For those that haven't seen or noticed I have started a new group "CHALLENGERS" for those that have disablities / handicaps or other difficulties that are also model railroaders. If you know anyone who would fit into that category please let them know of it. I would invite everyone to take a look and submit suggestions you may have to help those posting questions and you may even pick up a tip from us. Thanks Scott
Welcome to TrainBoard, Challengers! There's already some good information shared in the Challengers TrainBoard group, particularly when it comes to layout access design. I'll look forward to watching the group grow, and I want to invite all the Challengers to step out into the main forums here every now and again. I'm sure we'll all find something to teach and learn in both locations on TrainBoard. Once again, welcome to TrainBoard! -Mark Watson
Hello Scott, Welcome to trainboard. What are your challenges? My features are currently visually oriented though I might loose a bit of hearing in my right ear. A lack of rods and cones cause a narrow field of vision. A limited field of vision allows me to see about 6"s across at 18"s from an object. This is an advantage others don't have. It gives me a more focused perception. Due to a fewer rods and cones I've learned to use graphics software to find details others might miss. I do this by changing them to gray scale or inverting the colors. I'll take pics of my layout and run them through a series of color alterations. What I thought was parallel shows up askew. What I thought was a smooth curve comes out compound. Bumps I never knew where there are revealed. My acuity recently improved after cataract surgery but only in the right eye so I don't worry about "super details". - major bonus. There is one more decidedly significant advantage to my visual imitations: The "3 foot rule", (in my case 18"), applies more than ever which meshes nicely with my ADD. Soooo, my 18" rule? "If it looks good, run it!"
There are at least four people from trainboard who have met me and will tell you that my visual limitations are transparent to the uninformed. You would never know if I didn't tell you. It isn't that I hide them. It is that I have adapted. Lester - Note, I don't perceive of my ADD or the condition of my eyes as "problems". Still, I'll be happy to share my solutions. That said since most of my ideas / concepts / perceptions could benefit fully sighted people - why don't I put them here? I use MS Pain(t) that comes with Windows for a multitude of purposes including my track plan design. It is a simple pixel based program. At first My ADD played a bigger part in the selection process than my vision. I could not focus long enough to get started in xTraCad which has a tough learning curve. That said, what do you think of this drawing: Not bad for an ADD blind boy from Boston. Ok, ok, "legaly blind". There really are at most 10 functions to learn to use to create such a drawing. For users of Kato Unitrak it really is not that big a deal. Addendum / Background: I never thought of my solutions as a big deal. For example: This morning just getting to work in the dark on icy streets and sidewalks I applied at least six "solutions". These ranged from as overtly obvious as sensing the ground under my feet to noticing the direction the light reflected off the ice which told me which way it slanted and that there was ice beyond my field of vision. It included noticing what I couldn't see, not what I could. The subtlety of the difference is almost life and death. It isn't that I could not see the car. It is that I could not see beyond the object that must have been a car. Hope this helps.
Steve, I have MS which limits my movement and energy level, so far meds are helping to keep me moving just slower and less often than 2-3 yrs ago. I also had cancer 2 yrs ago and just getting past the effects of the extensive radiation treatments I had. I started the group as I can see myself in a wheelchair in 10 years if I continue to progress at the same rate as I am now. Scott
Thank you for starting this group. It will fill a need.:thumbs_up: As I have Myasthenia Gravis most of modeling is a challenge of some kind.
While I am lucky enough not to have very many limitations (yet), I am a Certified Professional Building Designer specializing in Barrier Free and Universal design. I also hold an Aging in Place Specialist designation from the National Association of Home builders. I am very willing to assist any member who has inquiries about space requiremtents, access, or even specialized equipment that may make enjoying our hobby easier for all. I keep a copy of the Accessibility standard sourced by the ADA handy on my desk at all times for use in my work. While the ADA may be a commercial standard, how far someone can reach in a wheelchair doesn't change just because they're at home.
I thought this was a group on a particular kind of steam locomotive But on the Internet, disabilities are pretty much invisible...
