X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Approved-By:  Bill McGarry <wtm@SHELDEV.SHEL.ISC-BR.COM>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.l-hcap
Date:         Wed, 30 Dec 1992 16:16:24 EST
Reply-To:     Bill McGarry <wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com>
From:         Bill McGarry <wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com>
Subject:      Handicap Digest # 3078

                             THE HANDICAP DIGEST

                                 Issue # 3078

                        Wednesday, December 30, 1992

Today's Topics:


                                ******


                                Introduction
                     Courts and disability access to ed
                                ALS & e-mail
                       Re: Stopping RSD by Amputation
                         no more sheltered workshops
                          Re: Electronic IRS filing
                  If you didn't see this.(President-elect)
                               DOT attacks ADA
                Telecomm Policy & Disability Meeting in L.A.


                                ******


To subscribe to the Handicap Digest mailing list or have your
thoughts in the next issue, please send electronic mail to
Bill McGarry at any of the following addresses:


UUCP:       uunet!bunker!wtm
INTERNET:   wtm@bunker.shel.isc-br.com
BITNET:     l-hcap@ndsuvm1.bitnet
Fidonet:    The Handicap News BBS (141/420)   1-203-337-1607
            (300/1200/2400 baud, 24 hours)
Compuserve: 73170,1064

                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              (203) 337-1518



------



Subject: Introduction
From: la1002@cis.ohio-state.edu (Clover M.)
Organization: University of NY at Albany

Hi!  I wanted to introduce myself to the group of you, since it
seems as if everyone knows each other and this is a fairly closely
knit bunch.

My name is Clover. I'm a pre-nursing student in Albany, New York.
I recently was told about these groups, and have been accessing them
for some time, but just found this one tonight.

My interests include alternative techonology for people with various
disabilities, midwifery (I plan to earn a Masters degree in Midwifery
after my RN) and other things.

My hobbies include learning braille (anyone looking for a grade 1
snail mail penpal???), taping 4 track material for friends and students,
learning ASL, and lots of unrelated stuff.

If anyone has any experiences with health care that you would like
to share with me, I'd be thrilled to listen in and learn through your
experiences.

Thanks,
Clover
Clover
la1002@albnyvms.bitnet
This is my very first sig.file





------



Subject: Courts and disability access to ed
From: NRCGSH@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Norm Coombs)

[Note from Bill McGarry - forwarded from the EASI mailing list]

On this morning's news on the radio, I heard an item about a
school, think it was a proprietry school maybe in Calif. which
helped prepare people to take some important exam.  It was sued by
a hearing impaired student because it wouldn't provide materials in
an accessible format.  The court made some decision requiring it to
provide interpretting services.

I'm not sure if the case was filed under ADA or which legislation.
But, it may be one that is worth our knowing about in EASI.

If anyone picked up better info than I, would you send it back to
the list as well as to me?

Norman Coombs




------



Subject: ALS & e-mail
From: bro@huey.met.fsu.edu (Bob Broedel)


RE: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), "Lou Gehrig's Disease"

Recently my best friend was diagnosed as having ALS so I am
trying to locate people with "Internet-compatible" e-mail
addresses who have an interest in communicating about ALS.

This would include ALS patients, patient supporters, physicians,
support groups, research centers, etc.

If I get enough responses I will create a directory of contact
people, computerized bulletin board systems, BITNET/Internet
discussion groups, etc. that will be freely available to all
interested people.

If there is enough support for the idea, I can set up kind
of an on-line discussion group (mailing list) on the subject
of ALS ... or I can refer all interested people to others
that already exist (but that I do not presently know about).

So if you are set up for e-mail, and if you have an interest
in exchanging information about ALS, please send me a message.

Sincerely, Bob Broedel

=======================
Bob Broedel, Engineer
Meteorology Department
Love Bldg, Room 404, B-161
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-3034  USA
======================================================================
Telephone, 904-576-4906 (home), 904-644-6840 (work, answering machine)
Internet..broedel@geomag.gly.fsu.edu             MCI Mail..298-0782
San Francisco-Moscow Teleport (SFMT)..bro        EasyLink..62930541
TELEX (AT&T EasyLink).5106014520 (TALLY-KRAS FL) PeaceNet..bbroedel
TELEX (MCI/WUI)..6502980782 (6502980782MCI UW)   BITNET..BROEDEL@FSU
FAX 904-644-9642  ATTN: BROEDEL               CompuServe..71107,1710
IASNET (Moscow) "Russian Express" .. X.25 (250299000036)..BROEDEL
IASNET (Moscow) "Mini-Mail" ...... X.25 (25029900005400)..BROEDEL
======================================================================




------



Subject: Re: Stopping RSD by Amputation
From: graham@venus.iucf.indiana.edu (JIM GRAHAM)
Organization: Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, Bloomington, Indiana

To: Arthur Saus


 JG> I wonder if it is possible to stop the SPREAD of RSD by amputating
 JG> the affected limb?

AS> Probably not, although to my knowledge this has not been rigorously tested
AS> scientifically.  Based on the most likely theories of the disease however, I
AS> do not believe this would have much probability of success.

AS> As you know, RSD starts with a known injury (at least in most cases,
 although
AS> I do know of RARE exceptions).  The Sympathetic Nervous System gets involved
AS> in this process to exacerbate and continue the problems, but this PROBABLY
AS> happens at the level of the Spinal Cord, not in the affected extremity
AS> itself.  It certainly appears that there are effects of Sympathetic Nervous
AS> System involvement in the extremity also, but I believe this maintains the
AS> process rather than initiating it.

AS> Following this reasoning, amputation of the extremity MAY further exacerbate
AS> the problem, rather than cure it, since that amputation would be a further
AS> injury to the nervous system in that extremity.

Yes.  I'm aware of this.  In fact, I had a surgical sympathectomy in
November, 1992, and it failed to produce any relief, and fortunately,
did not exacerbate the RSD further.

 JG> Its presently about 6 inches below knee, in terms of pain and tissue
 JG> variations, but has been and continues to slowly "creep" upward.

AS> This is consistant with the "natural history" of this disease process.  This
AS> is exactly how it behaves if it is not treated.  My best recomendation is
 for
AS> you to see a physician who can confirm the diagnosis of RSD for you and
 begin
AS> therapy as soon as possible.  There is more than one way to treat RSD, and
 if
AS> you have tried one approach that didn't work, that just means it is time to
AS> try another (if indeed the problem is truly RSD and not something else).

Believe me, I'm an old hand at this by now!

I've had the RSD confirmed by a multitude of specialists, throughout the
course of the syndrome.  Not only do I have RSD, but I also suffer from
polyneuropathies, and it has occurred to me that a significant portion of
my pain is caused by the neuropathies.

I am aware that many diabetics also suffer from neuropathies, and some
actually end up with amputations due to intractable pain.

Is this true?

 JG> I am aware of several cases where it begins in the foot, and ends up
 JG> spreading to the entire body.

AS> I disagree with this unless you are intentionally exaggerating.  I agree
 that
AS> it may spread to involve the entire limb, but I have never seen good medical
AS> literature describe the spread of RSD to involve the whole body.  Can you
AS> quote your source of this "fact"?

Off the top of my head, I cannot quote you the medical literature, but would
be happy to dig it up when I can get to it.

One of my anesthesiologists, who claims to have had extensive experience with
RSD patients, told me that he had a few cases where the RSD spread from the
original sight of injury, to the entire body, and several where the RSD
spread from the sight to only the same side of the body.

In fact, this particular anesthesiologist mentioned that some RSD patients
eventually do elect for amputation, and I've read this in some of the
literature on pain managment (specifically, textbooks on pain management)
as well.

I've also heard stories from a few of my physical therapists.

Not long ago, I received a phone call from a lady that suffers from RSD.

She saw some of my posts on the net and on various BBS's, and called to
tell me her story, and what I _could_ expect.

She claims to have originally had RSD in one foot, but now had it in her
entire body.

Heck, I don't want it to get into my knee, let alone the entire body!

 JG> Simply put...

 JG> Do I have a good chance of getting rid of the RSD if I have my leg
 JG> amputated ABOVE the area of pain and tissue damage?

AS> Simply put... I don't think so!

AS> Arthur

I am grateful for the concern by so many folks about my seeming "desire"
to lose a limb.

It isn't that I want amputation.  I don't want any of this.  However,
I have a limb which is permanently paralyzed, superficially numb, and
continues to suffer from periodic infections due to decreased circulation.

One of those infections was life-threatening and required emergency
surgery.

The limb is constantly in pain, most of the time barely tolerable, and it
continues to atrophy and degenerate.

On top of that, as I've said before, the RSD _is_ spreading.

I am quite willing to risk the loss of something that I cannot and
realistically do not expect to ever use again, in the hopes that
the spread of the RSD will indeed be stopped.  And, as an added
bonus, the pain may be less or non-existent afterward as well.

I am now discussing below-knee amputation with various physicians and
surgeons that have been treating me.  So far, none have refused to
consider it.  Most, understandably, stress that it's a serious and
radical step, and that I should make sure that I've exhausted all other
possibilities.  I appreciate that, and I follow their advice.

If I don't pursue amputation, I'll never know otherwise.

Arthur, you seem to be fairly knowledgeable about RSD.  May I ask you
what your profession is?

Regards,

Jim Graham

        -> ->Disclaimer: I do not speak for my company. <- <-
                          Neither do they speak for me.
 ______________________________________________________________________
| Internet: graham@venus.iucf.indiana.edu                              |
|           dolmen!jgraham@moose.cs.indiana.edu                        |
| BBS:      The PORTAL DOLMEN BBS/ParaNet ALPHA-GAMMA (sm) (9:1012/13) |
|            (812) 334-0418, 24hrs.                                    |
|______________________________________________________________________|




------



Subject: no more sheltered workshops
From: patt@SQUID.TRAM.COM (Patt Bromberger)

Reposted from can.general

--- Forwarded mail from Tom Gray <ci!panix.com!patth>

subject: No More Sheltered Work Shops
Date: 23 Dec 92 14:54:26 GMT
organization: Mitel. Kanata (Ontario). Canada.

The Ontario (NDP) government has announced that it intends to close
all sheltered work shops for the developmentally handicapped (the latest
euphemism for the group which was previously called the mentally
retarded). The government intend to close the work shops in favour
of "community" solutions.

So far the government's actions have been to delete five million from the
budget for work shops and provide two million for "community" services.
The government does not have or intends to provide a defintition of
a "community" service. Instead it expects the "community" to come up with
services which it will fund.

Rumour has it that the NDP government intends to implement the same policy
with the psychiatrically impaired although no such policy has been announced.

Essentially, the policy is to remove the government from services to these
groups and the institution of a new policy of politically correct rhetoric.

--- End of forwarded message from Tom Gray <ci!panix.com!patth>




------



Subject: Re: Electronic IRS filing
From: dingram@dims.demon.co.uk (Darren Ingram)
Organization: Darren Ingram Media Services

[Forwarded by Patt Bromberger]

In article <1992Dec20.074650.29029@unlv.edu> todamhyp@unlv.edu writes:

>Is there a public way to file taxes electronically without having to
>go to a broker and pay a $50 charge? I am aware of a Macintosh program
>that will print your tax return for you, but can this electronic form
>be uploaded to a IRS server?

This clipping from UPI/Clarinet may be of interest to you. Please remember
that it is an extract from copyrighted material.

I have cut off part of the text so that the sailient points are provided.
please respect the copyright.

 UPI Computer Comment

United Press International
        If Inforite Corp. has its way, you might not have to send even a
scrap of paper to the IRS on April 15.
        Right now technology exists to allow tax returns to be filed
electronically, but signatures are still collected the old-fashioned way
-- via mailed-in signature cards.
        San Mateo, Calif.-based Inforite is negotiating with the Internal
Revenue Service and a number of tax-preparation services and software
publishers to make the Inforite MP Series Writing Pads an industry
standard for electronically capturing and storing signatures to be sent
to IRS processing facilities.
        In fact, Inforite is one of many firms negotiating with the IRS to
provide electronic signatures for millions of tax forms that are filed
electronically -- using a computer and modem -- every year.


--


------

-------
-Darren P. Ingram / DIMS (dingram@dims.demon.co.uk)   - Views expressed do  -
-184 Brookside Avenue, Whoberley, Coventry CV5 8AD UK - not automatically   -
-Tel:+44 203 717 417/Fax:+44 203 717 418/Tlx 94026650 - represent those of  -
-24-HOUR response number:+44 374 108 268              - DIMS or its clients -
- News, features, marketing & PR support and research/consultancy services  -


------

-------







------



Subject: If you didn't see this.(President-elect)
From: jak@panix.com (Jack Krueger)
Organization: Panix, NYC

[Forwarded by Patt Bromberger]

| From: Clinton-HQ@Campaign92.Org (Clinton/Gore '92)
| Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab
| Date: 19 Dec 1992 21:06:37 -0500
| Newsgroups: alt.politics.reform,alt.politics.usa.misc,alt.activism
| Subject: CLINTON: Season's Greetings & Best Wishes for a Happy New Year
|
| Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!
|
| Thank you for your messages to the Office of the President-elect.
| This mailbox will be unattended from December 22, 1992 until January 4th,
| 1993.  Please try again after January 4th.  If you prefer, you may send
| hardcopy messages to the address below:
|
|    The U. S. Mail address for the Clinton/Gore Transition Team is:
|
|         Office of the President-Elect
|         Atkins Building
|         105 West Capital Street,  Suite 400
|         Little Rock,  Arkansas   72201
|
|         Telephone: (501) 374-3322
|
|
| Regards,
| Jock Gill
| Public Access Email
| Office of the President-Elect
| 75300.3115@compuserve.com
|
|
|
| Distribution:
|   Clinton Volunteers >internet:clinton-volunteers@campaign92.org
|   Clinton News >internet:c-news-distr@campaign92.org
|   Clinton Economy >internet:clinton-economy-distr@campaign92.org
|   Clinton Foreign >internet:c-foreign-distr@campaign92.org








------



Subject: DOT attacks ADA
From: 34AEJ7D@cmuvm.csv.cmich.edu (Bill Gorman)

The US Dept. of Tramsportation (DOT) appears to be proposing rules
which would deny the use of bus/van lifts to many disABLED persons
under the guise of "safety". I don't have a scanner available
and I'm not going to type in four pages of info, but the gist of it
seems to be that only WHEELCHAIRS are to be allowed on these lifts.
No walkers, no scooters, no ambulatory mobility impaired, nothing.

THE COMMENT PERIOD ENDS JAN. 19, 1993 according to my information.

If this is of concern to you, I suggest you message the DOT and your
congresscritters Real Soon Now.

W. K. (Bill) Gorman <34AEJ7D@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>




------



Subject: Telecomm Policy & Disability Meeting in L.A.
From: janina@netcom.com (Janina Sajka)
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)

On January 29, 1993 the World Institute on Disability (WID) will
conduct a training session on Telecommunications Policy for persons
with disabilities.  It will be hosted by Pacific Bell and GTE, and
it will be held at Pacific Bell conference facilities in Anaheim,
California.  If you are interested in policy issues of disabled
people's access to technology and access to telecommunications, you
should attend.

This one-day conference will provide you with opportunities to
learn about new telecommunications technologies through exhibits
and a field site visit, find out about state and federal policy
initiatives affecting access to these new technologies for persons
with disabilities and determine how you can become involved in
efforts to make sure that persons with disabilities will be a part
of the "Information Age."

If you would like to be more active on this issue, please plan to
attend.  There is no registration fee.  Lunch will be provided.  At
4 p.m., a separate exhibit and reception will be held by GTE in
Cerritos focused on their fiber-optic trial of video-based services
to the home; all registrants are invited.

Attached is a registration form that must be sent back by JANUARY
20!  Please be sure to include information about accommodation
needs you may have.  The physical facilities are wheelchair
accessible.

For further information contact WID at WIDNET@DELPHI.COM or by
telephone at (510) 763-4100 voice/tty.  Our fax number is (510)
763-4109.

Sincerely,

The 6 co-sponsors:

Steve Townsend
COMPUTER ACCESS CENTER
2425 - 16th Street, Room 23
Santa Monica, CA  90405

Richard Ray
Mayor's Office for the Disabled
CITY OF L.A. COMMISSION ON DISABILITY
200 N. Spring St., #2100
Los Angeles, CA  90012

Alexander Arcuri
ADA 504 Coordinator
CITY OF L.A. COMMISSION ON DISABILITY
200 N. Spring St., #2100
Los Angeles, CA  90012

John Troost, Commissioner
L.A. COUNTY COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES
383 Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA  90012

Stanley Greenberg, Ph.D.
Executive Director
WESTSIDE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
12901 Venice Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA  90066

Sharon Nieves
TASK
100 W. Cerritos Avenue
Anaheim, CA  92805

AGENDA

                   Regional Training Session on Telecommunications Policy

                                 BLUE RIBBON PANEL PROJECT
                                WORLD INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY

                                      January 29, 1993

 9:00 -  9:15        Welcome, Introductions, Purpose of the Session,
                     Overview of Agenda
                            Representative from co-sponsors
                            Deborah Kaplan, WID

 9:15 - 10:15        Exhibits of Telecommunications Equipment and Services

10:15 - 11:00        The State of the Art in Telecommunications Technology:
                     Are We Having Access Yet?  What are the real
                     consumer needs?
                            led by:  Deborah Kaplan, WID
                                     Janina Sajka, WID

11:15 - 11:30        Break

11:30 - 12:15        The California Public Utilities Commission: How Do
                     Consumers Make Their Needs Known?
                            Neal Schulman, Executive Director, California PUC

12:15 -  1:15        Luncheon in small rooms with mixed groups
                     (industry, different disability organizations)

 1:15 -  1:45        Federal Policy and Telecommunications: What's Going
                     on in Washington, D.C.?
                            Deborah Kaplan, WID

 1:45 -  2:15        Using WIDNet as a Tool for Advocacy
                            Janina Sajka, WID

 2:15 -  3:15        Panel Discussion:  Effective strategies for
                     telecommunications advocacy
                            - Representative of consumer organization
                            - Representative of telecommunications company
                            - Representative of PUC
                            - Representative of DDTPAC

 3:15 -  3:30        Evaluations of the session, Wrap-up

 3:30 -  4:00        Travel to Cerritos, site of GTE's fiber optics project

 4:00 -  6:00        Demonstration of Cerritos technologies & reception
                            GTE

                                      REGISTRATION FORM

                   Regional Training Session on Telecommunications Policy

                                 BLUE RIBBON PANEL PROJECT
                                WORLD INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY

                                      January 29, 1993

Please complete and return to:

       World Institute on Disability
       510 Sixteenth Street
       Oakland, CA 94612-1502

You may E-Mail this Registration Form to us at WIDNET@DELPHI.COM, or
fax it to us at (510) 763-4109.


NAME:

ADDRESS:

PHONE:        Home:                                     Work:


If you work for a disability-related organization, please list it,
with an address and phone.



If you belong to a disability-related organization, please indicate
which one(s).


Are there specific telecommunications applications or issues that
you are interested in?



Do you have any disability accommodation needs?

Sign language interpreters:        Oral                ASL

Real-time captioning

Hearing amplification (indicate what type and whether you provide your own)


Materials in alternative medium:
       Braille
       Cassette Tape
       Large Print
       Computer Disk (indicate format required)

Other accommodations:






------






                                ******

                  End of Issue # 3078 of the Handicap Digest

                                ******
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU