This Wikipedian is deceased. His user page is preserved here in his memory.

I'm Nick Dupree, a 32 year-old disability rights activist, writer, seeker, and amateur historian.

I grew up in and around the Spring Hill College campus in Mobile, Alabama, where my mother taught studio art from the time I was a year old, and where I was a student of English/writing from 1998, when I entered at age 16, until 2005. It was some guys at Spring Hill that introduced me to Wikipedia.

I made a major impact with my two-year campaign to change Medicaid in Alabama, dubbed "Nick's Crusade."

In August 2008, I transitioned to a new life in New York City, where I am starting anew. I've continued writing and creating, both fiction (online comics such as Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders vs. Zombies, and Bunnies in Space) and nonfiction (essays on history, politics, and health care). One of my essays, on the impact of cuts in the federal budget and universal health care as a human right, was published as part of Greenhaven Press' reference volume Health Care: Opposing Viewpoints in 2008.

Check out NickDupree/About for an in-depth bio with information about my life as a disabled man, my artwork, and my work as a long-term care reform advocate, including press coverage.

About

See my About page for a detailed autobiography covering the ins and outs of my disability, my successful 2001-2003 campaign "Nick's Crusade" to stop Alabama Medicaid's policy of cutting off ventilator-dependent people's home care at age 21, links to the media coverage that (and later advocacy) has generated, and information on my artwork, Superdude Comics.

I can't use a keyboard, nor lift my hands at all. I type with my thumb on a trackball mouse (I can only use the long-ago discontinued Logitech T-CD2-6F TrackMan Stationary Mouse, ca. 1995) and I click out text by hitting letters on onscreen keyboard software. Sometimes it takes me hours to type out an article, but this also gives me time to consider my words and extract the best possible writing from myself.

About Me Userboxen

This user has been a member of Wikipedia since November 30, 2005. # This user chats on IRC under the nickname NickDupree.

This user was born and lives in the United States. This user believes in Southern politeness and gentlemanism. en-us -N This user is a native speaker of American English.

42Y This Wikipedian was born on 23 February 1982 and is 42 years, 2 months, and 4 days old. UTC-5 UTC-4 This user has a standard time zone of UTC-5, but he is forced to use UTC-4 during summer. This person uses a wheelchair or powerchair.

This user has walked with the dinosaurs.

This user is of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. This user is of Scottish ancestry. This user lives in or is from New York City.

WP:RS This user believes in using Reliable Sources. mer This editor is a mergist.

This user opposes Imperialism. Slap me with a trout if necessary. Go ahead; whack away!

Nick the Wikipedian

I began contributing to Wikipedia in December 2005 and love the Wikipedia project. It gives me an important intellectual outlet. As I'm studying history and how people set change in motion in their governing systems and cultures, I want to share the knowledge I learn freely.

Message me for help with writing and editing articles; I've taken particular interest in Chinese history, the History of Asia in general, and American history (including Latin America).

I was introduced to Wikipedia in 2004 by fellow Spring Hill College student Jay Champagne who believes Wiki to be the next frontier of human achievement, a collective of knowledge, a move toward a common human consciousness (I agree).

I believe in single, comprehensive, complete articles on a topic, with daughter articles when applicable, NOT many, small, uncoordinated, duplicative articles. Whenever possible, these should be merged into a comprehensive, omnibus article. Thus, I am a Mergist. All articles must also adhere to an encyclopedic, high-level of quality.

Articles I'd like to create