Viki Galt
Achievements
Activity
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Viki Galt made a comment
Many thanks for this course - very well put together and enjoyable and I particularly liked when 2 presenters had discussions/conversations with each other during videos which is not something you see a huge amount of in other MOOC's.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I found the video on Chinese philosophy really interesting and expanded by learning as did the external link to Mark's video - in fact all the external videos over the weeks have been really useful additions to the great videos that are done as part of the course. Would be nice to learn about other cultures and their philosophies on happiness and a good life...
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Viki Galt made a comment
My ideas on a good life are similar but have gained a greater recognition of how individual the term "a good life" is to each person. For me a good life is related to happiness and safety and having other people to care for and be cared for by.
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"A" good life stresses the importance of the individual and what a good life means to them whereas "the" good life implies a pre-specified description of "the" good life that results in an "in group" and an "out group" that can result in as Sara speaks about the link of "the" good life to societal norms and values which then shape government polices. ...
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I loved the spoon theory too - was a really concrete way to express how i feel and will help me to explain to others. For me the thing that helps me live a good life is other people there to have a laugh or cry with and to support each other - whether it is me helping them or them helping me. Also i think living in the moment but at the same time challenging...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think love in early life and throughout life is key is developing and living a good life but this needs to be backed up by society through the elimination of discrimination, the acceptance and welcoming of diversity, inclusive built environments etc. I was struck by the point he made about some things such as homosexuality which was once considered an...
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Viki Galt made a comment
i found this video very interesting - the need to build relationships and the need not to create a uniform norm - for instance the flourishing knurled tree - I though that the need to consider change is always happening and life as a journey rather than a destination really appealed to me and at the end when Karen's talks about what a good life is as being...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think all are worthy - regardless of who we are or what we do we all have a worth and the right to be treated with respect even though we may not agree or respect the person'd behaviours nor allow behaviour with harms others. Not only is there a tendency in western society to decide whether someone has quality of life but there is also an increasing trend i...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I agree with the article that reason and choice and independence can all become muddled up and this has implications for some disabled people who rely on help to live their lives but I think there are very few if any people who are truly independent - we all need others - for interaction and support - but somehow in western society it has become less socially...
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Viki Galt made a comment
The western philosophy places weight on capitalist values as key in leading a good life such as owning a home, wealth, having a high status well paid job etc, and perhaps an emphasis on a good life being better than others - i,e so as long as you are doing better than most in terms of wealth and power then that is a good life and this in part is shaped by the...
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I think we can learn from everyone unique experiences what can help us lead a good life. I think some people avoid thinking about death and old age and disability as it worries and scares them and they feel it is something they have no control over so they would rather not think about it. Having a disability and showing you can still lead a good life can help...
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Viki Galt made a comment
There seems to be a thread running through what the presenters say about disability affecting how they perceive what is a good life - for some an appreciation of very moment and the little things to others the ability to communicate and to others to chance to help other people etc. The message i took away was to enjoy the moment.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Hopefully as the week goes on more learners will add comments to the various steps as I find this can be useful in challenging my thinking. I find the videos by the various speakers always very informative and thought provoking and even if i am familiar with the terms and concepts it always gives me fresh insight or some new angle to consider.
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Really struck home to me how invisible disability becomes when crisis or conflict happens - for instance the first paper which mentions the invisible disabled forced migrants - we often here about the additional issues faced by woman or children in times of crisis but i don't think i have ever heard a news story about the difficulties faced by a disabled...
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Agree with Tom - there is often a belief that disabled people not only can't but don't want to have sex. Also, a huge proportion of disabilities would have no effect on a person's ability to have sex and where it is an issue i totally agree with Tom that health professionals need to have these conversations with patients to reassure them they can have sex...
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Viki Galt made a comment
This is not an issue I have considered much so was interesting to spend time thinking about it. I think there is perhaps still there is the assumption amongst some folk that disabled woman either need to be cared and looked after by a man or sometimes the opposite that a disabled woman should be extra strong and just overcome their disability - so perhaps...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I found John's video very interesting. I think considering any one element - race or disability or gender on its own or indeed all together is very unhelpful and a potentially dangerous route to go down - we are so much greater than out component parts - it makes me uneasy to think of us using our race or gender etc to define ourselves solely. Disability i...
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Viki Galt made a comment
In my work we often see disabled students from certain cultures studying in the UK not wanting to access help and support available to them as disabled students because of the cultural norms of the country they come from around disability and this means that that Universities' disability services need to work closely with their international offices to make...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I couldn't find Scotland or the UK other than on the Educational map - was a shame England and Scotland were not separate as very different educational systems and opportunities for instance higher education is free for Scots in Scotland and it would have been interesting to see how this was reflected on the map. Also i would imagine there are huge variations...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I wonder if the privilege test is affected by country as well - for instance in Scotland health care is free as are medicine (there is a small charge in England for prescriptions) so this may affect answers compared to someone living in the states perhaps? Also, different things may lead to more privilege in different cultures so this test is quite culture...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I don't find any of what we called the "protected characteristics" in UK law relate much to my own feelings of identity i.e. gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, age etc - whilst I do not want to be discriminated against (or have anyone else discriminated against) on the basis of these to me they do not sum up or are even core parts of my identity....
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think people definitely see me differently from how I see myself. I think we all to a certain extent put on some sort of "face" in front of others. For my 3 terms I would choose are weird, horse owner, determined.
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Viki Galt made a comment
An interesting course but think clearer wording of test questions and summary outline of key learning points would help. What i have learnt will really support me in my work.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Just a slight comment in that i found some of the wording in the test quite confusing so was unclear what the question was getting at.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I found this article quite disconcerting as seems a major intrusion on privacy and I would hate this although understand if someone fell unconscious it could be a vital alert. Perhaps the key thing is what the individual wants and who is monitoring the data. I think the alarms around the necks for emergency calls after falls etc are a good idea but people...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think flexibility is key as people will prefer and find things easier to do in different ways - so the more choice you give someone the more folk the product id likely to be accessible to.
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Viki Galt made a comment
This is a fab idea!
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I think having clear ways of knowing you have met the guidelines like with the WCAG would be a useful addition to the checklist so less open to interpretation.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I have heard of this and the EU has just passed a directive detailing how public sector websites must be accessible. Unfortunately I think it is often ignored by member states.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Harvard and MIT have recently faced legal action over poor subtitling/failure to subtitle online videos. Here in the UK it is harder to take legal action as a disabled individual or individuals must take a case rather than a body representing them as in the cases given above which obviously means more individual cost and stress which can put people off. Also,...
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Viki Galt made a comment
My mother feels unable to use a computer or ATM machine so has to travel 15 miles to the local bank to get money out and relies on me to print her emails out and type her replies which affects her independence and self confidence. Even when you know what you are doing at a self service checkout usually something happens - item not recognized etc that means you...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I thought the list was a useful starting point but many things missed out such as assistance for deaf/hard of hearing foll and deaf/blind folk. Many self service machines have audible alerts for instance if you have forgotten to collect card that deaf people my wish - also item on the checklist for help - is there a help section and are their details of who to...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I also think there are issues with privacy with some solutions. and contactless cards have security issues etc - so seems like you solve one problem and end up with another. Although it will no doubt be an unpopular view and wouldn't solve all problems like remembering pins etc - maybe we should rely less on technology and use more people led services? Also...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I avoid the SST's in supermarkets unless i have to as like the social interaction with the people at the service desks as well as being frustrated when the technology fails to recognize the item i am trying to scan or says it it too heavy etc. One my biggest hates is the petrol station pumps where you have to enter your card first - it is impossible in a...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I don't use any social media but will but my response here. It is important as noted above i feel to remember that the same impairment will affect different individuals in different ways. I really struggle with getting sky to work! - unless you press the buttons in the right order at the right time it can be a nightmare. My mum is very hard of hearing and...
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So many household appliances rely on being able to read displays etc - even with remote controls there are so many keys on them now that often need to be pressed in a certain order that even if you know the rough position of the key you are after it can be hard to locate. We had a talking microwave at one place i worked at and it was great.
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Viki Galt made a comment
This has been a very interesting week for me - I trained as a psychologist so often reflect on life experiences in various circumstances but don't think i have ever taken such a focused look at this in relation to my disability and the disability field I work in - thank you!
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Viki Galt made a comment
In the UK as government budgets have got tighter disabled people have been presented often in the tabloid press as scroungers - too lazy to work rather than acknowledging the barriers disabled people face in the workforce and how these might be overcome. Disabled people were often actively excluded from the workforce as a result of social policy and now it...
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I guess it all comes down to what they think will produce the most donations and the sad truth is young children, cute puppies etc all tend to produce more donations - unfortunately this can all result in reinforcing stereotypes and prejudices. I think it also gives the impression that all disabled folk do not live long lives as rarely see disabled adults....
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think disability may sometimes add an additional layer of complexity to transitioning through life stages and having some support to help work out new roles and help you along the way can be so crucial (just as it is for anyone).
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This is such a brilliant idea to make a video to show Lois's life story and her true individuality and personality and I know it would mean a lot to me to be able to see that if i was working with her to ensure I was more aware of her wishes and interests from the start. It challenged me to think about what i would put in such a video of my own.
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Think adulthood is traditionally seen in relation to job, marriage and children and there is nothing wrong with this - but we only get one life and if you want something different from this that should be respected too. I don't want to have children and people often assume this is because of my disability but to me the decision is not related.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Adolescence is a horrible time! You are trying to learn to be independent on top of dealing with all these heightened emotions and feelings and everything seems uncertain and what you have become familiar with in childhood is all changing. I think for me as a person with disabilities this added another layer of confusion to it all as meant i had to find my way...
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Viki Galt made a comment
We see in the University that students with specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, aspergers, autism spectrum disorders etc as well as students with physical impairments often show mental health conditions as well due to the stress and pressure of trying to deal with the pressure of studying and all the other areas of student...
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Viki Galt made a comment
Mel and her parents seem to have had to fight to secure her mainstream education - I hope the position with this is improving to allow those who wish to have mainstream education to do so as there as so many benefits. It appears from this short video that Mel's parents helped instil in Mel her right to a "good life" which has helped her to continue to peruse...
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Viki Galt made a comment
A way the same impairment affects different individuals varies greatly and i think a life course perspective way help in understanding this as long as it is used in the correct fashion and not seen as a judgemental tool. For instance the level of family support, societies perceptions and attitudes, the resources available to the individual and their individual...
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Viki Galt made a comment
This is such a complex issue which psychologists have debated since the beginning of time in the infamous nature v nurture debate. To me it makes sense that a person will be influenced by everything their environment, key relationships, societal norms, genetic predisposition etc and only when you consider all of all these things together does any theory of...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I was aware of much of this content already but always helpful to go over and review it.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think greater awareness amongst those not only creating web pages but those adding content to web pages about how to and why to make content accessible will be crucial. Making web pages as flexible as possible so users can alter them as they wish to best fir their own individual needs would also help. Having technology that makes subtitling faster and easier...
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Viki Galt made a comment
15 usability and accessibility consultants - very jealous! would love to have access to this kind of resource!
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Viki Galt made a comment
I find automated testing will miss quite a few things and some folk find the errors difficult to interpret (WAVE shows the errors on the website which helps) - a list of colour contrast errors not on the site can be very hard to interpret. One of the most common problems we face is finding enough folk with the skills and time to conduct testing and often there...
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Viki Galt made a comment
We tend to avoid using the term conformance or compliance as gives the impression that can create a site that will be 100% accessible whereas there will always be some individuals for whom reasonable adjustments will need to me made - although aiming to comply/achieve AA standard etc should always be the desired objective.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Part of my job is to test websites for accessibility and we nearly always come across something that would cause an issue that is not covered by the WCAG and or programmed computer run automated website accessibility checks. I think the WCAG is a great starting place and great to be able to have guidelines to direct people to but always worthwhile doing user...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I went back and had another look at the form - in some browsers there was some spellcheck functionality and not in others, I was not alerted when i entered my email in an incorrect format and on submitting a blank form i was not alerted to errors but just said link broken. I was able to magnify text and change colour, font size and type but the new and submit...
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I was able to tab to all content without using a mouse, when using the mouse some folk might find it difficult to select the radial buttons as very small and close together.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I used JAWS and quite a few problems - didn't recognize the red of email so unaware it was a required box. When i got to the email box it read it as a radial button rather than a type and text box - i.e it read the information for the gender button below. When tabbing through the form the boxes where not labelled so just read as blank. The code was just...
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Poor color contrast, inability to change font size and type, colors etc, Inability to magnify text, incompatibility with assitive technology such as screen readers or assistive software such as TextHelp Read and Write, requirement to use the mouse (inability to use keyboard alone to navigate), lack of subtitles, poor and unclear error messages and...
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Viki Galt made a comment
It would make it almost impossible for me to work - in terms of getting emails etc, also personally I do a lot of shopping online so would mean a lot of extra time going round shops etc.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Really challenging and interesting week.
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Viki Galt made a comment
This week has challenged me to consider how I can personally stand up for disabled rights and challenge negative societal norms.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think this helps us challenge capitalist societal norms about what makes a good life i.e wealth/big house/car etc and helps us recognize that other things are needed to make us happy - social interaction with others, change to contribute to society etc. Disabled people are often seen as a drain on society and a burden rather than being recognized as being...
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Viki Galt made a comment
Despite having extensive legislation there are still many premises in Scotland that are not accessible - partly this is due to the nature of many of the buildings being historic or listed buildings or the vast number of cobbled streets we have! This is difficult to over come but usually there is some solution or at least partial solution with some creative...
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Viki Galt made a comment
One of the parts of my job is to test new software and hardware for the University for accessibility. Sometimes new well designed IT software can provide valuable new ways of helping people but poorly designed IT can just create another barrier. One problem is that technology changes so fast and often accessibility is not built in from the start meaning that...
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Extremely difficult to watch but we must not shy away from facing up to what happened and to endeavor to ensure we move forward and do not let history repeat itself. One of my favorite authors says if you forget where you come from you lose where you are going to." Lets hope that we can get to stage where actions such as this do not occur anywhere in the world.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Don't think anyone likes being stared at unless it is in a controlled manner they have control over - such as performers, models etc. I have a benign tumor in the center of my forehead which is sort of a round crater mark - often people stare at it - but so used to it know often don't notice - much prefer it when people ask about it rather than stare. Don't...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it has had major negative impact on my life and i have always been frustrated by the way OCD is often referred to in a jokey fashion - "i'm a little OCD etc" but recently this has been taken a step further on British TV with a programme called "Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners" which often portrays people with OCD loving...
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Viki Galt made a comment
Most of this was familiar but it was interesting to hear about the effects of colonization on disability as often this is often just tacked about in terms of its effect on race, culture and gender etc. Also got me to thinking did the increase in industrial accidents and people becoming disabled during their life span help to people to identify more with...
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Viki Galt made a comment
In the UK you can still see many the the old large psychiatric hospitals (often now derelict or turned into flats) where those with even minor mental health conditions would be housed and no disabled people such as unmarried mothers etc as attitudes changed there has been a move to "care in the community" - the ideology behind this thinking can be applauded...
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Viki Galt made a comment
One of this issues i find is trying to keep up with all the apps - students and staff often ask for recommendations for assitive apps but almost impossible to marination a list of suitable apps as new apps are developed so fast and older ones disappear - would be interested to hear if anyone has found a way of managing this issue?
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By building in disabled user testing from the start and having a set of standard accessibility criteria an app should meet - similar to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines but specific to apps.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Offer a help section, ensure compatibility with Read Aloud, magnify features etc , ensure no need for complex gestures, no information conveyed in color only, good color contrast of any text and background color, subtitles for any video content.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Navigation apps can face the issue of sudden changes - i.e. temporary obstacles or changes in layout and the software has not been updated.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I find even having a mobile phone and knowing i have the opportunity to contact someone in an emergency a comfort even if i don't use it. Texting allows my mother who is very hard of hearing to communicate easily where she would struggle to make a standard phone call.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I know that in hospital toilets they installed blue lights for a while to try and prevent drug users injecting but made it very difficult for other folk and particularity those with visual impairments to use the toilets so i think this policy has now been reversed in most places. Had not heard of this app - very interesting.
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I find the accessible features on the phone quite hard to use - use them for testing new apps etc as wide range of new gestures etc that need to be learnt and unless using that feature every day you do not become very proficient on the other hand I have been impressed at the features that are now available on phones compared to even a few year ago and hope...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I really miss the screen tinting i have on my PC when using my mobile. Also i tend to use cut and paste a lot when texting and then edit the text but after downloading a new version of this software this process seems to be a lot more complicated - keep ending up drawing weird space like circles and sending them as messages instead of copying!
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Viki Galt made a comment
I don't use it myself as find it too frustrating - also takes a long time to train the device given my strong Scottish accent!
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Viki Galt made a comment
Took some getting used - very frustrating at first - thank you to Deborah below your comment on using space bar and arrow keys really helped and starting to get the hang of it!
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Viki Galt made a comment
I rely on the spellchecker function when texting and always turn off predictive text as being dyslexic this tends to be more of a hindrance than a help!
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Viki Galt made a comment
I found it really difficult to use VoiceOver on my Iphone - was hard getting used to new gestures - would imagine it is like other screen reading software such as JAWS were you get better using it over time. It did not seem very intuitive and found i would get stuck and had difficulty going back.
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Viki Galt made a comment
More options for individualisation for instance greater ability to change font colour and background colour as with PC internet browsers, ability to magnify letter keys only, improved compatibility with hearing aids, better help sections for users including sections on accessibility.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Anything where colour is used alone to give information i.e priority items in read. Also often on online calendars the types of appointments can sometimes be predetermined colours. Also any written material which uses red text on green or vice versa would be impossible to read. Electrical wiring could be dangerous and swipe pads on doors often show green when...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I know several people with various degrees of arthritis who struggle with things like double clicking with a mouse, texting on a phone due to the keys being too close together, entering pin numbers again if the data entry buttons are too close together.
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Viki Galt made a comment
I don't tend to use apps on my phone very much but do rely on getting email on my phone - I feel there are probably useful apps out there that I don't use. Many I use my phone for texting, emailing and phoning.
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Viki Galt made a comment
Really challenging this week to be so clearly faced with the problems of gaining accurate stats on disability and also the issues around disclosure and the pros and cons this can result in. Feel challenged as to whether i actively challenge labeling and how to encourage people to disclose in the workplace in order that they might get the adjustments they are...
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In the UK we also use the WHO ICD 11 categories which like DSM has come through several iterations as views have changed. DSM5 appears much less judgmental and the language seems to encourage looking at capabilities as well as areas where an individual may struggle. It also seems to recognize that impairments exist on a continuum and can vary in severity and...
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Viki Galt made a comment
This can be seen with mental health impairments as well - where it was 1974 before homosexuality was removed from being classified in the USA as a mental disorder. World War 2 ended in 1945 and I wonder if the increasing number of injured service men influenced a pressure to start measuring disability. The social, economic and political situation so influence...
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Viki Galt made a comment
Really enjoyed this video and shows how openness can help understanding about disability and even potential benefits of disability - being bale to choose your height in her case. Just wondered if we risk of falling into the trap again of expecting disabled people to have "super abilities" - many disabled people - me included may not be bale to do amazing...
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One interesting discrepancy in the UK discrimination legislation is that drug and alcohol abuse is excluded - does not class as a disability with the exception that if you become addicted to drugs prescribed by your doctor that this can count as a disability but not if you become addicted to the same drug you buy on the street illegally - this is clearly not a...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I think this is an issue that nearly all equality and diversity strands face but perhaps more so with disability as the issue of disability is such a debated and pivotal issue- in the UK many disability discrimination cases are lost on the basis that the defence argues the person does not meet the legal definition of disability rather than whether...
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Viki Galt made a comment
In the UK the phrase "people with disabilities" used to be preferred as it put the "person" first however as the problems around the medical model became apparent the preference changed to "disabled people" to indicate people were disabled by society and not by the impairment. As a disabled person I prefer the later but to be honest most people I speak to have...
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Viki Galt made a comment
This is a very medicalised form - and I could see folk with mental health conditions etc struggling to know where they fitted in this form and also when dealing with multiple impairments it starts to get very messy in terms of managing to complete this. The form itself seemed to come across very negatively because of the language used. Also for someone with...
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Viki Galt made a comment
I was encouraged by a mentor when I started working in the field of Equality and Diversity to always be open and up front about my disability - as how could I expect others to feel comfortable to disclose, how could I help change societies attitudes and the organisations I worked for attitudes etc if i did not speak up and this has always stayed with me. It...
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Viki Galt made a comment
This video was very interesting - in the UK any stats collected by the government tends to be treated by most people with a lack of authenticity as many people feel the government collects the stats in a way in order to get the results they want and to justify their policies. However having said that - In Scotland 25% of the population are believed to be...
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Viki Galt made a comment
As mentioned previous the Equality and Human Rights Commission collects stats in the UK and specific impairment charities often collect their own stats such as Cancer Research UK. Then their are government stats so the 2014 Department of work and pensions estimates that 6% of children are disabled, compared to 16% of working age adults and 45% of adults over...
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Viki Galt made a comment
In the UK we have some organisations such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission which consider a wider range of statistics around disability such as https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/research-report-90-crime-and-disabled-people but still face all the problems about definition, disclosure and being influenced by what they want...
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Viki Galt made a comment
This is such an interesting topic. In the work I do we find many staff do not see themselves as being disabled (as per the UK legal definition) and this has implications for them as they do not seek out reasonable adjustments at work or access other areas of support available to them - it also means that it looks like there a lot less disabled staff than there...
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Viki Galt made a comment
Great the link has worked for me now - many thanks
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Viki Galt made a comment
Abbreviations were not given in full the first time they were used, no alternative text for the photo of the table, pages not numbered, title of document is pretty meaningless, no formatting in bold on table to indicate headings, alternative format tagline missing, Font size is 11 not 12, URl text and link is Times New Roman which can be very inaccessible,...