GimpGirl Community's Best Practices in Designing Second Life

Learning to Include People with Disabilities

● Models of Access to Virtual Worlds

● Universal Design for Learning

● Practical Tips for Incorporating UDL into SL Education Design

● How GimpGirls Do It

Models of Access to Virtual Worlds

● Access to Virtual Worlds as Accommodation for Individual Users

● Access to Virtual Worlds as Architectural Access

● Access to Virtual Worlds as Universal Design

Universal Design for Learning● Universal design is "the design of . . . environments to be

usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design." Educators must understand how to use appropriate technological supports to make conversations accessible to not only people with disabilities, but people who may have difficulty with communication for other reasons.

● UDL advocates "providing multiple and flexible methods of presentation, means of expression, and means of engagement for diverse learners." Other studies have shown web-based learning and learning in virtual worlds allow for constructivist learning and diverse ways to express learning; close attention to accessibility and universal design is an alternative approach to online learning that allows it to include a range of learners.

UDL in SLED Design● Provide information on where to access disability

accommodations● Provide an architectural facility which is welcoming to

people with disabilities● Communicate the same information in multiple modalities

(visual & linguistic, oral and written)● Integrate other platforms (web 2.0, IRC) for people who

may struggle with retaining information communicated within SL

● Use SL's unique capacities to give people multiple methods of communicating and expressing their knowledge, but give them the choice to engage with you outside of Second Life where possible

How GimpGirls Do It● Adult co-learning & support community focused on women

with disabilities issues● Weekly SL support meeting for women with disabilities

only, mix of focused and open topics, focusing on good community facilitation practices, piped to web for members unable to use SL using IRC.

● Open programming related to monthly topics with guest speakers.

● More info? Check out our website, www.gimpgirl.com. Visit us at the GimpGirl parcel in 3DE, IM Muse Carmona, Ofelia Pevensey or JennyLin Arashi.

● Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LiveJournal, Flickr