RE: Introduction from Meg Ford, GNOME Womens Outreach intern in A11y and Art

[meg ford <meg387 gmail com>]

Hi everyone,

I am writing to introduce myself. I'm sorry that it has taken me some time to do this; I am a little bit shy by nature, and there is a lot to learn about GNOME, so I am just starting to settle in.

My name is Meg Ford, and I am one of the Womens Outreach interns. I am working on the High Contrast icons this summer. My mentors are David Bolter and Andreas Nilsson. I live in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. My youngest brother was born with severe spastic-athetoid cerebral palsy. He was the first severely disabled child ever mainstreamed in the Chicago Public School system. When we were children, my mother worked very hard to make sure that he was provided with the same access to education (not to mention transportation, livelihood, etc.) as his non-disabled peers; therefore, I grew up in a home that was involved in the disability rights movement here in the United States. Issues of accessibility are very important to me personally, since I have seen firsthand how they can affect the quality of life for people who have a lot to contribute to society. I feel that free software may become an even more important resource for users with disabilities in my country, as government funding is becoming more scarce in our current economy. 

I am very happy that I was accepted to work on GNOME. I am a divorced mother of two, and having a stipend is allowing me to participate in an exciting project when I would otherwise not have the resources to do so. I am a beginner, but I hope that I will be able to continue to contribute to GNOME in the future, and make more valuable contributions as I gain experience. I have been working as a reader services contractor for the State of Colorado Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and I am returning to school to study computer science in the fall. I have a BFA in Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Thanks for reading my email, I'm sorry it was lengthy. I hope to get to know you all, and I hope that I will be able to contribute to GNOME A11y for many years to come. 

Sincerely,
Meg Ford