WisCon Meme: or a post-WisCon post pre-WisCon.

[jesse_the_k]

Following the sterling example of wrdnrd, I'm inviting anyone coming to WisCon who has questions to speak up! I'll answer 'em here. If the answers annoy you, you can know to avoid me. Or maybe there will be fascinating answers and you can plan to share a meal or a stroll.

I'm a 155lb, white woman with short pepper-and-salt brown hair and thick purple glasses. Which is probably irrelevant because the first thing you'll notice is my zooming black power wheelchair with red bag on the back. I'm 5'3" standing, but 4'3" sitting. I'll be wear a hat (oh! having to choose!) with my badge on the front.

Better Interactions through Advance Notice

If we're speaking for more than two sentences, please get to my eye level, cause I can't tilt my head back.

NO HUGS, thank you. Any weight on my hypersensitive shoulders means throbbing all weekend long.

Hold hands! I love holding hands.

Don't rest your weight on my chair. I feel the tiniest shift as pain down my body, so lean on a wall.

PRONOUNS: She, you, me but mostly we!

ANXIETY: Fundamental building block of my spirit, these days. I assume the worst, and reliably misinterpret subtle cues. I particularly welcome open invitations.

COMPREHENSION: I'll have a better chance of understanding you if you look in my eyes when you talk.

SINGLE-TASKING is a talent; multitasking is a horror show.

There's more than one wheelchair user at WisCon. I am not Liz Henry, Susanne Blom, Stef Maruch ... or any of the other wheelers whose names elude me right now.

Resources

I'm local to Madison and I can help you find things.

I've been on the Concom for a while, and would be delighted to talk about volunteering.

if you're having a blood-sugar crash, I always have at least two emergency GF, vegan bars

I'll be at the hotel but if you're having a desperate craving for a dog to play with, it can be arranged.

I love assistive technology and will happily talk about it for ever.

SCHEDULE
Friday 9pm Making the Most of WisCon Starts wicked late at night for me but I decided to risk it. If you have any suggestions for things to communicate, feel free to let me know!

Saturday 2:30p Beyond Etiquette: How Not to Disable People with Impairments This one should be a gas! haddayr as well as two experienced and educated Anns (who aren't on DW/LJ), and sasha_feather

Monday 10a The Tiptree Award Winners That Everyone Should ReadI'm moderating this one -- the panelists have all been Tiptree jurors so I'm sure they'll have lots to say.

Comments

[yarram]

That Saturday panel sounds like a hoot! Too bad I won't be there to enjoy it...

[jesse_the_k]

I hope that some good folks will live-blog it. If any piercing questions come to mind, feel free to leave 'em here.

[littlebutfierce]

Oh man, I totally thought, "And jesse_the_k is not badgerbag, dammit!" too. ^^;;

I'll have a better chance of understanding you if you look in my eyes when you talk.

I will try! I can be pretty... nervous... about eye contact. I do that thing where I try & then flick my eyes away a LOT. But I will try!

I expressed interest in that Friday panel but it's too late in the evening for me for paneling, even if I wasn't going to be jet-lagged. When I saw it was still looking for panelists a while ago I was tempted but... it would just be a bad idea, time-wise.

[jesse_the_k]

I think you were there when that confusion first happened, much to my astonishment (and blush ... if only I looked/sounded like badgerbag).

Actually, you don't have to maintain perfect eye contact -- if you stare at my nostrils, I'll have a good enough view of your mouth to supplement my wonky hearing. (And I'll try to remember not to wear my interrogation hat when I'm looking your way.)

Oh, please any ideas you have for the Friday night panel would be most welcome. I'll give you full credit, if you want it.

[hypatia]

i hope to see you there! i would love to talk about assistive technology with you :D

[jesse_the_k]

Well, we could actually plan to do that. Are you a breakfast-type person?

[vito_excalibur]

This is an awesome idea! Wish I was going to be there! SO GLAD you came to FOGcon & I got to see you!

[jesse_the_k]

wrdnrd is awesome. We'll miss you this year, but I believe there's a special kid's rate if you register prenatally.

Twas lovely see you, as well, as I've been writing and revising my FOGcon post so many times in my head there's a groove. Some day soon.

[stunningflowermachines]

Yay yay yay! I'm excited to see you! -Ted

[jesse_the_k]

We'll have a metric tonne of catchup to do! I'm imagining you're packing quite a costume for the Sunday night dance.

[ysobel]

If we're speaking for more than two sentences, please get to my eye level, cause I can't tilt my head back.

+1000000. Not that I'm going to be at WisCon, but I wish people grokked this as SOP for me. I can't count the number of times people have come up behind me and said hi and started talking without letting me know who they are or coming around where I can see them (I can't turn or tilt), or gotten in peripheral vision but nothing more, or stood around chatting (sometimes in high-noise environments) when they're twice as tall as I am.

And then there's also the thing where I end up talking to peoples' crotches or boobs and it's kind of uncomfortable but HELLO I CANNOT CHANGE THIS MY CHAIR DOES NOT HAVE BOOSTER ROCKETS

</rant>

[jesse_the_k]

It's remarkable how people don't get that eye-line thing. It took some years of not being bold enough to ask. Now I try to add a little humor, "I think we're on the same page, so could you please get at the same eye level..." Of course some folks can't squat or spread their legs far apart or find somewhere to sit, but it cuts half the neck misery.

I've noticed a dramatic increase in zip flies and falling off of button-flies, at least in the upper Midwest. What's the crotch report in your part of the country?