[misc.handicap] Technical Aid & Disability

Greg.See-Kee@p0.f404.n714.z3.fidonet.org (Greg See-Kee) (03/02/90)

Index Number: 7030

 RR>> There are so many different agencies doing the exact same work,
 RR>> fighting for the same turf, all doing just enough to be
 RR>> acceptable.
 JO> 
 JO> You mean it's that way in MA too?  I was hoping that 
 JO> might just be a local phenomena here.

Same here in Australia.  The Independent are run by forthright
(female) Occupational Therapists.  The do-gooding men work with
hardware innovations in "TAD": Technical Aid to the Disabled.

Each has its own newsletters/ magazines, chasing & competing for
the same markets.

 JO> the funding should take care of itself. 

 RR>> There are a few individual practicioners and rehab people here
 RR>> and there doing a wonderful job, but most seem to do "just enough"
 RR>> to get by.

In fact, the DISABILITY INDUSTRY used to be a home-craft
industry.  Very few DP's survived babyhood, chilhood or other
traumatic accidents.

Due to the successes of modern medicine, we aren't dying.  And
the improved health care is creating more elderly-disabled.  We
DP's are a GROWTH INDUSTRY,  probably the largest growth industry
this little planet has ever seen.

 JO> Many of the best are fugitives who have escaped from 
 JO> the system and the agency mentality - because they
 JO> sincerely want to do a good job. 

Because like other opportunists & entrepreneurs, they saw
unfulfilled needs and innovations that were not being satisfied
by the traditionalists.

 JO> You are a threat to their rice bowl, Ron.

Disagree.  The rice bowl HAS TO GET BIGGER.  Instead of funding
more wars, more pisons, more police, we need to emphasize the
NURTURING INDUSTRIES.

Despite my severe disailities, I shall soon be launching the
magazine "NURTURE".  [ISSN 1034-7569]
 
 JO> It doesn't
 JO> matter if it is for profit or not, if you are working 
 JO> out of the system you are a threat to the system.

Agreed.

 JO> Sometimes you find the identical devices in disabled 
 JO> specialty stores, with their nameplate pasted on over 
 JO> top of Radio Shack's or whatever, and the price marked 
 JO> up by 200 to 300 percent. 

But this is because of the increased overheads - visiting rehab &
medical centres ...

The problem is -- how are any of the suppliers going to reach
there target audiences, within tight budget limits?

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Rich.Harper@f419.n104.z1.fidonet.org (Rich Harper) (03/03/90)

Index Number: 7064

        And this should also include Jack.

 > DP's are a GROWTH INDUSTRY,  probably the largest growth industry
 > this little planet has ever seen.
 > Because like other opportunists & entrepreneurs, they saw
 > unfulfilled needs and innovations that were not being satisfied
 > by the traditionalists.
 > The problem is -- how are any of the suppliers going to reach
 > there target audiences, within tight budget limits?

        Sorry for the long quote.  But there are several things that can be 
done by the small companies.  I hate to keep bringing it up, but the 
Olympics for the Disabled are a good example of what is happening.  More and 
more companies are signing on to help sponser all of the different games 
both summer and winter for the above reason.  People are finding out that 
the "DP's" are a growing segment of the population that has been neglected. 
And by sponsering either a participant or a set of games or so, they are 
becoming associated with this "forgotten" segment of the public.  I can only 
hope that more of the small companies would band together and put their 
small budgets into a fund and fund one larger fund for the disabled.  They 
do it for both abled people in races and games as well as cars in the motor 
races, so why not the disabled segment?

        <<Rich>>  
 

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