Amanda
As a former teacher, I thought I might do something education-related for my feature. I googled ‘Web 2.0 and education’. Lots of links. Lots of stories. But nothing really grabbed me. Then I came across a blog called Learning Now and a piece titled ‘Amanda’s story’. Blog host Andy Carvin’s first words were prophetic:
“I’d like to introduce you to Amanda Baggs. She’s a prolific blogger, an avid user of the virtual reality world Second Life, and a popular video blogger on YouTube. She also happens to be severely autistic, and she’ll change the way you think about the role of Web 2.0 in people’s lives”
This was the moment when the potential of Web 2.0 came home to me. The moment when this digital immigrant became a proud citizen of his new land. I read on to find out more about Amanda:
“…a 'low-functioning autistic' who is unable to speak or even make eye contact with you when you meet her. From the outside, she seems very disabled and incommunicative…Amanda has managed to use her blog and YouTube as a way of creating a dialogue with the rest of the world…"
Image of Amanda Baggs courtesy of
cnn.com
This was a long way from Facebook pokes and senseless comments. This was about real links in this over hyped, hyperlinked world we live in. I’d never thought before about those who are not usually given a voice and how this could change their lives for the better. Amanda was using these new channels to communicate her self to the world. I quickly clicked on the link to her blog, Ballastexistenz, to hear what she had to say:
“Autistic people are frequently described in these hateful ways, as empty shells without souls, burdens on our families and society, contributing nothing, ballast that merely weighs everyone else down.
...I am a non-speaking physically disabled and autistic woman... I am and have been exactly the sort of person who is meant when these awful concepts are used. I and the people I know and love are people, not burdens and ballast and wastes of space and money. All these ideas do is dehumanize us, and in contrasting these words with my real life I hope to show how wrong they are when applied to anyone”
Amanda's blog made me think again about Web 2.0
What struck me most was the power of Amanda's words. The strength that I must admit, in my ignorance, was not what I associated with autism or any other disability. When I was growing up in London, our would have been classmates with disabilities were separated from us in special schools. I never had a friend with a disability. I just felt sorry for them I suppose. They were not part of 'us'. Even as an adult I have had so little contact.
But Amanda didn’t inspire pity in me. How could she in using such first person narrative assertion and ownership? “I put this name on my blog…I am a non-speaking physically disabled and autistic woman." I knew I was learning something here. Learning to see a person’s “real life”, not just their disability. And also learning to learn about this disability.
My lessons were only just beginning...
Part 3: Blogging with Robyn