Department: Online Information and Networking

RFB&D NEWS

If you have not heard the news yet, you will probably find the name change in my affiliation credit somehow puzzling. The big news at RFB since the last issue of _ITD_ is that, as of July 1 we are now RFB&D: Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. After more than a year of market research, RFB's board of directors decided it was time to change the organization's name to better reflect the consumer population we serve. Almost 60 percent of RFB's current borrowers have dyslexia or other perceptual learning disorders, and that percentage is expected to rise in the coming years. RFB&D hopes that by using a more inclusive name we will be able to reach out to an ever-growing population of print-disabled users.

RFB&D may be reached on the Internet by sending e-mail to our information center at INFO@RFBD.ORG

DISCUSSION LISTS

AUDIODESCL is a new listserv intended for discussion about the growing art of Audio Description, which makes movies, live performances and public events accessible to individuals who are blind or who have low vision. AUDIODESCL allows describers, consumers, presenters, and others the opportunity to discuss problems and explore new techniques in description services. To subscribe, send e-mail to: listserver@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu

leave the subject line blank, and enter the following line of text as the message:

SUBSCRIBE AUDIODESCL Yourfirstname Yourlastname

TEAMWORK

The TEAMWORK mailing list is for the discussion of all aspects of family life that are effected by the disability of one or more family members. All family members are invited to join.

To subscribe, send e-mail to:

listserv@sjuvm.stjohns.edu

leave the subject line blank, and enter the following line of text as the message:

SUBSCRIBE TEAMWORK Yourfirstname Yourlastname

From a BITNET node, you may also send the following interactive message:

tell listserv at sjuvm sub teamwork Yourfirstname Yourlastname

WORLD WIDE WEB

A new web site, the Americans with Disabilities Act Document Center, has recently been established. It contains documents relating to the ADA which have been reviewed either by the EEOC or the U.S. Department of Justice. It also provides links to other Internet sites containing legal or disability-related information such as OSHA and the Job Accommodation Network. The web address is:

http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/kinder/

You may also access the ADA Document Center via EASI's web at http://www.rit.edu/~easi under the menu called EASI's List of Disability Laws and Related Documents.

NLS

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is now accessible on the web. Currently, the web site is similar in content to the NLS section of the Library of Congress gopher. If you have never used the Library of Congress Information System, you may obtain a guide to searching the catalog by FTP at ftp.loc.gov/pub/NLS/online.search.guide . The NLS web address is: http://lcweb.loc.gov/nls/nls.html

PROJECT ARCHIMEDES

Stanford University's Project Archimedes was commissioned to promote equal access to information for individuals with disabilities by influencing the early design stages of future computer-based technologies. Project Archimedes is currently involved in designing several prototypes of devices and systems that will be of assistance to individuals with disabilities. To access the Project Archimedes home page, use the following web address:

http://www-csli.stanford.edu/arch/arch.html

IBM

IBM has established a home page especially for disability- related product information. This new home page, titled IBM Special Needs Solutions, was set up to highlight many assistive devices and software tools that make computers more accessible to persons with vision, hearing, speech, mobility, and attention/memory disabilities. To access the IBM Special Needs Solutions home page, use the following web address:

http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/snshome.html