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about the "Digital Divide" [Latest News on Clinton's "Digital Opportunities" Initiative ] [Inivitation to Participate in Administration Planning] [Who is Jonathan Young?] [SF BAND Response to Invitation] [Plan of action and more SF BAND information ] [See Examples of Successful Internet Enterprises] [TOP of Other Actions] [Back to SF BAND homepage ] Latest News on the President's IniativePresident Clinton will be making a trip this spring or summer devoted to discussing the Digital Divide/Digital Opportunities as they particularly relate to persons with disabilities. His trips on the subject, exploring "New Markets," have thus far focussed on schools, and on people who by reason of poverty or geographic have few if any "Digital Opportunities." The President's strategy is to forge public/private partnerships which will leverage funding from the private sector to add to public dollars expended on closing the Digital Divide.Jean Nandi, representing SF BAND, has been involved in weekly conference calls with Jonathan Young discussing likely locations, topics and proposals to be highlighted by the upcoming trip by President Clinton. Along with a large number of other individuals both within and outside the government we are providing Jonathan with materials for him to use to educate Administration staff on the special needs of persons with disabilities as well as success stories of enterprising use of the internet by the disability community. [See Examples of Successful Internet Enterprises] [Back to Digital Divide Menu] Inivitation to Participate in Administration PlanningSubj: Digital DivideDate: 00-01-31 22:05:16 EST From: Jonathan_M._Young@who.eop.gov As the President mentioned in his State of the Union Address, one of the year's major priorities for the Clinton-Gore Administration concerns access to our breathtaking technological advances. Computers and the internet are transforming our society, but not everyone is sharing equally in the opportunities they promise. "We must close the digital divide between those who've got the tools and those who don't," the President said. I'm writing to identify people interested in working more closely on this issue, and helping me to understand how we can most effectively ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to digital technology. If you are interested in joining in this endeavor, please reply to this email with your name, organizational affiliation (if you don't have one, that's fine too), home town, and a phone number where I can reach you. If you'd like, I invite you to write a brief description of who you are and your interests in technology. Thanks. [Back to Digital Divide Menu] Who is Jonathan Young?[Information about Jonathan Young in this announcement of his naming as one of the 10 Outstanding Young Americans by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commercel--JN] Date: 00-01-25 10:51:01 EST From: jfa@metrocil.mwcil.org (Justice For All Moderator) Sender: majord@metrocil.mwcil.org (Virtual Majordomo Account) To: justice@jfanow.org [Excerpts--describing Jonathan Young] Thirty-year-old Jonathan Miron Young currently serves as Associate Director for Disability Outreach in the White House Office of Public Liaison, where he is in charge of White House outreach to the disability community. His appointment in August 1998 marked the first time a person with a disability has held this position, and he is now the highest-ranking person at the White House who specializes in disability issues. By working with such White House offices as the Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, and Office of Management and Budget, Young wields influence on all aspects of disability policy, including the Work Incentives Improvement Act that passed Congress in November. Because he has repeatedly proven his energy, talent, and determination to get things done, people throughout the White House and the Administration now approach him to coordinate activities on disability-related issues. Young is the author of "Equality of Opportunity: The Making of the Americans with Disabilities Act," which was published by the National Council on Disability in 1997 and is widely heralded as the best history of the ADA to date. It is also the foundation for his thesis as a Ph.D. candidate in American history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Young's historical writing and political experience, combined with his passion, enthusiasm, and a bright spirit, have rapidly made him a key player in empowering Americans with disabilities to reach their potentials, particularly in regards to employment. In 1987 Young received the Victory of the Human Spirit Award, given by the National Rehabilitation Hospital for exemplary inner strength and courage, after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a high school wrestling match. Young resides in Washington, D.C. [Back to Digital Divide Menu] SF BAND Response to InvitationSubj: Re: Digital DivideDate: 00-01-31 22:47:51 EST From: JEANNANDI To: Jonathan_M._Young@who.eop.gov Name: Jean Nandi Organization: San Francisco Bay Area Network on Disability (SF BAND) & California Disability Alliance (CDA) Berkeley, CA phone: 510-845-8236 see http://members.aol.com/jeannandi/HOMEPAGE/JEANHOME.HTML http://members.able-net.net/jeannandi/at-project/ http://www.dredf.org/cda/cdahome.html I have been working for many years on assistive technology for persons with disabilities, and now focus most of my time on health care. However, our newest organization, the California Disability Alliance makes incredible use of the internet in advocating for better health care for our citizens who have disabilities. We are particularly concerned about those who are not yet part of this enabling network. Sincerely, Jean Nandi [Back to Digital Divide Menu] Subj: Welcome to My Digital Divide Mailing List Date: 00-02-01 11:31:52 EST From: Jonathan_M._Young@who.eop.gov I am impressed with and grateful for the incredible level of interest in digital divide issues. I'm sorry I can't respond to each of you individually, but I have enjoyed your emails and many descriptions of activities around technology access. You are receiving this email because you responded to my email about the Digital Divide. I have placed you on a mailing list (similar to my main one), which I will use to organize Digital Divide activities. In the future (probably soon), for example, this will include meetings/conference calls. If you don't want to be part of this email list now or at any point in the future, please just send me an email and indicate you want to be taken off. ** One request on email communications. Please make "Digital Divide" part of the subject field in any email you want to send me on this issue. I sometimes get hundreds of emails a day, so it helps if the subject field is clear. That will also enable me to do searches for "Digital Divide," so I can quickly track any emails on this issue. ** This issue is going to move very fast this spring. Exactly what the President will be doing has yet to take shape, but I want to be prepared to put agenda items on the table. As a first step, I want to begin compiling a list of programs/policies all across the country that are doing innovative things in promoting digital access for people with disabilities. This could be, for example, technological innovations in non-visual access, or programs to get computers to people who are unable to forward them (e.g. donation projects). Please be imaginative. Part of the reason I'm forming this working group is because I want to get a better sense of what's going on in this field so I'm better prepared to talk about it internally. A word on how you can be most helpful in this regard. What I (and others in the White House) will need most are concise descriptions (summaries) of programs -- really no more than a paragraph. If you want to provide supplemental material, that's great. But as a starting point, if I and/or someone else can't get a good grasp of the program or project in a short paragraph, pages of detailed description will probably not be helpful. Some of you have already sent me websites for finding more information. It would also be helpful to me if you simply copied the text of the most relevant info from the website and sent it to me by email. That way I have everything in one place. Programs could be ones you're directly affiliated or ones that you know about. Feel free to forward this email on to someone who you feel may be better able to write a summary description if it's something you're aware of, but not directly involved with. Thanks again for the incredible interest in this issue. I look forward to working with all of you. Jonathan Young [Back to Digital Divide Menu] Subj: Re: Welcome to My Digital Divide Mailing List Date: 00-02-01 12:49:59 EST From: JEANNANDI I am working on two aspects of internet access: 1. As Chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Network on Disability (SF BAND) (see http://disweb.org/sfband/) I participated in the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee ( http://www.netcaucus.org/), bringing up subjects related to access by persons with disabilities in every conversation. I prepared a report to Congress, which has not yet been released, providing details of problems with access to Congressional websites and suggestions for remedies. I worked with a subcommittee developing an internet tutorial for freshman members of Congress, particularly on the importance of the internet for educational and political activities. These things are of paramount importance to persons with disabilities. 2. As a member of the Executive Committee of the California Disability Alliance (CDA) ( http://www.dredf.org/cda/cdahome.html ), I have worked with the California government agencies and legislators dealing with health care issues. Our advocacy has been PRIMARILY through the internet, and we are developing approaches to bring more people into the loop, so to speak, who do not yet have computers or technological skills. The problem for most persons with disabilities is financial, as there is a great deal of assistive technology potentially available but inaccessible due to cost (see http://members.able-net.net/jeannandi/at-project/). Additionally, we are attempting to work with the state website developers to bring their sites into W3C compliance--we have a long way to go. So, to sum up, our interest is primarily in making existing materials universally available, and seeing to it that our government and commercial programs developed on and for the internet are as sensitive to issues of access as are physical programs under the ADA. Sincerely, Jean Nandi homepage: http://members.aol.com/jeannandi/HOMEPAGE/JEANHOME.HTML email: jeannandi@able-net.net [Back to Digital Divide Menu] Examples of Successful Internet EnterprisesSubj: [DD] Examples of Applications of the Internet by PWDsDate: 00-05-10 16:40:05 EDT From: JEANNANDI To: Jonathan_M._Young@who.eop.gov In response to your request for examples of "disability entrepreneurship" on the Internet, I am submitting the following. Please note that I KNOW there are many, many more of these (including a few on your DD call list!) but I simply responded with people that responded to my call for information. Jean Nandi, San Francisco Bay Area Network on Disability Effective Applications of the Internet by Persons with Disabilities: On inquiry I have found that Persons with Disabilities have become increasingly free and productive through effective use of Internet facilities and technology. Examples of applications fall broadly into three categories: [1. ] Individuals or groups of persons with disabilities using the Internet to establish and promote businesses or--in some cases lucrative--hobbies. [2. ] Organizations comprised primarily of persons with disabilities which make creative use of Internet listservs and websites to educate and advocate for the disability community. Many of these offer services which in turn bring in funds to support their work. [3. ] Individuals using the Internet for self-enhancement through education, and who use websites and/or listservs to share their knowledge with other persons with disabilities and/or their friends or caretakers. These individual endeavors often lead to paid consulting work. There are many examples of each of these applications, but I include a very few to illustrate how important the Internet has become for persons with disabilities, and how enterprising we can be in enhancing our lives and even earning a living or a supplement to our living. I will send this over as three files, representing the three areas of "disability entrepreneurship." Effective Applications of the Internet by Persons with Disabilities, Part I 1. INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS USING THE INTERNET TO ESTABLISH AND PROMOTE BUSINESSES OR HOBBIES. -- Individuals or groups of persons with disabilities using the Internet to establish and promote businesses or--in some cases lucrative--hobbies. From: Arthur Jacobs, star@sonic.net Star Walkers-- http://www.sonic.net/~star Even though I am hemiplegic via the world wide web I can reach the whole world. I have been making Java games for kids detained by the court in Sonoma [CA county]. This page and game will give you some idea. I have made games for people around the world here is a letter from the Ukraine: "I am actually impressed with the great job Arthur has been doing in the Internet. His games on-line are wonderful and definitely useful for students to learn new words and have fun while playing. Such games help to inspire students to work more zealously enriching their vocabulary. Take a look at his pages with games. Good luck, Nina Lyulkoun, Associate Professor, Technological University of Podillya, Khmelnitskiy, Ukraine" I have written different Freeman games for various classrooms and people. If you have a story (I can drop any story into the game) or an idea for a game, please email me and ask star@sonic.net Arthur Jacobs From: Tracy Rackensperger TDoggOG@aol.com Assistive Technology/Augmentative Communication Services --http://members.aol.com/tdoggog I'm trying to start a business using the Internet. Presentations - Demonstrations - Consulting General Information Being an assistive technology / augmentative communication user allows me the unique opportunity to discuss the first-hand experiences I have had with adaptive technology. Although I am not qualified to address the following topics as a professional, I can provide real-world experiences to compliment the research done by professionals. I have the experience of working with an Assistive Technology organization, developing learning objectives, and speaking about assistive technology / augmentative communication. Topics for presentations, demonstrations and consulting may include but are not limited to: 1. Assistive Technology / Augmentative Communication in Educational Settings 2. Assistive Technology / Augmentative Communication in the Business Community 3. Assistive Technology / Augmentative Communication Funding Issues Why should you hire me? It's very simple. Showing an assistive technology / augmentative communication user demonstrating a product or service you are promoting or showing how assistive technology / augmentative communication helps a person be successful will benefit your organization or company. Users are the best promoters of adaptive devices. It will add something memorable to your customers, clients, or peers to see users speaking for you. Availability: I.am available weekdays, weekends, and evenings. I can work on various projects cocorrently and am available to travel. If there is traveling involved, I will need to be reimbursed for payment of air fare (if applicable), hotel accommodations, food expenses, and ground transportation (if applicable) for myself and my attendant. Contact Information: E-mail: tdoggog@aol.com (Will respond within 24 hours) Postal Address: 988 Stonewood Lane Maitland, Florida 32751 Telephone Number: (407) 830-4055 From: ". knot_tyer ." knot_tyer@hotmail.com ~ The Knot Shoppe ~ -- http://www.geocities.com/knot_tyer/ and http://homepages.go.com/~knot_tyer/ i am very disabled...i make fancy knots...you can see what i do at: ~ The Knot Shoppe ~ Museum of Fancy Knots ~ FANCY KNOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ~ *** Alaskan Poetry *** *** Iditarod 2000 *** *** Mushing *** *** 2000 Anchorage Fur Rendezvous *** *** 2000 Alaska Statewide Event Calendar *** *** 1999 Alaska State Fair *** *** Nuggets *** *** Salmon Recipes *** *** ALASKA WebCams *** *** Alaskan Wildlife *** ...i have had many set-backs with my business, but i won't give up... just have to re-group and figure things out...folks want to know how i make my knots...i have no way to show them...my biggest set-backs have been the Alaska Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education, Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and a scam called "FastTrac"...when it comes right down to it, there really isn't anyone to help us but ourselves...i won't give up on my knots...someday i'll figure out how to give the folks what they want...just have to figure out how to do it...Dan-Alaska... The Knot Shoppe P.O. Box 202607 Anchorage, Alaska 99520-2607 USA (907) 274-2321 knot_tyer@excite.com knot_tyer@hotmail.com http://www.geocities.com/knot_tyer/ http://homepages.go.com/~knot_tyer/ http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/knottyers <--join the club! "So many knots, so little time!" From: traveler@candy-charles.com (candy harrington) Access Northern California -- http://AccessNCA.com My nomination would be Bonnie Lewkowicz (Berkeley) who founded Access Northern California. You may or may not allready know her. Basically we (C & C Creative Concepts) worked with her to produce the just released "Access 2000 San Francisco" (available free from the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. However we went one step further and developed a user-updateable database backed website for Bonnie, so that she could update her website at AccessNCA.com. This is very important, in that it not only offers people information in an alternative format (there is also a text only version) but it also allows her to keep the information current. The web also allowed her to network and for us to actually meet, so this partnership could be formed. Now we (Access Northen CA and C & C Creative Concepts) intend to carry on our model in other cities -- to work with other people to develop similiar access guides, using our on-line updateable web application and Bonnie's access knowledge and worksheets. We are allready working with a gentleman in Baltimore (who is disabled) who is starting to develop an access guide in that city (using our model and product) and later in Washington DC. In the course of doing this he plans to open an office and hire other people with disabilities to go out and do the access surveys. Thanks to the internet we were able to develop this "package" so that access information will be freely distributed and more people with disabilites will be employed. Candy Emerging Horizons Candy & Charles Creative Concepts P.O. Box 278 Ripon, CA 95366 EmergingHorizons.com Access Northern California is a one-stop accessible travel information and consultation service for travelers with disabilities and the hospitality industry. Publish Your Own Access Guide Accurate access information is in high demand today. Give your customers what they want--produce your own access guide and put your access information on-line. We'll show you how. We provide customized access worksheets, access guide layout and design, and a web application that allows you to integrate access information into your existing website. Our web application is easy to use, and it eliminates web maintenance. You update your own web pages. No programming necessary; if you can type, you can update your own web pages. No website? We can design one to suit your needs. Contact the folks who developed "Access 2000 San Francisco". We'll show you how to do it right. Bonnie Lewkowicz - Access Northern California info@accessnca.com Charles Pannell - C & C Creative Concepts charles@candy-charles.com Access Northern California Copyright (c) 1997 - 2000 Access Northern California All Rights Reserved info@accessnca.com Database and Website Design by Candy & Charles Creative Concepts charles@candy-charles.com candy-charles.com disABLED Entrepreneurs chat From: HOST WPLC Jim AOL's WorkPlace disABLED ENTREPRENEUR'S CHAT Sunday - 1/23/2000 9:00 - 11:00 PM (EST) ******* Hi everyone! It's HOST WPLC Jim with a reminder of toomorrow nights chat. I hope you'll join Boise & me !! Bring your questions, concerns, advice and ideas every Sunday night for this chat in which we discuss all the issues related to being a disABLED entrepreneur. Lately, we have had several new members join our chats & our reminders. We're very excited and hope to see many more new members as well. If you have any ideas for topics or if you or someone you know of someone who might be interested in be a guest host for one of our chats, please feel free to email me HOST WPLC Jim@aol.com. Also please be sure & check out the message boards. We have added several new topics. Come say Hi, ask a question, share information ad more. ******* Click here for chat schedule & link to room: Disabled Entrepreneurs Chat Schedule Click here for message boards & more DisAbled Entrepreneurs Forum Page If you need any further assistance please IM or email me anytime. I hope to see you there! ******* *** P.S. If you feel this email is not of interest to you, just click here HOST WPLC Jim to email me & I will gladly remove your name from the list & any future email. Also I apologize if I've sent this to multiple screen names of individuals, let me know and I will delete the additional names Sincerely, HOST WPLC Jim & HOST WPLC Boise HOST WPLC Jim's Home Page From: Mark Breimhorst mark@rinconada.org Rinconada Ventures Foundation -- http://rinconada.org/ My organization, Rinconada Ventures Foundation, not only fits the bill, we work with other organizations that do as well. Mark Rinconada Ventures Foundation One-page Summary Introduction: The Rinconada Vision Rinconada was founded by disability activist and educator Mark Breimhorst with an initial grant in June 1998. By paying attention to both social return and the enterprise's long-term viability, Mr. Breimhorst and the founding Board wanted to support organizations that bridge the traditional gap between nonprofit and for-profit organizations.Rinconada Ventures Foundation fosters a new model of philanthropy by aiding social entrepreneurs in two distinct areas: the disability community and alternatives in education. In addition to financial capital, Rinconada offers expert management support in the fields of strategic planning, personnel, management techniques, and legal, financial, and technical support. Funding Areas The majority of Rinconada's disbursements are in the area of disability rights. We support ventures that promote the civil rights and culture of people with disabilities from a minority model. Ventures in Rinconada's secondary area of alternative education emphasize students' learning by doing, working at their own pace, community involvement, and empowerment to follow their own interests. The Rinconada Social Entrepreneur A social entrepreneur is someone; ambitious, creative, and committed to social change, who creates an organization that generates a significant social contribution. The best of these social entrepreneurs are rethinking traditional nonprofit and for-profit models according to a double-bottom-line: that of both financial viability and social return. Rinconada-supported projects in the disability arena include providing low-interest loans to a modular wheelchair ramp manufacturer and to a syndicated radio show focusing on disability culture, as well as partnering with the Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund (DREDF) to market their definitive guide to the Americans With Disabilities Act. In the area of alternative education, Rinconada has invested in an on-line mentoring program for high school students and is providing advisory support for the program's outreach to disabled and disenfranchised students. The concept of partnership is integral to all of Rinconada's relationships with social entrepreneurs. Rinconada representatives often sit on the boards of organizations we support, and our funding is carefully arranged to ensure an enterprise's eventual self-sustainability. Lasting, mutually beneficial associations are a priority, as opposed to one-time grants that maintain a hierarchy of financial dependency. The Rinconada Donor Rinconada seeks out philanthropists who wish to contribute to an organization's long-term viability in addition to its short-term programs. Our donors are individuals who are value organizational capacity building and sustainability, rather than short-term quick fixes. Donors are also assured that all gifts go directly to our ventures, not to overhead foundation costs. Rinconada further encourages philanthropists to give in innovative, meaningful ways, including gifts of time and expertise to our entrepreneurs as well as monetary donations. (Rinconada Ventures Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public foundation, and all donations are fully-tax deductible.) Putting It Together: The Access Ability Example One of Rinconada's most exciting new partnerships is with Access Ability, a modular wheelchair ramp manufacturing business started by social entrepreneur Gale Schmidt. Rinconada's low-interest loan to Access Ability has allowed Schmidt to expand her business. The interest on Access Ability's loan will be incrementally forgiven as Schmidt sells ramps to low-income people. Perhaps more important than the capital support, Rinconada has helped Schmidt design a more profitable pricing structure and a marketing strategy that will broaden Access Ability's customer base to a national scope. We are proud to say that Rinconada has been a pivotal factor in Access Ability's success. For Rinconada, the high quality and easy installation of Access Ability's product, and Schmidt's commitment to making her ramps more widely available to consumers of all economic backgrounds, make this a model venture; both socially beneficial and fiscally self-sustainable. From: "Gary Wartels" gwartels@tabinc.org eSight(tm)-- (www.eSight(tm).org) I am attaching our project description and biographical information on a team of truly dedicated people (most of whom are blind or visually impared) who are developing eSight.org - an Internet based community to help blind and visually impaired with career management. They are wonderful examples of people with disabilities working to overcome the "digital divide." Please let me know if you want additional information. Gary Wartels, Director of Development and Communications eSight.org The Assocaited Blind 110 William Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10038 (212) 766-6800 x105 == eSight(tm) (www.eSight(tm).org) has assembled a project team of talented, energetic, and highly motivated individuals, most whom are blind and visually impaired themselves and rely on the Internet and other online resources. eSight(tm) is being developed by a core group of full-time personnel, the use of several editorial, content and technical consultants and interns and volunteers. The principal staff involved in eSight(tm) project development is the following: The Associated Blind, Inc. is exceptionally well qualified to successfully build eSight(tm). It has developed a project team of talented, energetic, and highly motivated individuals, most whom are blind and visually impaired themselves and rely on the Internet and other online resources. eSight(tm) is operated by a core group of full-time personnel, the use of several consultants and a team of interns. The principal staff involved in eSight(tm) project development is the following: *** Fernando Botelho, Project Development Manager is responsible for project and technical management of eSight(tm). He has extensive experience in demand forecasting and project management and holds a BA in Sociology and International Relations from Cornell University and an MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. *** Marten Tegnestam, Lead Programmer is expert in the use of HTML, UNIX, CGI scripting, Perl and Cold Fusion programming languages. He is responsible for eSight(tm) programming and all hardware, software, server, and set-up of over 30 workstations requiring various types of assistive technology. *** Nancy 0 'Connell, Director of Content Development and Member Services, has extensive experience developing and managing databases, creating on-line content. She is creating end-user feedback mechanisms for eSight(tm)'s Customer Service to insure that user needs are fully incorporated. *** Robert Brown, Member Services Representative, serves eSight(tm) organization members and contributors. Mr. Brown is an educator, computer specialist, and social worker who holds an MS in Educational Psychology from City University of New York and a certificate in Instructional Design of Educational Technology from Columbia University's Teachers College. *** Edwin Montez, Member Services Representative, serves individual eSight(tm) members. Mr. Montez has held positions at Project Horizons as Technical Assistance Specialist for the Visually Impaired and was Director of Latin American sales for Global Technical Support. He holds a BA degree in Business Administration from the City University of New York, Baruch College. Organizational History The Associated Blind, Inc. is a privately funded, 501 (c)(3) non-profit agency, founded in 1938 by blind women and men as an organization promoting autonomy and self-determination for the visually impaired. Headquartered in New York City, The Associated Blind, Inc. has evolved into a premier provider of technology, career, education and social programs developed in response to expressed needs, interests and suggestions of blind and visually impaired individuals. Since our inception, services have been provided to participants without government support. The annual operating budget is $2.0 million for our 2000 fiscal year. The Associated Blind, Inc. works with people from all backgrounds and provides opportunities without regard to gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, physical ability, age, ethnicity, and geography. eSight.org Concept and Goals The centerpiece of eSight(tm) is eSight(tm) Community - an accessible, interactive online service for individuals who are blind or visually impaired that will be soft launched in spring 2000. The service is designed to be totally accessible and easily navigated in order to accommodate users with low or no vision. As a result, people who are blind, using special software that "reads" the text on their computer screen in an artificial voice, can access information on the World Wide Web. eSight(tm) Community connects individuals to each other, gives them access to experts and provide timely information about career management, adaptive technology and a range of other vital information. eSight(tm) Community will achieve these objectives by building the following: *** A membership of 150,000 by year 5 of operation; *** On-line live interaction with real-time chat and dialogue boards; *** On-line self-directed search and retrieval and on-line self-directed linking; *** Compelling, high quality, relevant and authoritative content; *** Designing and supporting the site to be platform independent and simple to use; *** Aggressively marketing the site and services to attain a substantial membership; *** Impeccable customer service and technical support. eSight(tm) is staffed principally by members of the blind community and is a model for employing people with disabilities that can be replicated in other information and service-based companies. Opportunities to Help In addition to seeking funding for this initiative, there are several significant promotional opportunities for eSight(tm) supporters. Advertising: Businesses can underwrite eSight(tm) advertising and reach an audience of several million. An extensive marketing and promotion plan has been designed to create traffic and build a membership of 150,000 and includes radio, large edition print and trade publications, Internet and list serves, and Public Service Announcements. Sponsorship: Businesses receive recognition as a sponsor of eSight(tm), which provides visibility, positioning, and good will for your company. Online Partnerships: Businesses can link eSight(tm) members to e-Commerce. [Top of Examples] Effective Applications of the Internet by Persons with Disabilities, Part II 2. ORGANIZATIONS MAKING CREATIVE USE OF INTERNET LISTSERVS AND WEBSITES TO EDUCATE AND ADVOCATE FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. Organizations comprised primarily of persons with disabilities which make creative use of Internet listservs and websites to educate and advocate for the disability community. Many of these offer services which in turn bring in funds to support their work. From: Robert S. Elkins SayWhatBob@aol.com The SayWhatClub --http://www.SayWhatClub.com This message is in response to your call to reach individuals and organizations endeavoring to utilize the Internet to assist handicapped people. The SayWhatClub is a cyberspace non profit organization that is composed of over four hundred members worldwide. Its purpose is to provide information, emotional support and job opportunities for hearing impaired and deafened children and adults. The SayWhatClub has been in existence for five years and it is growing in its pursuit to assist those who face the handicap of hearing loss. Anyone interested in meeting with others this summer for an opportunity to focus on utilizing the Internet to improve the lives of the hearing handicapped is invited to attend the San Diego SayWhatClub Con annual convention in July. For more information on that event, please check http://www.saywhatclub.org/swc-events/sdcon.html Robert S. Elkins, President SayWhatClub From: Carol Banks cbanks@CHARTER.NET Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)-- http://www.rit.edu/~easi Students and professionals with disabilities have the same right to access information and resources as everyone else. Equal Access to Software and Information Project of the TLT Group (Teaching, Learning & Technology) (An Affiliate of the American Association for Higher Education) EASI MISSION: EASI's mission is to serve as a resource to the education community by providing information and guidance in the area of access-to-information technologies by individuals with disabilities. We stay informed about developments and advancements within the adaptive computer technology field and spread that information to colleges, universities, K-12 schools, libraries and into the workplace. Our supporters and friends comprise people from colleges, universities, businesses and other institutions. They include computing staff, disabled student services staff, faculty, administrators, vendors, representatives of professional associations, private consultants, heads of both non-profit and for-profit organizations, faculty and staff from K-12 schools, and students. Projects, Activities and Publications SEMINARS AND ONLINE WORKSHOPS: EASI has made presentations to more than 2,500 people who provide computer and information access to people with disabilities. Topics include: The Americans with Disabilities Act, computer access strategies, lab environments, and support services. In conjunction with the Rochester Institute of Technology, EASI delivers online workshops via the Internet: Barrier-Free Web Design Barrier-Free Education Technology All workshops are delivered several times a year. The workshops can be previewed on the web at www.rit.edu/~easi/workshops.html. EASI on the World Wide Web: EASI has established a homepage on the WWW. You can find all EASI materials using URL: http://www.rit.edu/-easi. EASI's Web site specializes in information technology's impact on science, math and libraries. ELECTRONIC JOURNAL: EASI publishes a quarterly electronic journal, "Information Technology and Disabilities, " which focuses on technology issues that relate to people with disabilities. The journal is available in two ways. First, it is on EASI's web at http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd.html Second it is available through a listserv list, itd-jnl. To subscribe send e-mail with this one line: sub itd-jnl followed by your "first name last name" to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu. ELECTRONIC DISCUSSION LISTS: EASI supports three major public discussion lists: EASI, AXSLIB-L and EASI-SEM. These include more than 2,000 people from more than 40 countries. The EASI List focuses on general discussion about adaptive equipment, access issues and other disability and computer topics. The second list is the library access list, called AXSLIB-L. The third list, EASI-SEM specializes in materials to advance access to science, engineering and math for students and professionals in those areas. To join these lists, EASI or AXSLIB-L, send a subscribe command to: listserv@maelstrom.stjohns.edu. To join EASI-SEM send a subscribe command to listserv@listserver.isc.rit.edu. PUBLICATIONS AND VIDEOS: EASI has supported the book, "Information Access and Adaptive Technology," published by Oryx Press and written by Carmela Cunningham and Norman Coombs. EASI has also created and distributed more than 20,000 copies of its pamphlets on adaptive computing technology to date. Publications are available on the Web. Print copies are also available. For ordering information send e-mail to: easi@tltgroup.org. EASI-Videos: EASI, with the support of the Rochester Institute of Technology, has created a series of three videotapes. They cover (1) general adaptive computer technology, (2) access to math and tactile graphics and (3) laboratory access and faculty attitudes. Each video comes with an extensive print manual. $30 for a video with manual or $75 for the set of three. EASI CONTACTS Internet Address: EASI@TLTGROUP.ORG William McQueen, EASI postmaster Norman Coombs, Chair, Rochester Institute of Technology NRCGSH@RIT.EDU Sheryl Burgstahler, Vice Chair, University of Washington Sherylb@CAC.Washington.edu Mrs. Carmela Cunningham, EASI Editor, Carmelac@aol.com Mr. Richard Banks, Electronic Resource Manager, Rbanks2@discover-net.net Mailing Address: EASI, c/o TLT Group, P.O. Box 18928, Rochester, NY 14618 (716) 244-9065 From: Laura Remson Mitchell and Marilyn Golden, Executive Committee California Disability Alliance--http://www.dredf.org/cda/cdahome.html The California Disability Alliance (CDA) consists of persons with disabilities ("PWDs") and their friends, family members and supporters of human rights from up and down the State of California. We are convinced that legalizing physician assisted suicide or euthanasia in the present environment (both managed health care and poor societal attitudes toward disability) will threaten our own lives and our ability to help ourselves and each other achieve our personal goals. In the spring of 1999, a group of PWDs, their friends, family members and supporters of human rights from up and down the state gathered energy and linked hands with many others from worker's groups, hospice associations, the Berkeley City Council, and medical professionals in an ongoing effort to defeat Dion Aroner's "Death with Dignity Act" (California A.B. 1592). Since that time we have worked hard to promote better health care through legislation, by opposing institutionalized care where health care can be provided within the community, and by advocating and alerting the community about changes in health regulations which impact the lives of persons with disabilities. Advocates largely through information disseminated through listservs and its website. Organizes the disability community for action on legislative matters that directly affect our health and welfare. From: "PatrickWm. Connally" pwc@dizbiz.com Disability Rights Enforcement, Education, Services (DREES)--http://dizbiz.com/drees/ DREES: (Disability Rights Enforcement, Education, Services: Helping You Help Others) DREES is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that organizes Disability Community training's, outreach projects, and promotes self advocacy through technology. Currently, our two areas of focus are independent/community living and architectural access. DREES has developed over 16 staff level workshops and conferences entering our third year of formal incorporation. We maintain a prestigious Email discussion list that has some of the best discussion on disability policy going and serves a distinguished community leadership. Postings on the list are quoted on others lists in the disability community. In the Spring of 1998, with http://www.dizbiz.com, DREES went on line with our web magazine for sophisticated people with attitudes. All staff and over 80% of our Board of Directors are People with Disabilities or seniors. We all work out of our homes and connect through the Internet, fax, and paratransit. The Disability Community, agencies, families, and people with disabilities for the last three years have given DREES almost $5,000 each year in small registration fees, donations, in-kind support, and this gift is from the most economically disadvantaged community in the United States. Contact Information : DREES Disability Rights Enforcement, Education, Services: Helping You Help Others) Tax I. D. 68037-3504 164 North San Pedro Road, # C103 San Rafael, CA 94903 Patrick William Connally, President (415) 479-3504 Fax (415) 499-1512 Email:pwc@slip.net Don Stickel, Community Outreach Director (415) 455-8215 Email:stick2@pacbell.net http://www.dizbiz.com has an advocacy action bulletin board. In April our home page was getting 160 to 200 hits a day. If you want to post long documents and announcements and such, it is a great place to do this. New stuff has been added to the website. *** Gray Davis's return to the policy of the "ancient regime" is pictured along with a request for your help in developing a hundred reasons Gray Davis is the way he is. *** Raw Data from the disability communities brainstorming maybe at odds with another expensive North Bay transit study. Check out the results of Marin Counties First Independence Forum. *** Coming soon, the Marin County Division on Aging is underwriting a web program explaining the what and how of ramped taxis and paratransit taxi script. We received some great help from Bob Planthold and Michael Kwok. Without them, Bill and I could not have gotten the background information on this realistic and workable paratransit solution. From: Jean Nandi jeannandi@aol.com SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA NETWORK ON DISABILITY (SF BAND) -- http://disweb.org/sfband/ Promoting communications and advocacy via the Internet. The San Francisco Bay Area Network on Disability, or SF BAND, consists of members of 2 listservs and others interested in advocating for legislation that will increase our ability to communicate and add to our effectiveness as a network. Our BAND provides information about ways of acquiring and effectively utilizing technology, especially for persons with disabilities. We have now added our collective voice to the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee, further enabling us to educate the public about our needs and unique uses of the internet. The San Francisco Bay Area has a large community of people with disabilities. Many of us have found the internet to be a vital link, and for some of us it is the ONLY way to readily communicate with the outside world. Our electronic mailing lists include members from across the country as well as our local subscribers. The berkeley-band@onelist.com list is centered in the East Bay and drees@marin.org is centered in Marin County. Holding this enlarging network together are the resource pages and email services provided by the Chairperson of SF BAND, Jean Nandi. http://members.aol.com/jeannandi/HOMEPAGE/JEANHOME.HTML [Top of Examples] Effective Applications of the Internet by Persons with Disabilities, Part III 3. USING WEBSITES AND/OR LISTSERVS TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHER PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Individuals using the Internet for self-enhancement through education, and who use websites and/or listservs to share their knowledge with other persons with disabilities and/or their friends or caretakers. These individual endeavors often lead to paid consulting work. Also note the great descriptions of how much easier the work became after going online! From: Laura Remson Mitchell af752@lafn.org http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7853 The work I do at present if very much dependent on the Internet. I started working as a paid consultant to the MS Society in 1988, 10 years after I was diagnosed with MS. Before that, I was a free-lance writer, and though I used a computer, most publications accepted manuscripts in hard copy by postal mail. (In fact, most required manuscripts to be submitted that way.) Now, most publications will accept manuscripts by postal mail, fax or by electronic submission, and an increasing number seem to prefer electronic transmission. I know that working with an editor at the Los Angeles Times on my last published op-ed piece (the one I wrote about assisted suicide in 1998) was much easier both on me and on the newspaper staff because any changes could be made electronically and e-mailed back and forth until the final version was reached. Getting back to my consultant work as a public policy analyst, when I started, I really was groping around trying to identify legislation to follow and figuring out how to track it. The National MS Society tried to help chapters that were setting up advocacy programs by purchasing State Net tracking service for nine states. I would receive huge printouts with brief summaries of all the bills that were introduced. I'd go through them to identify bills that looked interesting, contact the Legislative Bill Room in Sacramento and order copies of those bills. (Since you could order only five bills at a time for postal delivery for free (the program operated on a shoestring, and I didn't want to spend money if I could avoid it), and since I couldn't just go to the Capitol and pick up all the ones that were of interest (that would have been for free), this meant I had to make several calls to the bill room if I need more than five bills, which I often did. I would review the bills and select certain ones to track. State Net would then send me updates (again, multiple pages of paper), along with new bill introductions. I would spend hours reviewing that material and then have to call the bill room again for amendments or to order newly introduced bills. And unless we were supporting a particular bill and I was in close touch with the author's office, it was hard for me to know when a hearing date was coming up. I also would have to call committee offices to get copies of bill analyses and votes. As awkward as it was to track legislation using the State Net service, I was *really* in trouble when the NMSS decided to drop State Net. (It turned out that I was the only one using the service.) For a year or two, I struggled to find someone to help me identify and track legislation. If I couldn't figure something out, I probably would be unable to continue doing my job. Then the California Legislature went online, and I got a computer with a faster modem! The difference was enormous. I formally filed for a business license as a home-based business in the city of Los Angeles, and I find myself making ever-greater use of the Internet and technology in my work, including my occasional (much rarer than I would like) free-lance efforts. I also have designed and maintain a personal web site for people with disabilities. Although I did this for personal reasons, I have been asked whether I might be willing to develop and maintain a web site for another organization for a fee. At this point, I'm not sure whether I'll ever follow up on that, but it certainly opens up an additional option for my work as a consultant. For me, the two biggest factors in my being able to work are my scooter and computer technology, including access to the Internet. | 0 People with disabilities: A resource to recognize, | | |_ *not* a problem to solve! | | ( \_) = | | *** (c) 1999, 2000 by Laura Remson Mitchell | | e-mail: af752@lafn.org (also: dhcpolwnk@yahoo.com) | | Visit my award-winning personal web site at: | | http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7853 | | shortcut: http://www.geocities.com/dhcpolwnk | | Now includes News Page (updated daily) and Message Board! | LRM'S HOME PAGE Welcome to LRM'S PLACE, the personal web site of yours truly, Laura Remson Mitchell. I am a public policy analyst, consultant and writer with 20+ years' experience, primarily in the area of economic, health-care and disability issues. (For more on my background, you can read my online BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH or check out my listing in the 26th edition of Who's Who in the West.) Although this site deals primarily with public policy, it also includes other areas that interest me. The site is an ongoing project. Among other things, I hope to continue adding links to other interesting sites. As anyone who knows me could tell you, I've never been shy about expressing my opinions. So, of course, I have posted some of those opinions here. Please remember that unless otherwise indicated, these opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the views of any group or organization with which I have worked or currently may be working. I also like to play and write music (though I make no claims to being any good at either). Still, since I've started fooling around with MIDI music, I thought I'd include links to a few of my songs, including one I wrote as a theme for the disability rights movement, and let you decide for yourself. Analyses and Opinions Remember: Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed at this web site are my own and do not necessarily express the views of any organization with which I have been or currently am associated. *** Public Policy Implications of Legalizing Physican-Assisted Suicide *** Mutual-Risk Point-of-Service Option: A Conceptual Outline For health care policy wonks. This describes a possible approach to reforming managed care. *** Managed Care: Dangers for Persons with Disabilities A paper I wrote on managed care and people with disabilities for the California chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. *** Mitchell testimony on managed care My written testimony to the California Managed Health Care Improvement Task Force. *** Mitchell recommendations to task force. Specific recommendations that I submitted to the California task force on managed care. *** Mitchell observations on Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) My outline of questions and concerns about MSAs and their potential impact on people with disabilities-especially low- to moderate-income people with disabilities. From: Maggie Dee magdisbl@ccnet.com [no website--contributes substantively to many disability-related listservs] Terrified of electronics my new computer sat in its shipping box for two weeks before I decided that I owned it...it did not own me. I use a wheelchair so by the time I was able to find a helping hand the computer and printer sat in its shipping container another week. I had been dead-lining my weekly newspaper columns painstakingly typed on a 1958 manual typewriter...hunt and pecking my way through to column end. The copy was messy as my typing skills were marginal. My editor had suggested a typing class or submitting my work to a typist. The latter was not affordable. I saved every nickle, dime and quarter I could wring out of my disability benefits for the down payment. It took me a year and a half...and there the computer was boxed up and waiting for me to be introduced to the world-at-large. Today, 15 years later, I submit my newspaper columns electronically. In addition to the wonderment of moving paragraphs at will, changing the font so that I can read EVERY word, saving the majority of my limited income for the basic bills...and now I can eat rather than pay phone bills! The more proficient I became on the computer, the more I could accomplish. A few years after opening that boxed computer I opened a non-profit. We started serving very low-income children at Christmas. The first year we served 20 families, last year we served 1,000 children by providing gifts for each child, food for numerous meals and Christmas trees for each adopted family. We are an information and referral system linking people to helping agencies, food, clothing and furniture. We have three volunteers year-around and 20 volunteers during the Christmas program. We have served 5,720 families since the inception of Share-a-Helping Hand. The computer is used by people who come to the office for job search and we help each person develop their initial resume. We have trained 14 volunteers to use the computer and all of them are working full-time supporting their families...and off Welfare. The door to the world has opened leading me on a path of freedom. Freedom to express my feelings, to find support on issues I knew little about...and to share that which I know with others. Without my computer and its peripherals I would be condemned to living life watching soap operas. . . and resentful crabby old lady. I am 60 years old. Maggie Dee-Dowling From: "RICK BORGMAN" rborgman@worldnet.att.net [no website--contributes substantively to many disability-related listservs] If not for this computer I would have no way to find a way to get out of this nursing home. Out of all the material stuff I knew I needed this machine to network and it is working I may have a chance all up hill, full of hope deleting set backs, but just in last week things and people are connecting. My words are reaching people that can help. None of it would have happened without my computer. Do you think this is worthy? JERRY R. BAKKEN bakkenjr@webtv.net [no website--contributes substantively to disability-related listservs] I do not have a business, but use the Internet for Political and Advocacy out reach. Being mostly house bound the internet keeps me in touch with the outside world. JERRY R. BAKKEN "dhammoja" San Rafael, Ca. From: "John M. Denooyer" megadutch@home.com Organization: @Home Network -- http://www.jmdenooyer.com Even though I'm only now beginning to offer my web development skills to the public, I would like to invite you to view so far. The URL of my site is: http://www.jmdenooyer.com Please note that this is a work in progress. My name is: John Martin Denooyer Phone Number: 206 282-4582 e-mail Address: megadutch@home.com [sample from the website]Readings disAbled are too often pigeon-holed on job--Seattle Post-Intelligencer Soapbox Seattle Post-Intelligencer July 26, 1991 Disabled too often pigeonholed on job by J.M. Denooyer "Making your way in the world today takes everything you got. . . " So begins the theme song of the television show ,"Cheers." However, if one is disabled, it sometimes takes more. There are a few basics in life that we All need in this modern society: Housing, (a home), transportation, (a way to get out of the house, apartment, trailer) and employment, (a way of maintaining the house, apartment, trailer). Those are just the basics. Upon those basics we can build the rest of our lives: a sense of being. a part' of the larger community; the opportunity to be involved in a loving relationship; the freedom to laugh at ourselves; the satisfaction of having a sense of self esteem, Which is so important to leading a healthy, productive life. Those basics are often not that easy to obtain, for anyone. That becomes more apparent if one is disabled. Being disabled myself, and knowing a number of disabled people, it appears that those in this population are always striving to better themselves; finding a niche in life making a home, gaining a sense of community. Although those tasks aren't always insurmountable, there are times when the world appears to be. There; are those who have good intentions who will assist the disabled in seeking employment, in finding independence. However, those people sometimes miss the point of self sufficiency. The point of being independent and employed, is to find some joy in life, to have good self esteem, as well as to gain financial independence. The problem arises from the tendency, with all good intentions, to place a disabled person in a position that seems suited for him or her. However, that Position is often at odds with the true Character of the person. Just because a person is deaf does not mean a job crowning false teeth in an environment where communication is not necessary is the best position for that person's temperament In the same vein, a person with cerebral palsy or a person restricted to a wheelchair will not always find it rewarding to sit in front of a computer terminal all day, simply by virtue of having communication and/or physical limitations. It does seem, from my experience, that once the disabled person is hired into the work place, he or she should forgo the disability; That somehow, as if the physical and/or neurological of the new employee should disappear; that the fact that this person does have a job should be enough of an incentive to suppress the disability and live up to the job requirements.. No allowances should be made after date of hire. That is analogous to the complaint heard from women and minorities that it is much more difficult for them to advance in the corporate world than it is for the white male. Indeed, many minorities have to work twice as hard just to keep in place. For certain disabilities, expending more energy is simply out of the question because the amount of energy is finite. It is also noteworthy for rehabilitation counselors to realize that their disabled clients have valid opinions and values concerning their own lives. If one says that he or she is unhappy in a certain job, then he or she should not be told to hang in there simply because placing him or her in a position better suited to this person's temperament will be difficult. It might very well be difficult, but even the path to reaching this position may be more pleasurable then remaining in a job one hates. Those are all incidents that I have experienced recently, and they have taken their toll. There seems to be an increasing tendency in today's economy to place the bottom line over the value of an employee. True, in the business world that has always been the case. However, it does seem that everybody today has to be upwardly mobile, on the fast track, work 10 to 14 hour days. Otherwise they're just out of it. I consider that a terrible tragedy. In losing sight of the value of the individual, we lose sight of the reason for life. It has been my personal experience that it is more difficult to , work with people who are technical/engineering oriented than those who are more social service/gregarious oriented. It would be nice to think that a person's personality could be made up of both. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. Technocrats, by their very nature, are more concerned with achieving the end result as soon as possible. It is often difficult for a technocrat to realize that others may not think as he or she does. That often leads to conflicts. It is time we realize that quality of life depends on what our vocations are, not the amount of money we make or the amount of compassion we have and not the speed with which we get things done. J.M. Denooyer, Kirkland, has cerebral palsy. Soapbox columns are contributed by P.I. readers. : [other articles on this page] Limits of Technology -- Washington Assistive Technology Alliance Newsletter Garbage Remains Burning Issue--The Bellingham Herald Hospital Merger not in Public Interest--The Bellingham Herald From: Jean Nandi jeannandi@aol.com http://members.aol.com/jeannandi/HOMEPAGE/JEANHOME.HTML Jean Nandi is a disabled person who uses computers for virtually EVERYTHING! Wherever possible, she uses assistive devices like the Scottbridge Accessor Voice Recognition software or something simpler like a Glidetrack mousie. As a severely disabled computer programmer who successfully used voice input adaptive equipment on the job, I would be delighted to share experiences with interested people hoping to break down access barriers. >>From New Mobility, May 2000, Page 42 Computer Technologies Program Computer Technologies Program is one of the most successful job training organizations in the country. Funded largely by the California Department of Rehabilitation and advised by businesspeople from more than 60 Bay Area companies, its graduates routinely land jobs starting at $40,000. Jean Nandi, who has muscular dystrophy, graduated from CTP and took a good programming job with Well Fargo Bank. Because of the progression of her MD, Nandi couldn't stay with Wells Fargo but she stayed with computers, Today, flat on her back in bed, she runs a number of internet-based organizations that include the California Disability Alliance, a group linking organizations statewide to lobby more effectively on disability issues. Although the focus of CTP remains on job placement, Nandi's story shows its potential for furthering the disability movement, "When we would hold a meeting for Access BART," she says, "it would cost us $500 for interpreters and computers for assistive transcription. We couldn't afford it and had to stop holding meetings. Then we had a listserve instead, and that worked much better. You don't have to leave anyone out because of their disability." *Computer Technologies Program, 1918 Oxford St., Berkeley, CA 94704; 510-849-2911; info@ctpberk.org; www.ctpberk.org *California Disability alliance, Jeannandi@aol.com, www.dredf.org/cda/cdahome.html JEAN NANDI'S ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY PROJECT http://members.able-net.net/jeannandi/at-project/ OUR GOAL IS A COMPUTER AND NETWORK CONNECTIONS FOR EVERY PWD!! [WAPD's (World Association of Persons with Disabilities) Assistive Device Research and Development Laboratory] has featured these Assistive Technology pages! PROJECT TITLE: REMOVING SOCIAL BARRIERS TO ACQUISITION OF AT Assistive Technology can provide freedom and independence for Persons with Disabilities. With our burgeoning online and internetworking environment, a disability need not result in one's being left behind. With appropriate devices attached to or loaded into a computer, a person with a disability can become entirely competetive, and for those who meet us online, our disabilities may even be entirely hidden. Increasingly one finds that there is an assistive device or software for every need in today's computerized environment. Whether one's disability is a mobility impairment, or blindness, or a hearing impairment, many kinds of cognitive impairments, environmental sensitivity, mental disability or whatever,the use of computers and online networking can be an achievable goal. For persons with severe motor impairments, painful neuromuscular or orthopedic disorders, deafness and chemical sensitivities, the computer and the networks can be liberating. Lying in my bed I am in contact with the entire networked world. Although assistive devices are being designed and manufactured at an increasing rate, ACCESS to this world of computer marvels has not kept pace with their invention. The focus of this analysis will be ACCESS to computers, and ACCESS to the specialized hardware/software adaptations for persons with disabilities. AREAS COVERED IN THIS STUDY Life situations which affect means of access Physical Barriers to Access Societal Barriers to Access Removing Barriers -- Links to Resources My Personal Use of Assistive Technology AUTHOR'S NOTE: This study is done in Berkeley, CA, and reflects conditions in the USA. [Top of Examples] |