About Us

About Our Work

You probably have friends with disabilities. You know that people with disabilities face many barriers in living in the "real" world. There are also barriers to entering into a virtual world. Some people have only one hand or even one finger they can control to type. Some use a stylus, or type with their toes. Some can't type at all, and use voice recognition software to control their computer.

Virtual Ability, Inc. helps people with these kind of challenges get into and become successful in virtual worlds like Second Life^®.

During our unique intake process, we conduct an individualized skills assessment, refer clients for help with assistive hardware and software as appropriate, and provide customized training and orientation.

Once they are "there," Virtual Ability, Inc. helps members of our community integrate into the virtual society, and provides an ongoing community of support. The community offers members information, encouragement, training, companionship, referrals to other online resources and groups, ways to contribute back to the community, and ways to have fun.

We take virtual field trips as part of our curriculum with our new intakes. We also have volunteers who love to go shopping, and enjoy helping folks with virtual makeovers. While almost anyone new to a virtual online world would enjoy a little early guidance, we are finding that this individualized attention is often critical for the success of those who have disabilities.

We also do a lot of dancing. We have taken folks to walk in the virtual woods, climb mountains, go virtual skydiving - all kinds of things that are profound and a pleasure to someone with physical or mental limitations. It's an amazing experience helping someone who will never walk again in real life to jump on a virtual trampoline.

About Our Corporation

Virtual Ability, Inc. is chartered as a non-profit corporation in good standing in the state of Colorado, USA. Information about our corporate status is available at: http://www.sos.state.co.us/ccsa/ViewSummary.do?ceId=49720

Virtual Ability, Inc. is a non-profit tax exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. This means that for US citizens, contributions made in US dollars are deductible as a charitable donation for federal income tax purposes.

The corporation is governed by a Board of Directors, which currently consists of:

Alice Krueger. Ms. Krueger is Chairman of the Board, and the founder of Virtual Ability. She worked part time from home as a technical writer and editor for an education research firm for five years using adaptive office equipment. As a woman with Multiple Sclerosis, she found it increasingly difficult to participate in her real life community. No longer able to leave home to work, volunteer, or socialize with friends, she turned to virtual worlds to fulfill these basic human needs. Ms. Krueger is the mother of three young adults with disabilities and has been a special education teacher. Ms. Krueger's avatar in Second Life^® is Gentle Heron. Gentle can stand and walk without crutches.

David Ludwig. Mr. Ludwig is Vice President of Virtual Ability, Inc., responsible for strategy, planning, and operation, with a strong organizational and project management background. Mr. Ludwig has 30 years of experience in the Information Technology field, as a developer, analysis, project manager and program management officer at firms including Dell and Hewlett Packard.

Linda Binns. Ms. Binns works full time for a local government legal office in California, and is an advocate for people with hearing loss in both real life and Second Life^®. She hears and functions with the technology of bilateral cochlear implants. Ms. Binns is the president of the board of directors for the SayWhatClub, a worldwide internet support group for people with hearing loss. She is the real life typist behind Treasure Ballinger, and is the estate manager for the Cape Able residential sim geared to the needs of deaf and disabled in Second Life^®.