Reed.Hopkins@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.org (Reed Hopkins) (07/18/90)
Index Number: 9218
A friend of mine does home care for a woman who is severly disAbled
and largely housebound by spastic Cerebal Palsey. She is suffering
increasing depression, due largely I think to lonliness and lack of
stimulation. She has had some experience on computers at the local
Junior College though, and is able to use a keyboard. I would very
much like to get her access to the wonderful world of
telecommunications, but am at a loss where to start.
It would seem to me that there should be some means to get grants,
agency help, or private contributions for the equipment in a
circumstance like this. Has anyone tried this? Can you tell me
what sort of organizations might be receptive to this idea?
I'm not very familiar with the low cost computers either, so I
don't even know what would be the best system to get. I see a lot
of talk about different software that I don't understand, and I
wouldn't want to end up getting a CP/M system for instance, if the
software she needs runs on MS-DOS.
Of course, I could just ask y'all direct. Does anybody have an old
system they'd like to contribute?
This WILL get done - I just don't know how yet.
Reed
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!125!7!Reed.Hopkins
Internet: Reed.Hopkins@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.orgKaren.Duffy@p0.f165.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Karen Duffy) (07/21/90)
Index Number: 9363
Have you looked into Easter Seals and/or CPF (Cerebral Palsy
Foundation, there should be a local chapter in your area). Children's
Hospital in Boston also does a LOT of work and research with adaptive
computers, you might consider checking 'em out.
Elli
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!101!165.0!Karen.Duffy
Internet: Karen.Duffy@p0.f165.n101.z1.fidonet.orgera@era.scd.ucar.edu (Ed Arnold) (07/25/90)
Index Number: 9486 In article <12821@bunker.UUCP> Reed.Hopkins@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.org writes: >Index Number: 9218 > >A friend of mine does home care for a woman who is severly disAbled >and largely housebound by spastic Cerebal Palsey. She is suffering >increasing depression, due largely I think to lonliness and lack of >stimulation. She has had some experience on computers at the local >Junior College though, and is able to use a keyboard. I would very >much like to get her access to the wonderful world of >telecommunications, but am at a loss where to start. > >It would seem to me that there should be some means to get grants, >agency help, or private contributions for the equipment in a >circumstance like this. Has anyone tried this? Can you tell me >what sort of organizations might be receptive to this idea? Probably one of the best places to start on this, would be to contact United Cerebral Palsy. Their Washington number is 800-USA-5UCP. They know of dozens or hundreds of stories like this, and what the ins-and-outs of funding are. I'm not sure where you ought to start, but if you don't want to ask around blindly, ask to speak to Alan Bergman or Fran Smith. I've met and talked to both of them in the past; I think either one of them would take the time to get you connected to the right persons/organizations. -- Ed Arnold * NCAR * POB 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 * 303-497-1253(voice) 303-497-1137(fax) * era@ncar.ucar.edu [128.117.64.4] * era@ncario.BITNET era@ncar.UUCP * Edward.Arnold@f809.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG