Re: [sudo-discuss] Fwd: [sudo-info] reaching out from google.org regarding an assistive technology hackathon

Several responses, not necessarily sequenced or connected... Thanks, Ryan, for the quick education on ablism in tech. Cogent while preserving irk. Ryan's "What if Google did a hackathon for disabled techies?" sounds like a great counterproposal. I could see Googlers going for it. Does the intersection of other-abled people who are also hackers/makers exist as a community now? If not, perhaps this could be the seed for one. Otherabled hackers might not necessarily want to hack on ability-related projects just because of their own differences. The blind guy and deaf girl hacking a robot-that-shoots-hoops together may be an outcome. We believe hacking the world is something everyone can and should do. So blending hackers with non-hackers is part of that knowledge transfer, consistent with our values. Goog's proposal fits nicely in the design-thinking model of designers/engineers working with "the customer" or "the user". In our space that practice sounds like privilege and the condescension of *noblesse oblige.* In their space that sounds like breaking down barriers between engineering culture and the people who'd actually use what's built; it's the way they work with many different constituents, overcoming their own biases and preconceptions. The individual Googlers I've met are nice people, eager to engage and learn. It's less useful to talk about The Google Corporation when we'd be dealing mostly with a small team inside of Google on a limited scale. Perhaps holding that one little team accountable for all of Google's missed opportunities would accomplish less than building a trusted relationship where they participate in our world, listen and learn from it, and embrace some of our values over time. Like anything else, which path creates the most options and opportunities for us, in good conscience? ​