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Any Room for the Disabled at Your Fair?
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Hello:

I just read about your fair for next year. I love the internet because it has changed my life. I am blind and many of us are information hungry, and the superhighway is the information highway! food for the starving!

I am a history prof for a living and Chair of EASI:Equal Access to Software and Information as a full-time hobby. Below is info on EASI.

I hope you will make your stuff as accessible to the disabled as possible. I hope you will use the fair to highlight the potential for including us in the information age. If I or EASI can help, we are eager. Our problem is that we are almost totally volunteers and have limited time. Norman Coombs nrcgsh@rit.edu

EASI'S PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES EASI: Equal Access to Software and Information (An Affiliate of the American Association for Higher Education)

(Rev. 2-15-1995)

EASI'S mission is to serve as a resource to the higher 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 membership is composed of 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.

People with disabilities must have the same access to information and resources as everyone else. EASI is dedicated to helping that happen. The activities, projects and publications listed on the next pages are designed to help institutions provide the information and resources that people with disabilities deserve.

PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES AND PUBLICATIONS

ELECTRONIC DISCUSSION LISTS: EASI supports four public electronic discussion lists: EASI, AXSLIB-L, ABLE-JOB and EASI-SEM. These include more than 2,000 people from over 40 countries. The EASI List focuses on general discussions 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, ABLE-JOB, discusses work transitions and job accommodations. The fourth list, EASI-SEM specializes in the dissemination of information and materials to advance access to the fields of science, engineering and math for students and professionals in those areas.

To join the EASI list, send a message to: listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the text type: sub easi "first name" "last name" (put your name in quotes as shown) Send questions to nmcb@nmsu.edu

To join the library discussion list, send to the same address, the message: sub axslib-l followed by your "first name" and "last name" Send questions to rbanks@uwstout.edu.

To join the job accommodations list, send a message to listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu with a message sub able-job followed by your "first name" and "last name". Send questions to rbanks@uwstout.edu. To join the list on science, engineering and math, send a message to listserv@listserver.isc.rit.edu with a message sub easi-semfollowed by your "first name" and "last name"

EASI GOPHER: EASI information and publications are available through the gopher site at St. Johns University. To access EASI information from the gopher, connect to the St. Johns gopher, sjuvm.stjohns.edu Choose from the top menu, "Disability and Rehabilitation Resources", and from that menu, choose "EASI".

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 the gopher previously discussed. Second it is available through two listserv lists. A subscriber can elect to receive the table of contents and abstracts of articles or the entire journal. Along with the table of contents version, subscribers receive complete information on how to retrieve articles. To subscribe to the entire journal (75 to 150 pages) send e-mail to: listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu Leave the subject line blank and send the following one line message: sub itd-jn followed by your "first name" and "last name" To receive only the table of contents, send the following one-line message: sub itd-toc followed by your first and last name. These lists are not used as discussion lists.

PUBLICATIONS: EASI has created and distributed more than 20,000 publications on adaptive computing technology to date. Publications are available by contacting ccastori@orion.oac.uci.edu or through gopher, or through your regular e-mail. To retrieve documents, send a one-line messqage to either listserv@sjuvm or listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu Leave the subject line of your message blank. In the text include one line with the command: "get easipub list".

Publications include: "Computers and Students with Disabilities: New Challenges for Higher Education," the "EASI Adaptive Computing Self-evaluation Kit for Colleges and Universities," "EASI News for You," "Services for Patrons with Disabilities," and "Service and Consideration: An EASI Guide to Disability Etiquette for Computing Service Providers."

SEMINARS: EASI presents one-day seminars. We have made presentations to more than 1,500 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. To get more information, send to listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu with a blank subject and one line of text "get EASI seminar" or contact Carmela Castorina at ccastori@orion.oac.uci.edu or (714) 830-0301.

ONLINE WORKSHOPS: In conjunction with the Rochester Institute of Technology, EASI delivers three-week, online workshops that focus on adaptive computing technology and support services. People from 29 foreign countries have participated, in additon to people from all over the United States. For information, send e-mail to: listserv@listserver.isc.rit.edu with a blank subject line. Your message should say: info adapt-it

SATELLITE TELECAST: Also in conjunction with RIT, PBS learning channel and the business channel, EASI is developing a satellite telecast on adaptive technology scheduled for May 18 1995. For more information, send mail to: listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu with a message saying: "get telecast info".

HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION

EASI was originally formed as a special interest group within EDUCOM's Educational Uses of Information Technology (EUIT) program. In 1994 EASI became affiliated with the American Association for Higher Education, a national organization of individuals dedicated to improving the quality of higher education. In addition to AAHE and EDUCOM, EASI has received support from the National Science Foundation, The NEC Foundation of America, The Bell-Atlantic Charitable Foundation, Arkenstone, Inc., Apple Computer, Inc., St Johns University, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Irvine, the University of Washington, and the University of Michigan. EASI participants have made voluntary individual contributions. EASI recommends donations from individuals of $25 and from institutions of $100. Deductions are tax deductable.

For information on any EASI project, publication, or our contribution program, please contact one of the people listed below.

EASI CONTACTS

EASI@EDUCOM (Bitnet) EASI@EDUCOM.EDU (Internet) William McQueen, EASI postmaster

PHONE: (Pacific time zone) (714) 830-0301 TDD: (310) 206-5155

Dr. Norman Coombs, Chair Rochester Institute of Technology Phone: (716) 475-2462 Fax: (716) 475-7120 NRCGSH@RIT.EDU

Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, Vice Chair University of Washington Phone: (206) 543-0622 Sherylb@CAC.Washington.edu

Carmela Castorina, Editor Phone: (pacific time zone) (714) 830-0301 Fax: (714) 830-2159 ccastori@orion.oac.uci.edu

EASI c/o American Association for Higher Education One Dupont Circle, Suite 360 Washington, D.C. 20036-1110

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