David W. Oaks is at Home and Blogging About Getting Back on the Web
My whole adult life I have been an activist for people in the mental health system, part of the larger cross-disability general social change movement. Since my accident about 8 months ago, I have been working on my own independent living. One of the most challenging parts of my recovery has been getting back on the Internet frequently and independently.
My disabilities include: Being labeled a quad in a power chair with limited movement of my hands. This is a little better in that I actually swatted my smart phone and managed to bring up an app myself this week. My voice is better says my wonderful speech teacher Helen this afternoon, but it is still weaker and so I am giving voice recognition a vocal rest for now. One of my great aids Camas is helping me do this blog entry, and maybe you might be part of my journey to be back on the web in the next few weeks? If you have tips or ideas let me know.
In the meantime here is a brief inventory of my interaction with the web, and how you can stay in touch…
My main posts right now will be on my blog. The web address for my blog is:
http://davidwoaks.org/
My friends and relatives have created a special web site to support me, for instance with news and fundraising. Watch for a crowd sourcing fundraiser for a van soon:
http://www.supportdavidoaks.org/
My personal Facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/david.w.oaks
Here is a Facebook cause I created for Independent Living for me David W Oaks:
https://www.facebook.com/IndependentLivingForDavidWOaks
Here is my LinkedIn site. If you are unsure that I know you, then when you LinkedIn with me include a few words about you so I know it is not spam:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwoaks
Hey get my occasional brief tweets here:
https://twitter.com/davidwoaks
There is a brief Wikipedia article about me here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Oaks
Here is my Google plus address:
https://plus.google.com/s/davidwoaks
And finally, here are a few of my current projects and boards…
Martin Luther King called for an International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment or IAACM. Here is their Creative Maladjustment Week Facebook page to help your networking and your leadership:
https://www.facebook.com/IAACM
I have been elected to another term on the board of United States International Council on Disability, one of the main coalitions in the USA disability movement:
I’m still on the board of the state-wide coalition in Oregon on mental health:
http://www.oregonpeers.org/
And of course I still support MindFreedom even though I am no longer employed there:
By the way, since I am no longer employed there I am phasing out all my e-mail addresses that end in mindfreedom.org.
If you want to reach me by e-mail use davidwoaks@gmail.com
Thank you everyone who has and is supporting my independent living, including getting back on the Internet.
Glad to hear you’re back on the net. My computer is my best friend. So you have some use of your hands. That’s great. I can’t wait to read your blogs.
Contact Healing Rooms for prayer ministry to aid your recovery. It is an international christian ministry for healing. Regards Elizabeth Walton.