RantWoman has also been sitting with the question of whether and how to censor this post to protect the privacy of someone who shared a story RantWoman DEEPLY respects. There would also be questions of positive branding where the world wants happy events and is less engaged about humbling, stunningly brilliant, caring ways to deal with serious YUCKY TOPICS FESTIVAL issues. As of the latest clicks of Schedule, RantWoman HAS opted to omit a couple elements. But the story is enough as is.
Warning: this post does contain terminology from a number of vocabulary domains. RantWoman imagines that readers can either cope or feel free to ask RantWoman to clarify.
The Prep such as it was including multiple references connecting to Meeting Life, multiple references to RantWoman specific, um, quirks, and what RantWoman will call the search engine problem. In this case all the things that exist in ntWoman's head as parks will not necessarily show up in data from the Seattle Parks and Recreation department.
Opening Night:
It was a dark and stormy night...
Uh, no, but the soft tacos had been served and the pitches pitched.
RantWoman pitched "Do ONE THING no matter how tiny" about accessibility. RantWoman acknowledged that accessibility is a big hairy scary topic, but RantWoman specifically mentioned really easy things like saying whether the paths in a park are concrete, asphalt, gravel, cedar chips so that people with mobility issues who want to enjoy what they can at our parks can make sensible choices.
RantWoman also mentioned basically wanting to know whether trails are mostly flat and level, have modest inclines and declines or are so steep that mountain goats would get vertigo. RantWoman mentioned this in the same sentence as markers of social connection such as going for walks with different combinations of people of differing ability and vigor levels.
Little did RantWoman know: RantWoman was in "I don't code; Make it So" mode. The God as Personal Butler model of divine presence showed up in the form of middle aged techies and eager youth. The middle-aged techies had to joke around for a bit about submitting a non-technological "app" called Put The Screen Down and Look Behind You. And there were moments of lived experience that cannot be solved simply by writing more code. And RantWoman ran off for more live data events involving #blind people and #ULink2016. While RantWoman was away, she fielded a cellphone call from the SeattleTrails team: BIG points for reading RantWoman's blog and then reaching out.
RantWoman came back, solved the get into the building problem, found the restroom and some water, charged her phone, cooled her heels until...
...RantWoman learned that she got signed up to present for a team and RantWoman learned what cool things there were to present.
Team SeeAddledParks work product; further explanation--and accessibility commentary-- pending
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| The Team SeAddled Parks Map, release 1.0 |
Supper happened, wonderful Asian food and curry. Presentations got presented and people milled around while the judges judged.
[RantWoman, what is Hunter S Thompson doing in this post, especially since a big percentage of the people in the room have no idea who Hunter S Thompson is and were not even conscious until say the first Bush administration starting cranking out more vets with PTSD and access to astounding arsenals?
[Team SeeAddledParks chatter while waiting for the judges to judge ran heavily to a teenage who it is ardently HOPED can stay connected to the mental health resources he clearly needs, and to the matter of vets with PTSD issues and responsible management of home arsenals. RantWoman, based on the account she heard has complete confidence that the specific astounding home arsenal referred to here has been responsibly dealt with. However rantWoman assumes that there are probably lots of other households where astounding home arsenals are one part of a mental health picture. RantWoman wants to bear witness to the value of people close to the situation helping the owners think about safety issues and to the power of connections over rough spots.
[Thank GOD there are also some pitiful streams of official funds to help vets deal with the consequences of their service (begin rant..end rant). But thank God there are also people like the half of Team SeeAddled who recently was part of a successful effort to get one of those astounding home arsenals separated from someone with PTSD and into safer custody and not say out being waved around in public. But yeah, that is what Hunter S Thompson is doing here.]
Apps embodying the very accessibility ideas RantWoman mentioned, including the efforts of Team SeeAddled Parks received special honorable mention.
RantWoman heard a couple other groups mention accessibility but did not register how the groups interacted with the issue. RantWoman also notes that a good accessible app that makes it easier for all kinds of people to sign up for classes and reserve tennics courts, etc would definitely enhance access for everyone. But RantWoman is getting ahead of herself.
And hey, at least this "app" involves technology
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