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Overview An imaginary organization, we call it Daily Ability Institute, recently bought new office chairs for its twenty employees. After three months of employees using the chairs, the management requested reviews from them about the chairs. Below are their comments: Employee 1 : I cannot imagine anybody using this type of chair in this stone age. It is stiff, hard, and immobile. Employee 2 : I like the chair because it is a change from what was. At least, it is clean and strong. It will help my back pain. Employee 3 : It is a change, but the color is awful. Purple! It makes me feel cheap like in ‘Sales.’ Employee 4 : It has no wheels; moving it around will be difficult. Again, my body cannot even fit into it. Employee 5 : I like it. It is perfect. I can see myself doing my job comfortably. We experience things differently. We feel them; they are strong or durable. We love them; they are beautiful or pleasing. We dislike them; they are unattractive or uncomfo...

Overview The catchphrase “essential for some, useful for all” has become identical to the concept of accessibility. It depicts accessibility as essential for everyone regardless of their abilities; and as very useful for everyone in different situations. For example, Narrator, the Windows built-in screen reader reads out text and describes on-screen elements. Different people use it for different reasons: For blind users, it is a necessary assistance. For partially sighted users, it is an important tool. For people with reading problems, it is a helpful tool. For many other users, it is a convenient tool to read out web pages, documents (Word, PDF), and other files as well as help you learn about different interface components. So, the Narrator is one tool that every person finds a reason to use regardless of their abilities. It is one of the Windows accessibility features designed for inclusive and accessible use. To explore further “essential for some, usef...

Introduction This article aims to examine the concept of accessibility from some philosophical principles: Utilitarianism and the principle of ‘one and many.’ Doing this will bring to the fore the reason why accessibility is the cynosure of inclusivity. Understanding Accessibility Accessibility refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments that are usable for everyone. It ensures that everyone, regardless of their abilities or limitations, can effectively interact with and benefit from a product, technology, environment, or service. The term ‘accessibility’ has its origin in French. It can be said to be borrowed from the French “ accessibilite ,” meaning “the quality of being able to be reached or accessed.” This French term might have been influenced by the late Latin accessibilis , from Latin accessus (past participle of accēdere , meaning “to approach”, “to enter”, “to access”, or “to log in.” According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the ...

Overview In the aftermath of the November 2024 presidential elections, a controversial candidate, along with his vice president emerged as winners. In no uncertain terms, the president-elect rebranded the country he’s to become the commander-in-chief as the United States of Garbage (USG). He declared that America was a “garbage country” plagued by internal enemies who posed a threat not only to the nation but to the entire world. According to him, the true danger lay within, not from external adversaries. The old and newly elected president a.k.a the “garbage president” embraced this moniker, even going so far as to dress like a garbage man and drive a garbage truck. He proclaimed that America was the root cause of global conflicts, a statement that resonated with his supporters but drew widespread condemnation from others. Adding to the controversy, the garbage president had a criminal past. He had been convicted of various crimes, including fraud and other misdemeanors. More g...

Overview Feel is a verb that can have different meanings depending on the context used, the user, the perceiver, and the experience.  ‘Feel’ as used in this blog post considers people with disabilities in various ways, especially their experiences in terms of sensation, how they perceive objects, contents, and technologies, and their views about them, how they use objects, technology, and how they feel about them. When the verb ‘feel’ is used in accessibility, it includes sensation, describes emotions, elicits opinions, uncovers things, and appreciates quality. To further illustrate this, the import of how people with visual impairments use their fingers to learn and know by using braille will be key to understanding the verb ‘feel.’ Accessibility – Feel as sensations Sensation is part and parcel of human emotional and physical experiences. How do braille users, for example, experience knowledge through touch or other sensory nerves? In this case, the feeling i...

The quote “when wealth is first, the people are destroyed” suggests that when the pursuit of wealth becomes the primary focus of a society or its leaders, it can lead to the detriment of the general populace. This idea is rooted in the belief that prioritizing material wealth over the well-being of people can result in social and economic inequalities, corruption, and the erosion of moral and ethical values. One nation rich, one nation poor. “ Okpa Aku Eri Eri (The Miser) ,” written by Ude Odilora in 1981, is an Igbo novel that presciently forecasts Nigeria’s trajectory over the years. It delves into Nigeria’s deeply ingrained obsession with accumulating wealth and material possessions, almost to the point of veneration. In the preface, Odilora asserts that desiring wealth and possessions is not inherently wrong, but when it becomes an obsession that overshadows essential values, it leads to tragedy. While hard work is commendable, the relentless pursuit of wealth at the expense of...

Overview The term ‘Musesophy’ was first used in Osita Osadebe’s Agadi Nwanyị na Inine to describe the Musesophy of his  (Onye bili ibeya ebili)  ‘Live and Let Live.’ The author describes Musesophy as “the art of communicating wisdom or inspiration through songs, stories, or literary works.  In the context of Igbo highlife musicians, it is the ability to use songs to communicate words of wisdom, guidance, or knowledge to the people.” Etymologically, the word “Muse” is rooted in different ancient languages: in Latin, it is Mūsa , a derivative from the ancient Greek word Mousa . Based on various Greek dialects of the word Mousa (for example, mōsa and moisa ), it is argued that the word Mousa might have originated from an earlier form, montwa . As a noun, the word Muse can be viewed as a source of inspiration, especially for creativity or intellectual achievements. And as a verb, it can mean to think deeply or meditate about something. It is in this context that the...