What is Second Life®?

The Second Life® website includes the following description to explain the concept:

"Second Life® is a free online virtual world imagined and created by its Residents. From the moment you enter Second Life®, you'll discover a fast-growing digital world filled with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity."

What is The LiveAbility House Project?

Kansas State University and North Carolina State University have partnered within Second Life® to create educational tools for consumers. The goal of this initial project is: To tell people about design features and assistive technology that enable a person to live at home despite physical or mental challenges caused by aging, illness, or disability.

Front of The LiveAbility House in Second Life

Inside The LiveAbility House

The LiveAbility House, a 3-D home, was built in the Second Life environment.

The house uses universal design features and assistive technology to show how homes can be built and adapted as people age or for people with disabilities.

Follow the purple dots to learn about assistive technology

Follow the orange dots to learn about universal design

What will I do in The LiveAbility House?

• You may tour the home and see universal design features and assistive technology in place and in use.
  • Throughout the home, read and hear information at kiosks explaining universal design, assistive technology, and caregiving.
  • The orange dots show universal design features. The purple dots identify assistive technology items (please see the photographs for examples). In the LiveAbility House, you can follow all the orange dots to learn about universal design and then follow all the purple dots to learn about assistive technology. You also may go room by room and explore the universal design features and assistive technology devices together.
    • Each time you click on a dot, you will see the name, description, and a real-world photograph of that feature or item in use.

Follow the orange and purple dots to learn about universal design and assistive technology

Toilet bowl brush and its purple dot as illustrated in The LiveAbility House

Information shown to user when the purple dot is clicked

• At the end of the tour, you will be asked to evaluate your learning through an online survey.

How can I find out more?

• Please click on the following links to view videos about eXtension and Second Life®:
  • Cooperative Extension in Second Life®,Video-1 (0:46 seconds).
  • Cooperative Extension in Second Life®, Video-2 (2:02 minutes).

• The LiveAbility House blog details each step of the project process and provides updates:
  • http://extensionfamilycaregivingslp.blogspot.com

• View videos about The LiveAbility House project:
  • Accessibility House Project, (early in the project development) Video-1(2:46 minutes).
  • A Group Tour of the LiveAbility Home,Video-2(4:26 minutes).

How can I enter THE LIVEABILITY HOUSE?

• To enter The LiveAbility House, you must have a Second Life® account. To learn more about Second Life®, please visit: http://secondlife.com/

• If you are already a Second Life® resident, you may find The LiveAbility House at the following address: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Morrill/31/204/24

What if I need help?

If you have questions about Second Life® or The LiveAbility House, please contact LuAnn Phillips, eXtension Virtual Worlds Coordinator, luann.phillips@extension. You may also contact her in Second Life® by sending an instant message to her avatar, Thynka Little.