Wheelchair dance company asks, Where’s the disability?
At the Disability Rights Legal Center fundraiser gala this past weekend in Los Angeles, Apple was presented with DRLC’s Business and Technology Award for their accessibility work, and Infinite Flow – A Wheelchair Dance Company was featured as a cause auction recipient for an Apple Watch Series 3, which was designed with a number of accessibility-expanding features. Of particular note are its wheelchair-specific features, VoiceOver for the blind, and the Taptic Engine (haptic feedback for navigation and notification).
Xeni Jardin, Boing Boing October 10, 2017
What’s the connection between Apple Watch and wheelchair dance?
Activity on the Apple Watch is optimized for wheelchair users. Taking into account different pushing techniques for varying speeds and terrain, Apple Watch tracks daily activity, encourages healthy routines through wheelchair-specific workouts, and prompts users to move with Time to Roll notifications.
…With sensors configured to address different surface types, inclines, and transition moments, such as moving from a wheelchair to a seat at a desk, the Apple Watch Series 3 is designed with accessibility in mind and ideal for the variety of dancers in Hamamoto’s inclusive classes and performances.
Infinite Flow was founded in 2015 by Marisa Hamamoto, a professional ballroom dancer who became temporarily paralyzed, then later regained the full use of her body.
Her group is America’s first professional wheelchair ballroom dance company, and works to encourage others to dance inclusively, with and without physical limitations.
| We believe everyone has a dancer inside of him/her and should have access to quality dance instruction. We break barriers socially and artistically, and we know that inclusion creates a better future. We create an environment where each person can thrive and make a difference. Infinite Flow, based in Los Angeles and America’s first professional wheelchair ballroom dance company, is a nonprofit organization founded in Los Angeles in March 2015 with the mission to lead a social movement to mass market inclusion through dance and innovation. Infinite Flow – A Wheelchair Dance Company. Youtube Dec 25, 2016 |
At the DRLC event on the Fox Studios lot, Hamamoto and guest artist Piotr Iwanicki did a live cha cha cha performance.
They’ve done other fun projects together, including one in featured below.
| Video from the 1-day prep for #DanceForInclusion Japan Kickoff. Founder Marisa Hamamoto and World Para Dance Sport world champion Piotr Iwanicki of Poland met and danced together for the first time after communicating back and forth for over a year about technique, chairs, and the possibilities of coming to the US as a guest artist. Infinite Flow – A Wheelchair Dance Company. Youtube Jul 18, 2017 |
“Thank you, Apple, for continually creating and innovating technology that everyone, including people with disabilities, can use,” said Hamamoto later on the dance group’s Instagram.
More on Apple’s accessibility features here. If you missed their video with Sady Paulson when it made the viral rounds last year, you should watch it again. The people behind this work at Apple really mean it, and some of them are my friends.
| We believe that technology should be accessible to everyone — including Sady Paulson, who uses Switch Control on a Mac to share her thoughts on doing what you love. Apple. Youtube Oct 27, 2016 |
Here’s a transcript of the DLRC’s introduction for Apple at the award ceremony:
For more than 30 years, Apple has provided innovative solutions for people with disabilities. Apple’s built-in accessibility features make them powerful and affordable assistive devices, drastically simplifying the buying process and learning curve for users with disabilities. By including these features within mainstream products, Apple has cleared the way for more advancements in this important field, opening up countless possibilities for people to be creative, collaborative and independent. We cannot be more honored to recognize them for their commitment to the disability community.
More of the dance group’s inspiring work in the embedded Facebook videos.
Source Boing Boing
| Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is the oldest program that provides disability rights advocacy by providing free legal assistance to people with disabilities experiencing discrimination in violation of their civil rights. The program brings high impact, high visibility cases in state and federal courts to protect and to expand the rights of this community. |
| These cutting-edge cases raise public awareness and ensure people with disabilities are able to participate fully in society throughout their life span. DRLC’s Advocacy program also works to remove barriers to full participation by people with disabilities in schools, healthcare facilities, custodial settings and public spaces. Youtube Feb 7, 2017 |
Also see
DRLC honors Helen Hunt, Apple at Fox Studios in Disability Rights Legal Center
Disability Rights Legal Center honors Apple with Business of the Year Award in iMore
