The virtual world Second Life
has had a lot of bad press recently in Australia that has focused on
the narcissistic and unprincipled behaviour of some of its inhabitants.
Nearly six million people have joined Linden Lab’s Second Life since it
went public in 2003 and there are currently 1.75 million 'active'
members who have logged on in the last two months.
As a 3D virtual world, everything that exists in this virtual
world — objects, buildings, clothes, land — has been created by the
residents. Amid all the bad press, it is sometimes overlooked that
Second Life also offers a very positive experience to people,
especially with regard to understanding disabilities and offering
opportunities to those with disabilities.
As a student Niels Schuddeboom travelled to Australia and was a
reporter in Sydney for the 2000 Paralympic Games. Based in the
university city of Utrecht in the Netherlands, he is confined to a
wheelchair and was forced to drop out of his media course due to an
uncompromising academic regime that was unable to work around his
physical disabilities.
Known as Niles Sopor in Second Life, Niels has found an opportunity
to forget his disability and experience walking life through his
avatar. 'Perhaps the most profound difference I have experienced is
that people have treated me differently' he said. 'In real life, due to
my wheelchair and lack of physical coordination, people often regard me
as intellectually as well as physically disabled.'
In
the Netherlands it is unusual for people with physical disabilities to
have jobs and there is a culture of protecting them from many aspects
of life. Second Life has offered Niels the opportunity to break the
mould. He runs his own company as a consultant on communications and
new media.
Some companies are now using Second Life to experiment with alternative
marketing campaigns. As well as offering commercial opportunities,
Second Life has also provided Niels with the tools to express himself
in artistic ways denied him in real life. He has, for example, been
able to hold a camera in Second Life and take photos and make short
movies.
Australian
David Wallace, a quadriplegic who works as an IT coordinator at the
South Australian Disability Information and Resource Centre in Adelaide
has also found an outlet for his artistic side in Second Life. He
recently held an exhibition of his Second Life art at the building
that Illinois-based Bradley University have established on Information
Island. Unlike Niels, David wanted to buy a wheelchair when he first
entered Second Life and couldn’t find one! He has tried to build one in
Second Life but has only had limited success.
David