Virtual Ability Inc. are hosting the the fourth annual Internaional Disability Rights Affirmation Conference (IDRAC) this weekend. The conference is in progress now.
There is an official blog post from Virtual Ability; 2015 International Disability Rights Affirmation Conference. I’ll include the full schedule of the conference in this post, unfortunately some of the talks have already taken place but I feel that it’s important to highlight what has been going on at this conference.
The blurb for the conference informs us :
Presenters will present from the United Kingdom, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and the US. See below for details about the presenters and their topics, and join us on the 13th and 14th of November as we celebrate successes, identify issues and re-affirm the rights of people with disabilities across the world.
This conference highlights not only a very good use case for use of virtual worlds in terms of bringing people together from various parts of the world, it also highlights a very good use case of helping people to interact with others to discuss issues that are very personal in a setting that makes the participants comfortable.
Now for the schedule.
FRIDAY November 13, 2015
Times listed are US Pacific Standard Time/Second Life Time
9:00am – Effectiveness Study of a Community-Based Pain Clinic, Muhammad Abdul Hadi
Chronic pain. a significant disabling condition, is often managed ineffectively in the primary care setting. Dr. Hadi led a research team that investigated the role of nurses and pharmacists, operating out of community-based pain clinics, in providing effective care for chronic pain patients.
Presenter Bio:
Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hadi is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the College of Pharmacy, Umm-Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Educated at the University of Leeds, he previously taught at Monash University. He specializes in mixed methods research.
10:30am – The Edge of Normal, Hana Schank
What is normal? In Hana Schank’s memoir “The Edge of Normal” about raising a visually impaired child, she discovers that the very definition of normal is up for grabs. In this session Hana will talk about what led her to write the book, the concept of redefining normal, and she’ll read a short excerpt and then will open it up to discussion for others to share their experiences on the topic.
Presenter Bio:
Hana Schank is a writer and essayist. A frequent contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post and The Atlantic.com, Hana writes on a range of topics including parenting, education, disability, technology and travel. Her first book, a memoir about planning her wedding, was a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Her Kindle Single, The Edge of Normal, was excerpted in Longreads and the Sunday Times Magazine (UK) and is currently being translated into Chinese. In addition to writing, Hana runs a technology consulting firm, and is the mother of two young children.