[Wheeling in Second Life]

I work during the day, so when I come home and I've only got like a couple of hours.

So by the time I do my own emails and correspondence that come in during the day

I might have about forty-five minutes or an hour to do whatever, so

Roger: And what's your current really big thing on the Web that you're into?

Judith: Second Life. I've got a wheelchair in Second Life also.

Roger: Do you always...

Judith: You can choose whether you want to be in a wheelchair or not.

You can have crutches, you can have whatever disability you have in real life in Second Life.

Roger: Do you always stay in your wheelchair in second life?

Judith: No, no, no.

Roger: Are there many other people in wheelchairs in Second Life?

Judith: Simon Walsh.

Roger: From the UK?

Judith: Yes. And he always stays in his wheelchair.

But, just like in real life,

I find the attitude of people in Second Life to people with a disability.

I have run an experiment myself.

I've gone to this particular website

as an able bodied person got out on the dance floor

and danced for half an hour with different avatars or different people

whatever you like to call them.

Then I've gone away, put myself in my wheelchair,

gone back, the same people were there and they didn't want to know me.

Roger: Are there special places in Second Life where people in wheelchairs hang out.

Judith: Yes, "Wheelies".

Roger: What's Wheelies?

Judith: That's a nightclub specially built by people, or by a man who has cerebral palsy, in the UK.

Roger: Can you take us to it?

Judith: yes.

Wheelies was started by Simon

Judith: Unfortunately like real life you've got to go around things

because you can't go through them.

You can fly over them.

Oh, there's Simon!

Roger: He's in there is he?

Judith: Yes.

He was there before, in there [...]

[How many people visit "Wheelies"?]

[disabled or norms?" Few 100 I guess.]

Judith: There you are... 100 people a week.

Judith: When I first started he got a couple of hundred.

[Going up to the dance floor]

Judith: That's Simon up there? The avatar... that's him in real life.

Roger: He was on big brother

Judith: Yes, in the UK.

And that's the DJ, that girl in the green, and he pays her to be the DJ there.

Roger: Oh, right

Judith: And she talks to you over the thing.

"Hello Wheelies", see she's talking to you.

Roger: do you think that this will be a really useful tool for people who are unable to get around?

Who have problems of mobility in real life?

Judith: Yes, because you can have friends without having to go out and physically find them.

Transcription Alan Chuter, Technosite (achuter@technosite.es)