Jerry W.
Advocate, NoVAPeers

Citizen journalist and disability advocate from Virginia. Former government worker with research positions, now disabled and ranting online about The Dream only being available to a select few…

Truely Open Gov, and this would be a free UnCon where the preesenters were Citizens, perhaps Citizen Journalists/ bloggers, with specialties and knowledge bases applicable to a mash up for the good of all, not just military industrial complex, big oil, and big pharma corporations…

Consider this scenario: Imagine taking someone from a state hospital or assisted living center, perhaps a disabled relative or friend and making an eGov system available to them…

What supports would they need to make the system work for them?

Maybe blind, and need screen reading? Maybe dyslexic and can’t read long text, or very slow (i.e. low baud rate).

Maybe an intellectual disability and didn’t finish high school…

Probably doesn’t have the new Droid and can’t afford a data plan, much less dialup.

Most disabled people have low income. SSI is about $400 per month. Subsidized housing is 30% of income, Safelink Wireless prepaid voice cell phone offers free 68 minutes / month, similar to LifeLine wired service.

A current wireless data plan bills at $100 /month do the math…

Poverty = Exclusion…