From pcoelho@u.washington.edu Fri Dec 11 07:08:18 1998 Received: from jason05.u.washington.edu (root@jason05.u.washington.edu [140.142.78.6]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW98.06) with ESMTP id HAA28632 for ; Fri, 11 Dec 1998 07:08:17 -0800 Received: from homer33.u.washington.edu (pcoelho@homer33.u.washington.edu [140.142.76.15]) by jason05.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW98.06) with ESMTP id HAA40016 for ; Fri, 11 Dec 1998 07:08:17 -0800 Received: from localhost (pcoelho@localhost) by homer33.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW98.06) with ESMTP id HAA123064 for ; Fri, 11 Dec 1998 07:08:16 -0800 Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 07:08:16 -0800 (PST) From: "P. Coelco" To: physiatry@u.washington.edu Subject: Web Tools For Disabled Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi Group, The following article about web resources for people with disabilities is from The Spectator via c|net. If you are using a standard e-mail package that does not support html you can go to the web archive where all of the links will be activated. By SHARON MACDONALD -- The Spectator Recently, I was chatting with a person on an e-mail list I belong to. Wendy has many of the same interests and I found myself wondering what she was like. I asked and one of the things I found out was that her physical activity is limited by congestive heart failure problems. As we talked, I learned how valuable the Internet can be for anyone with a physical disability. The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (www.pcs.mb.ca/~ccd) is available in both official languages. Although it's not fancy, this site certainly doesn't shy away from controversy. Hot topics include a Latimer Watch and a link on euthanasia and disability. In addition, the emphasis of this group is to ensure that persons with disabilities have all of the rights of citizenship including self-determination, equality and control. Ability to Share (www.ablelink.org/public/default.htm) is a Toronto-based online support network which allows children and adolescents with disabilities to connect to the rest of the world. Users are connected to peers and mentors who can be either disabled or non-disabled. It's also a direct line to the latest medical information and a valuable resource for families trying to cope. The Rick Hansen Institute (www.rickhansen.org/info/index2.html) is just as much of an inspiration as the man himself. Few Canadians have had the tremendous impact on our world that Rick Hansen has had. With this institute, he ups the ante and provides a focus for information, funds and research. Check this site out -- The Man in Motion shows no signs of slowing down. Disability Net (www.disabilitynet.co.uk) is a British offering with news, addresses, info, shopping, consultation and pen pals. One intriguing link is called The Soap Box. Hmmm. Through the Looking Glass (www.lookingglass.org) is a resource for empowering families whether it is the parent or the child who has the disability. This group began as part of the independent living movement of the early 1980s. This compassionate site should not be missed. Access Media (www.human.com/mkt/access/index.html) is a non-profit agency which works to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to mandated resources. For example, school documents can be changed to audio form for those whose vision is impaired. It is sobering to realize just how many small details we take for granted that can seem to be insurmountable problems for people with disabilities. The American Association for the Advancement of Individuals with Disabilities (www.aaaid.org) has a lofty mandate to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against the physically or mentally disabled. They offer facts and figures, news releases and links in an effort to accomplish this goal. Disability Awareness in Action (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/DAA_ORG) firmly believes that "disability is a human rights issue." To that end, DAA produces and disseminates information for the disabled in 157 countries. One of the less glamorous issues is addressed by the International Association for Disability and Oral Health (http://iadh.org/iadh.htm). This group strives to ease access problems and raise the quality of oral health for the disabled. It has lots of links, a newsletter and some good solid info. Kids Together Inc. (www.kidstogether.org) works for the inclusion of both adults and children with disabilities. There are links to assistive technology, supportive employment, community building and much more. The Silver Ribbon Campaign (www.iso.net/~chigger/src) promotes awareness and support for children with disabilities. The graphic of the silver ribbon on this page is free for placement on web pages in support of this ideal. The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (www.nichcy.org) is an information source for specific disabilities, early intervention, special education and family issues. One interesting section deals with the transition to adult life. Other sites have not adequately addressed this important issue. The Net is an invaluable resource for any subject you can imagine. It is particularly important for disabled people and their families. Personal pages co-exist with textbook information pages to put a more human face on the subject of disability. Good examples of this include: Autism (www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/1142/index.html) ; Resources for Parents and Teachers of Blind Kids (www.az.com/~dday/blindtext.html) ; and Diana Michelle's Home Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Trish_and_John/diana.htm). There's also Deaf World Web (http://dww.deafworldweb.org) and many others. And we simply cannot forget the most famous one of all -- Easter Seals (www.seals.com) . Many of these worthy organizations are run solely on private donations. This holiday season we would do well to remember to spread some good cheer outside our own four walls. Who knows? It could change someone else's world for the better! .