ZIPPY%SJUVM.BITNET@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (Dr Benavraham) (11/07/90)
Index Number: 11613 thought you would all like to see about an MS person in Israel I am helping here. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear Tzipi, On Sun, 28 Oct 90 01:21:18 EDT you said: >Hello. I am happy to meet you. I am also a blind person who >is a professor of computer science. I use a votrax personsl >speech system and a program called screentalk pro for my access >software. I have an array of tech at Brooklyn College for the >visually impaired. The Adaptive computer lab is an excellent >resource. To get more info about the lab call Mr Marciano >at 718 780 5406 for more info about the equipment. 108 students in >4 years.. 22 disabled.. have been using this lab for miracles| > > >Dr Benavraham In another contribution to BLIND-L, I read: >The first is that Tzipporah BenAvraham who has recently written the UN >policy for the decade of the disabled. Tzipporah is also an expert on >computer access for the handicapped and teaches courses (both in the >classroom and on line) in the area and can be an exceptional source of >information in this area. Tzippy has created 8 braille libraries >throughout the world and is a widely sought consultant. She is also blind >and confined to a wheelchair. Naturally, I was very impressed, let alone the fact that your name is Tzipi, and that this message comes to you from Haifa. My personal concern is about my beloved friend Tamari, a 36 year old multiple sclerosis patient for 18 years or so. Tamari has a degree in Art Therapy, and is completing her third (and last) year of Social Work studies at the Haifa University here. She works as an art therapist with deaf children in the Haifa Mikha nursery school, and does practical work (as part of her SW studies) at the Mazra mental hospital north of Akko. Tamari is, like you, confined to a wheelchair, her vision is impaired and her hands are unstable. All these are symptoms of MS. Since the time that her physical situation deteriorated to the extent that it was impossible for her to write legibly, she has been submitting almost all of her school work on audio tapes, and her instructors were always ready to take her situation into consideration. Tamari is a very special person, striving to help others, out of and in spite of her disability. Tamari plans to go into active social work practice soon, probably in the field of mental health. She has no computer aptitudes as of today. It seems to us (i.e. to her and to me) mandatory that she acquaint herself with the micro-computer. Yet we hardly know how to go about getting advice, choosing, and then obtaining the needed special hardware and software. As you must know, this is Israel, not the U.S, and certain resources that might be rather easily accessible there, may just be hard or impossible to access here. In addition, the consciousness of the need to help disabled persons to contribute their best to society is still low. I'll be grateful, Tzipi, for any advice you could offer. Regards, Chanoch ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Chanoch Weil User Support Group The Computer Centre Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel Fax : 972-4-236212 Bitnet : ccanacw@TECHNION TCP/IP : ccanacw@TECHNION.TECHNION.AC.IL ----------------------------------------------------------------------