard that  we are making positive progress in digital accessibility. Despite this encouraging news there is still a lot that needs to be accomplished  to increase accessibility and create an equitable experience for all without causing unneeded stress and medical issues for the people doing this valuable work. If a person attempts to do everything  to help increase this goal by themselves, they could work 24/7 which could lead to serious health conditions .

Some people may have even said directly that these practices of pursuing digital accessibility and equity may cause serious medical conditions or even worse death by  attempting to do everything themselves.

I have been told this by one person and have heard it from several others. Unfortunately, I have even witnessed a person dying from this work/life imbalance issue (although this cannot be proven).

I  will not give up educating others and pursuing digital accessibility for all. When a person thinks about it, changing technology to increase equity and inclusion in concept is much easier than changing people’s thoughts and feelings about it. However in the real world we live with little time and being pressured to do more with less people unfortunately the first thing that sometimes gets lowered on the list of priorities is accessibility for digital technology. Accessibility professionals like me understand that this only compounds the problem because digital accessibility was not planned. This causes accessibility issues which the owner of the technology has to resolve and are much more complicated, time consuming and costly than If properly planned and accessibility was baked into the design and development process.

When procuring accessibility services from vendors a well-documented statement of work with a list of requirements is needed. Without these procurement requirements, goals  and deliverables, whoever is managing the project of rolling out these services will more than likely have difficulty delivering services that will be beneficial to the stakeholders.  The upfront work of documenting what is required  needs to be done before talking with the vendor. If one does not find out what they are going to deliver, more than likely it will not turn out the way it is expected to solve the issue one is procuring the services for.

Tips To Assist at Reducing Stress and Promote Health:

• Get high level support for an accessibility program with enough resources and skilled people in it to allow it to be successful and not overwork the team.
• Avoid working 24/7 since this could lead to long term medical conditions. However, if you are like me and love your profession you might be tempted to do so.
• Do not skip the planning stages of any project when working with vendors that pertains to digital accessibility. It will compound the problem and take longer to implement and potentially result in something that is not effective and will add unneeded stress to the project team.
• Incorporate digital accessibility as early in the process as possible in the design and development phase. Include a diverse set of people in this process including people with a broad range of disabilities and those who use a variety of assistive technologies. This early planning will help avoid unpleasant user experience which can cause more stress for all involved.
• This process should also include evaluating and resolving accessibility issues with automated tools and manual evaluation using people with a broad range of disabilities using a mix of assistive technologies. This will reduce the workload than if left to just a few to do the accessibility evaluation without leveraging tools to assist.
• If giving a presentation to stakeholders or executives about goals for projects for digital accessibility  take time to prepare even though some might tell you just talk off the cuff. Do not do this. Spend time crafting your message to maximize the positive outcome from your presentation. Although this will take more time this step will help to reduce stress since you have planned in advance. You will be able to deliver the message succinctly and be more relaxed. In addition you may never get another chance to talk to a potential sponsor therefore give it your best.
• Take breaks from work and take time to visit with family and friends which will reduce stress.
• Read books, listen to music, go on walks and do other things to help relax from a stressful situation which can lead to a better night’s sleep.
• I smile when I can imagine the benefits of my work and I can make another person smile since they are able to use and interact with accessible digital technology effectively which reduces my stress.

I am  not a medical expert therefore my  recommendations are  from my own personal experience. I do, however, recommend seeing a professional if medical assistance is needed.

Does anyone have any tips to help us regarding this topic or any success stories to share? Do you have any other additional ideas regarding the critical project management skill I discussed in this area around procurement?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. If you do have any comments, please send an email to Bill Tipton since unfortunately the comments are closed to my blog site.

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

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Cause Good Trouble: Speak Out

I recently heard the term causing or making good trouble and the explanation around those words. I encourage you to learn about the value and necessity to cause good trouble in these two You Tube videos John Lewis and Drew Gilpin speaking: Fmr. Harvard president on how ‘Necessary Trouble’ brings change - YouTube and Congressman John Lewis Address-Harvard Commencement 2018 – YouTube.

I even noticed that tag on one of my accessibility contacts in their LinkedIn profile which I can relate to. That term highly resonates for me in a couple of ways since in my profession in accessibility I often cause good trouble by educating others on the reasoning for developing and designing accessible digital technology and techniques to accomplish this goal. Sometimes others receiving my message do not have time or do not know how to incorporate accessibility. Therefore, someone may believe it is easier to put off creating accessible digital technology. This only causes more problems when someone reports the issue. Sometimes the issue is escalated and then the owner of the digital technology needs to retrofit it for accessibility which is far more time-consuming and costly than if accessibility was incorporated into the planning stages.   Developing and designing accessible digital technology also creates an equitable experience and environment for all people with hidden or visible disabilities.

I also cause good trouble when I report digital accessibility issues since I require the use of a screen reader to interact with digital technology in my personal and professional life after going completely blind in 1999.

Another outcome of causing good trouble for me besides increasing digital accessibility is the ability to affect other lives for the positive. By being asked to and having participated on the Board of Directors for a few organizations and was on the Business Advisory Council of another organization I was able to help others. I was asked to give keynote speeches, to participate in panels and webinars and to teach the participants in the meetings/webinars the value of accessible and usable digital technology and how accessible digital technology by default increases inclusion and equity. A potential benefit of educating others is that you may ignite a fire in someone to also go out and cause some good trouble to help others achieve equitable participation in life.

In addition causing good trouble to break the silence could assist others directly or indirectly by the skills and connections you may have to drive positive change. Also some individuals are overwhelmed with other higher priorities and do not have the time to participate in causing good trouble.

I also do not mind causing good trouble, when necessary since the trouble not only assists me at being included, it also assists everyone else who might experience the same inclusion and digital technology accessibility issues.

We must be leaders who speak out, love,care and assist others.

Do any of you believe you cause good trouble or have caused good trouble in the past? Have you noticed positive changes because of your willingness to cause good trouble instead of being quiet and allowing others to be excluded? Do any of you have any tips to encourage others to cause good trouble to increase inclusion, equity and accessible digital technology for all to experience a happy and healthy life with less stress due to exclusions?

In closing I encourage you to go out and cause some good trouble to assist others however please do not cause any physical trouble.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. If you do have any comments please send an email to Bill Tipton since unfortunately the comments are closed to my blog site.

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

X: http://twitter.com/wdtipton 

 

Be An Assertive Advocate; Assist Others

There are times when people may need an assertive advocate to assist them. Not every person you observe with challenges requires assistance, however you should ask politely if they do regarding any of the issues I note below. Do not think that the person experiencing issues, exclusions or difficulties has the time to advocate and resolve the issues themselves. For example, they may be experiencing other challenges in their professional or personal life such as taking care of friends or family and do not have time to prioritize or resolve issues. Therefore, to be a valued advocate, please take the time to help other people.

If you see people experiencing difficulties with any of the points below with recommended best practices to  a solution, be an advocate for them by taking action. However do not include their names unless you get their permission.

• If a person speaks with a stutter or difficult to understand allow the person time for equal participation to express their ideas in any conversation. Having opinions and recommendations from a diverse set of people always produces better results than just hearing from a few dominant people with like ideas resulting in the outcome that is only beneficial to one type of person.
• In telephone conversations, conference calls, or if you are presenting in public, speak slowly and clearly. This will allow participants with cognitive issues or other disabilities as well as temporary disabilities (noisy backgrounds due to taking care of young children) to effectively hear and understand what you are saying.
• If a person sounds or looks hesitant give them time to participate.  They may be experiencing anxiety or have a hidden disability. Give them a friendly  atmosphere to participate without fear.
• If you are in a virtual meeting with others and people are not introducing themselves before they speak ask the participants to say their names prior to speaking to allow people with visual disabilities who may be in the meeting to know who is speaking since they cannot see the person.
• If in a video conference call, a person is attempting to speak after unmuting themselves and they begin to move their mouth to speak  but  never gets a chance to jump into the conversation. You should say to all I believe so and so may have a question or a comment.
• If you are in a meeting, online seminar or other online event, and they are sharing slides and the presenter did not share the slides prior to the event politely let the person know that they should share the accessible slides prior to the event. This will allow assistive technology users such as those who use a screen reader read the contents of the slides prior to the event and read the contents without the distraction of listening to their screen reader read the slides and the participants at the same time.
• If you are in a conference call or in an email thread where you are sharing documents check them to ensure they are accessible. Use the built in accessibility checker tools in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Adobe Acrobat before sharing the documents., If you find someone who had accessibility issues with a document that was shared ask the person who shared the documents to check for accessibility and resolve any issues. This will allow assistive technology users to read and understand the documents to fully participate.
• If you are in an email thread, or in a virtual meeting or other communication where there is a video without closed or open captioning or an accessible transcript file ask the person who shared the video to please have it captioned and provide a transcript file. This is so people with hearing disabilities or people who are both blind and deaf can know what is being said in the video and to participate in any discussion.
• If you are in an email thread, in a virtual meeting or other communication where a video is being shared with no audio description ask the person who shared the video to please add audio description for that video if there are visuals in the video that aid in understanding the complete content. Adding audio description will  allow people who are blind or visually impaired to better understand the content of the video and to participate in any discussion.
• If you see a person in a wheelchair who cannot safely get up or down floors in a public building because there are only stairs and no ramps or elevators report this issue to the person who is in charge of the building to help remove this access barrier. This will help encourage safe and independent travel.
• If you see a person who is using a white cane to navigate, and they are feeling around on the restroom door with their fingers or on /in an elevator and seem like they cannot proceed they could be looking for markings in braille to determine if they are at a women’s or a men’s restroom or what floor they are on. This is because there isn’t any braille labeling on the restroom door or on the elevator. Report this to the owner or the person who is managing the public building to help encourage safe and independent travel without the fear of getting lost or making a mistake in navigation by getting off at an incorrect floor or going into an incorrect restroom.
• If you observe or hear about a person having challenges using digital technology such as software, web pages, documents, or anything you can access from a computer or mobile device with their assistive technology (AT), such as screen readers, screen magnification, voice control such as dragon naturally speaking, alternative keyboard devices such as sip and puff devices, braille displays and many other ATs they may be experiencing a digital accessibility issue. After verifying with the person you observed that this is true report this  issue to the company/owner of the tool.  Include enough specific information so the representative who receives the valuable feedback can reproduce the issue and take positive action to resolve and remove the issue.

This is only a partial list of things to consider when helping to create a more inclusive environment for all. These best practices will lead to success in one’s personal and professional life. All the bullet points I noted should be done by default and not just when you may think a person with a disability may be participating. If you  know someone who has not completed any disability etiquette and awareness or digital accessibility training, please educate them and share the two resources with them I have below.

Learn more at Disability Etiquette - A Starting Guide - Disability: IN and Introduction to Web Accessibility-Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)-W3C. 

I have been working in the accessibility and inclusion area since 2000, and I have learned from my experiences that most things do not come to you. You need to be politely assertive and make positive changes yourself instead of waiting for others to make the changes.

Just think of the day when we will  not need to educate people of the benefits and the reasons for the bullet points above and there is no need to be an assertive advocate for others.

Let us all have the desire, discipline, and dedication to assist others to have a more joyful life.

Do you have any other suggestions or comments regarding this topic? Have you experienced challenges where you were grateful somebody had the courage to speak up and assist you? Were there any issues regarding digital accessibility, physical accessibility, inclusion or other issues that were resolved based on somebody taking positive action.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. If you have any comments or feedback, 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

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Learning Reiki Without Eyesight

Healing technique of Reiki may reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, and lessen pain through light (or no) touch.

When I left O’Conner hospital in December 1999 after a seven-month hospitalization I was now   a person who is completely blind. In early 2000 during my rehabilitation, I talked with a few people researching different methods of healing, reskilling myself and reducing stress. Reiki was introduced to me as an option to help with some of my goals.

During my research I learned that the Center for Integrated Medicine which was directly across the street from O’Conner Hospital at the time offered Reiki level 1 and Reiki level 2 classes. I was not sure how I could learn Reiki as a person who is completely blind, although I was willing to try it. Therefore, I signed up for Reiki level 1 and Reiki level 2 classes and mailed in my enrollment fees.

After paying my fees and being enrolled in both Reiki classes I found a ride to and from the classes for each one of the days the classes were held.

Since I am completely blind and have mobility issues I walk with the aid of two canes. One long white cane and one support cane. After my driver brought me to the building the driver would site guide me inside since I was unfamiliar with the building. I remember no students questioning my being able to participate in the training. I was included just like everyone else.

When I started the class there was a small group of men and women who sat around listening to the Reiki Master instructor as she introduced the two courses to us. If you are not familiar with Reiki, and Reiki 1, there is one Reiki 1 symbol that you project when healing. The instructor was easily able to verbalize this symbol to me because it was relatively simple for me to imagine it in my mind’s eye. I could then project this symbol during my Reiki 1 training. For Reiki 2 the symbol is far more complicated and has different 3-dimensional levels to it. The instructor felt like she could not verbalize it well enough to me. She then thoughtfully built a 3D heavy cardboard model of the symbol for me. I could then feel all three dimensions of the symbol so I could project the Reiki 2 image during my training.

As you may or may not imagine performing Reiki on other people without eyesight is difficult. A Reiki practitioner (me) gently moves their hands just above the person’s body on which you are performing Reiki with the intention of reducing the person’s stress and promoting healing by encouraging a healthy flow of energy. Placing my hands in an appropriate location just above their body was challenging for me being completely blind. Fortunately, I did not have this challenge with level 3 which  is generally used for remote healing. Obviously some of the classes were challenging without any eyesight due to not being able to see any person or the instructor and following her directions.

Doing some of the Reiki training was a little bit difficult with my stability issues and holding my support cane with my long white cane folded up and in a holder attached to my belt. Nevertheless, I was able to complete every class lesson.

Unfortunately, a day prior to the Reiki 2 class I got a seriously painful sciatica attack. I could barely move because of the pain and definitely was difficult to get out of the car after arriving at my class. Since I had already paid registration fees for these two classes and had already completed Reiki 1, I was not going to skip my Reiki 2 class. During the class when I had the sciatica I fought through the pain and did everything I was supposed to do as instructed by my Reiki Master instructor.

I am very happy to say I was able to complete and pass both Reiki 1 and 2 classes and had an enjoyable time with everyone despite some pain from my sciatica in the second class. I was also happy to see that a few doctors, nurses, and other people who worked at O’ Conner hospital were attending these Reiki classes to put these valuable skills in their toolbox for alternative ways of healing their patients.

Learn more about Reiki at:  Reiki: How This Energy Healing Works and Its Health Benefits-Everyday Health

Have you ever heard of Reiki before? Have any of you ever taken Reiki classes and practiced it? If you are trained in Reiki, how does it work for you and the ones you are attempting to heal.

I look forward to hearing all of your valuable thoughts and comments.

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 

Music in My Life and How It Reduces Stress

My Early Days of Music

Since I was young I have always enjoyed listening to music and the enjoyment and relaxation good music gives me. This could be because I was brought up with music around me since I was 5 or 6 years old. I would often  listen to music at my parents’ house, at my cousins or my aunts and uncles usually  with the volume turned up very loud on quality speakers. Sometimes if we stayed late at my relatives house while they were listening to music I would fall asleep to that music somewhere in their house.

Listening to albums in my bedroom on my plastic record player that  my parents gave me as a present  growing up also allowed me to spend many hours listening to music. After getting a job as soon as I was old enough I was then able to afford a better stereo system which enhanced my musical experiences listening to musicians perform their music with better sound quality. Also, enjoying music on my portable transistor battery powered AM/FM radio was a nice convenience in those days.

Growing up when visiting friends at their homes there was always music involved as we sat around and talked while listening to music in the background.  I would try to have quality audio systems in my vehicles growing up to allow me to enjoy my music while traveling.

My Early Days of Working

In one of my early jobs I worked at Gemco department store in many departments including the automotive department.  This job allowed me to continue my music enjoyment. After the store would close for the day we would turn up the best quality car stereo we had as loud as we could and played it through the best equalizer and speakers. This allowed the side of the store I worked in to enjoy the music while we all worked after hours.

How Music Can Reduce Stress and Possibly Heal

Like most people I am extremely busy with my professional career and my personal life and taking a break to listen to music dissolves the stress from my body. I can actually feel the stress leaving my body instantly as I am listening to music. When I am listening my eyes open wider and my perpetual darkness (black) from my blindness turns to a light shade of gray. My smile grows with joy as well. This occurs when I am listening to recorded or live music. When I am able to experience live music this stress reduction is amplified. However these days I do not get the chance to listen to live music much due to the traveling obstacles I have and my busy work schedule. Even though experiencing live music does not happen often I am grateful I was able to attend a few excellent free concerts with my wife that were relatively close to where we live. I was also happy to attend a concert with one of my friends. Attending live concerts while completely blind is as joyful as when when I could see, although it is nice to see the performers on stage. At one of the free concerts I attended the female singer from the band came out and was walking around the crowd with a wireless microphone and was directly in front of me singing to me. Since her voice was coming from the amplifiers on the stage in another location from where she was, I had no idea she was directly in front of me singing to me until after she went back to join the band on stage and my wife told me about her singing in front of me. When we got home from the concert that evening I felt bad and looked up the singer on the Internet. I then sent her  a message to explain why I had no reaction to her standing directly in front of me singing to me since I am completely blind and I could not see her.

Fortunately, before I went completely blind and lost my eyesight I was able to drive and had more time so I was able to attend  many live concerts by well-known bands at numerous venues in the Bay Area. To ensure I can take advantage of the positive effects of music in our home I have a few sources of music available so I can listen to music wherever I might be.

Music could even possibly have healing properties. For example, when I was in the hospital for seven months occasionally musicians would come in and play musical instruments for the patients or sing  to us which I always enjoyed. I longed with joy for the next chance to listen to their relaxing and healing music.

How Music Could possibly Help A Person’s Professional Career

I enjoy listening to a broad range of music, especially on the weekends and before starting work each weekday.

When I have time before critical meetings at my place of employment I listen to music to refocus and drain some stress from my body  so I can be more focused in the meetings. Depending on the type of energy I am looking for when going into a meeting, I would adjust my music style. For instance, if I need high energy, I would listen to loud high energy music. If I want to be more relaxed, I would  listen to music with lower level energy at a lower volume level.

If you have not already tried listening to music to reduce stress and add to your enjoyment I highly recommend it.

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 

Happy Holidays; Value of Companionship and Relationships

As one year comes to closure and another is about to blossom into new opportunities and experiences it provides me reason to reflect on what I have.,  Unfortunately there are less fortunate and others who may have to deal with serious medical conditions.  I also think about the people who may not have friends or family to be with to help start  the new year with companionship and gratitude.

Our global world has many unique people with a broad range of cultural differences and a variety of visible and invisible disabilities. Our unique differences  enhance the enjoyment and educational opportunities  of every interaction we have if one is observant. Because of the large variety of differences one may observe some people have different opportunities than others. To keep ones focus on goals you should not be discouraged if you are not getting the same assistance or opportunities other people may appear to have. Just try to stay positive, healthy, and do what is under your own control and do not rely  on others to accomplish ones goals and happiness.

Do not let what seems like unsurmountable challenges or set backs stop one from pursuing ones  goals. Since with perseverance and determination one can accomplish almost anything.

I am grateful for many things during the holidays some of which I have listed below.

• I am grateful for my loving wife, Kathy, who without her I would’ve died for sure in 1999. One reason out of many was due to Kathy’s dedication in keeping watch on the medical staff when I was in the hospital for seven months. She provided her medical advice and did not let the doctors take me off of life support when they suggested I had no hope to live a fulfilling life.
• I am blessed to find a volunteer to help me with things around the house I cannot do with no eyesight from a local nonprofit agency who has turned into a good friend of mine, since we have been seeing each other for over twelve years now.
• I am grateful that I have been employed at my current employer for over 25 years in a roll that leverages my many years of technical skills to help create more accessible and usable digital technology to assist people with disabilities to use  the technology more effectively.
• I am thankful that due to my accessibility and disability skills the work I do has positive impact for many employees around the world at my place of employment.
• As a person who is completely blind I am grateful I took the time required to study and become certified in accessibility, multiple disabilities and assistive technologies to better assist my customers.
• Although I get frustrated and upset when there are things that my wife and I cannot accomplish around our home and other places, I am grateful that eventually we find a way to get what we need accomplished with just the two of us by partnering and combining our abilities.
• Usually Kathy and I are way too busy to think about being alone. Although we are fortunate to have each other some people are truly alone all the time.
• I enjoy the holidays because some people reach out a little more which helps with companionship and sense of isolation.
• Some people exchange gifts during the holidays, which is perfectly fine, although I have learned that the most precious gifts are family, friends, and human companionship over material items.
• Since I unfortunately was in the hospital for seven months (3 of which I was in a coma) I spent many hours passing the time by listening to other patients in nearby beds. Some of the patients did not have the option to survive and leave the hospital like I was able to do on December 28, 1999.
• I do have some friends and family although none are close by therefore I seldom see them. Kathy fortunately has a few family members nearby that we do see on occasion. Thankfully we were able to see a few of our family members from Kathy’s side  of the family at a wedding in November 2022 and on Thanksgiving day in 2022. Having the covid pandemic occurring around April 2020 in our area added to the obstacles of seeing people in person which unfortunately kept us isolated for sometime even more so than we are usually.
• I also enjoy December since my wife Kathy and I have birthdays in December which  we usually celebrate by ourselves enjoying each other’s company as our treasured gifts to each other.

Does anybody want to share any comments about what makes the holidays special for you? Do you have examples of how people have made you feel less lonely during the holidays?  How can you assist the disabled, people who are alone  or others who need extra help? Any other thoughts about what I have written? I look forward to hearing from you and I wish you an enjoyable holiday season.

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 

Bill Tipton Talks About the Value of Accessibility in a Video

Hello all,

As some of you are aware from following my blog post one of my passions is to increase creating an equitable experience for all by helping developers and designers to create accessible digital technology. Therefore, I am very happy to share Accessibility — HPE Design System video I did at the request of my employer to help with this very important goal.

Some designers and developers may believe that making digital technology accessible and usable is difficult are just not familiar with creating experiences that are satisfying to all. Although in reality it is far easier to develop accessible and usable digital technology in the early phases of design and development instead of waiting for customers to report issues which requires costly renovations possibly causing delays and software release schedules and add unnecessary additional costs.

Unfortunately, the comments to my blog site are closed although if you have any feedback my email address is on my blog site.

Please keep up your efforts to create a more equitable experience for everyone including people with disabilities who use assistive technology or do not.

I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback.

                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 

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

Prosper in the New Year: Keep Focused on Goals Despite Distractions and Confusion

 As the world we live in changes sometimes the pressures to accomplish more with less resources provides opportunities to practice leadership. Sometimes time constraints also create opportunities to practice leadership. On top of these time challenges if additional requests for our time are unclear this also adds to unneeded stress and confusion. Similarly, if a person has rare and unique skills and perspectives that are needed for success they may be asked to help with a project or special request. When a person has a disability or other challenges in which skills acquired by these experience’s are critical to projects or personal requests this person might also receive requests to help.

In the event a person receives a request to assist in delivering projects in which there are multiple leaders asking for assistance with different ideas on deliverables this can lead to confusion and wasted time and effort.

These additional requests could compound the person’s workload leaving little time for family or friends. Also, by possibly over committing themselves a person may make mistakes, have poor performance accomplishing projects or give improper guidance.

I for one, as others, enjoy my profession and am passionate about the quality of my work and my plans for success. Continuous education to increase my skills and values is a lifelong goal for me, as it is for other people. Along with getting additional education and adding more skills to their portfolio it is possible for a person to receive additional requests to do more projects because of your newly acquired skills. With projects or special requests coming from a variety of people it is possible for a person to attempt to accomplish everything asked of them with their lifelong goal of providing excellent deliverables as they have always done.

During extremely busy times and projects coming from all directions it is even more critical that a person step back, take a leadership role and refocus, and realign their goals since it is impossible to accomplish everything everybody would like or need without proper resources and active sponsorship. Also keep in mind if you over work yourself it could lead to medical conditions, poor family life and in the long run will prevent you from accomplishing your long-term professional and personal goals.

If requests are too much and one may not have proper support, keep focused on the overall goals despite distractions and confusion and do not forget how important family, friends and community are as you are striving to accomplish all of your life-long goals Do not forget to complete them as if you are nourishing the act of completion. Be sure to take time to complete them with happiness and a caring attitude. If one finds oneself overwhelmed by the quantity or lack of clarity of request this provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate leadership to prioritize what requests are critical and what ones have enough information to take accurate action.

If one does not allow oneself to have a healthy work life balance it is possible this lifestyle may lead to medical conditions which may result in one not being able to provide quality skills to your employer and be a loving family member. Even worse it is possible too much stress can cause hidden serious medical conditions which could lead to one leaving this world prematurely.

As we move into this wonderful new year, I hope we can keep our goals and priorities in perspective in our daily lives.

Does anybody have any thoughts or comments about achieving any of the topics I discussed above? Do you have tips to help us to not leave our family, friends and community behind as we pursue our goals? Do you have any examples of any of the topics I discussed with suggestions on how to make any course corrections if possible? Lastly do you have any tips on how to educate others regarding these valuable topics to help with time constraint sometimes caused by poor planning, distractions and confusion?

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

I also want to wish you and your family a happy, healthy, prosperous, contented and blessed new year as you allow your dreams to blossom into reality like when a bulb grows into a plant and eventually into a lovely beautiful flower if properly cared for.

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

       

Slow Down and Enjoy the Fall Season

Do you enjoy the fall season like I do? Since I am very busy most days like others I do understand if we do not slow down and prioritize our values this joyful season can pass us by like the leaves fluttering by us on a windy day. Life passes by so quickly therefore I believe we should not waste any time being preoccupied by non-critical tasks and take the time to enjoy very precious moments. Also this time of year I feel we should be spending more time with family or friends if we are fortunate enough to have them in our lives.

Below I have listed a few of the many reasons why I enjoy fall. Some of them you may be able to relate to.

• Listening to the laughter and joy of children as they walk by our home as they return to their schedule of going to and from school.
• Experiencing the pleasant sensations of the air temperature as it transitions from hot to cooler.
• When outdoors listening to the relaxing sounds of leaves fluttering by while hearing the honking geese as they fly by.
• Anticipating the upcoming holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s among many others in which we have the opportunity to share ourselves with others unselfishly.
• The joy of picking out pumpkins and apples with family and friends, creating lasting memories and enjoying the delightful fall weather outdoors.
• Happily experiencing my loving wife decorating our home to create holiday wonderlands.  Also being with others, if possible, to share the enjoyment decorations can create.
• Appreciating the cooler days that can aid in alertness, cooler evenings which makes sleeping easier and experiencing the days as they get shorter and nights get longer.

Do you have any fall traditions you would like to share? Perhaps you have suggestions to help us slow down and prioritize our values to enable us to enjoy fall before it passes by. How can we help others who are less fortunate than us and may not be able to get out to enjoy fall?  Does anyone have tips to encourage the joy of unselfish behavior?

We look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments to help us enjoy the fall season so it does not pass us by like leaves fluttering by on a windy day.

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