How Social Media can Change Lives

I first wrote this as a guest poster on Jeff Pulver’s Blog

It’s a good perspective check as more and more people are worrying about their futures. Those who can best learning to adapt and grow are our trail blazers right now. The life mantra for successful people who have a disability has really always been “adapt and grow”

Here’s the post, let me know what you think:

I think there’s a lot to be learned from bearing witness to how social media has been changing the lives of people with disabilities. Considering able-bodied people’s lives are being crippled by a scary economic climate, it might be very timely to see what your gimpy population has been up to. The disabled have long sought methods to get ourselves, our strengths and our contributions through our own front doors. Computers with adaptive technology, along with the power of social media, have been a piece of the passport we’ve been seeking.

We find that we have the power to open our own doors. Social media with its speak at your own pace nature means people who could not have easily been a part of the conversation are now important contributors. Biases and distractions concerning our manner, wheelchairs, service dogs or white canes are not distracting you from
our words, creativity and ability.

Social media is becoming more and more barrier free, we are easily going where ever we want to go. While many see their lives as narrowing because of the economy, people with disabilities are going through a time of liberation, easily traveling around the world every time we power up our computer.

I am not suggesting we all stay in our living rooms and click away our days. I am saying that there is much more that is possible than impossible. It’s important to see that the world has not closed its doors to you just because your employer’s doors have.

Rachel