STANDARDS & MORE: BEYOND COMPLIANCE Addressing Independent Living Needs of Today & Tomorrow IL NETWORK NCIL/ILRU National Training & Technical Assistance Project Contributors to the TRAINING MANUAL: Bob Michaels Laurel Richards June Kailes Dawn Heinsohn Paul Spooner Dawn Kemp-Moye Henrietta Jordan Quentin Smith Gina McDonald Anne-Marie Hughey Roland Sykes Monica Martinez Cynthia Dresden Permission is granted for duplication of any portion of this manual, providing that the following credit is given to the project: Developed as part of the IL NETWORK: NCIL/ILRU National Training and Technical Assistance Project. CONFERENCE OVERVIEW CONFERENCE OVERVIEW TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I: CONFERENCE OVERVIEW Agenda 3 List of Trainers and Participants 5 About the IL NETWORK 7 About the Trainers 11 National Resources on Independent Living 15 IL NETWORK Resource Materials 19 Readings for the Independent Living and Disability Rights Movements 21 Acknowledgements 27 SECTION II: STANDARDS AND INDICATORS SECTION III: SYSTEMS ADVOCACY SECTION IV: DIMENET AND COMPUTER NETWORKING SECTION V: NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS STANDARDS AND MORE: BEYOND COMPLIANCE Addressing Independent Living Needs of Today & Tomorrow CONFERENCE AGENDA Monday STANDARDS AND INDICATORS Presenters: Bob Michaels and Gina McDonald Topics: History of Independent Living Independent Living Philosophy Standards and Indicators Tuesday AM DIMENET AND COMPUTER NETWORKING Presenters: June Kailes and Paul Spooner Topics: DIMENET Internet Using Computer Networking for Systems Advocacy Tuesday PM SYSTEMS ADVOCACY Presenters: Bob Michaels and June Kailes Topics: Systems Advocacy Introduction Creating a Systems Advocacy Component in your CIL Moving from Services to Systems Advocacy Wednesday AM SYSTEMS ADVOCACY Presenters: Bob Michaels and June Kailes Topics: The Training Component Oppression Power Process and Outcomes Wednesday PM ONE-ON-ONE DIMENET TRAINING Thursday SYSTEMS ADVOCACY Presenters: Bob Michaels and June Kailes Topics: Training Tools Organizing Strategies Lobbying Funding System Advocacy Friday NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS Presenters: Gina McDonald and Henrietta Jordan Topics: Needs Assessments Consumer Satisfaction Surveys Surveying Methods LIST OF TRAINERS TRAINERS Robert Michaels 65 E. Kelly Lane Tempe, AZ 85284 (602) 961-0553 (V); 961-0533 (fax) DIMENET Logname: michaels June Isaacson Kailes 6201 Ocean Front Walk, Suite 2 Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 (310) 821-7080 (V); 827-0260 (fax) DIMENET Logname: jkailes Gina McDonald 501 Jackson, Suite 450 Topeka, KS 66603 (913) 233-4550 (V); 233-4231 (fax) DIMENET Logname: gina Paul Spooner MetroWest 63 Fountain Street, Suite 504 Framingham, MA 01701 (508) 875-7853 (V/TTY); 875-8359 (fax) DIMENET Logname: pspooner Henrietta Jordan Vermont CIL 11 East State Street Montpelier, VT 05602 (802) 229-0501 (V); 229-0503 (fax) DIMENET Logname: henrij NETWORK STAFF NCIL Anne-Marie Hughey Dawn Kemp-Moye 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 405 Arlington, VA 22201 (703) 525-3406 (V); 525-3407 (TTY) 525-3409 (fax) DIMENET: ncil June Isaacson Kailes (see above) Roland Sykes President, Greater Independence through Management Programs, Inc. 6256 Ramblewood Drive Dayton, OH 45424 (513) 327-8360 (V) DIMENET: rsykes ILRU Laurel Richards Bob Michaels (see above) Quentin Smith Cynthia Dresden Dawn Heinsohn Laurie Gerken Redd 2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000 Houston, TX 77019 (713) 520-0232 (V); 520-5136 (TTY) 520-5785 (fax) DIMENET: ilru Steve Brown Institute on Disability Culture 2260 Sunrise Point Road Las Cruces, NM 88011 (505) 522-5225 (V/TTY/fax) DIMENET: stebrown ABOUT THE IL NETWORK The IL NETWORK is a collaboration of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program, and several other organizations and individuals involved in independent living nationwide. The mission of the IL NETWORK is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field. IL NETWORK goals include: conducting training on provisions of the recently amended Rehabilitation Act and on independent living center operations nationwide; establishing a technical assistance service through development of a network of individuals around the country who have expertise in various aspects of center operations and Title VII of the Rehab Act; identifying, adapting, and/or developing resource materials to support training and technical assistance activities related to the Rehab Act and center operations; using the DIMENET computer network to support training, technical assistance, and dissemination activities and promoting network development and information sharing among centers and other organizations involved in independent living; exploring the use of distance-learning technology in addressing the information, training, and technical assistance needs of the field; and fostering inclusion in the independent living field of people from various cultural and disability groups and geographic areas through activities carried out with NCIL's Multicultural Committee and the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL). IL NETWORK STAFF The IL NETWORK is managed by a directorate consisting of Anne-Marie Hughey of NCIL; June Isaacson Kailes, an independent living consultant; and Bob Michaels, Laurel Richards and Quentin Smith of ILRU. Principal responsibility for curriculum development and training is shared by Kailes and Michaels; logistical coordination by NCIL; materials development and technical assistance coordination by ILRU; and responsibility for information dissemination is shared between NCIL and ILRU. The IL NETWORK also works very closely with a number of individuals and organizations, particularly Roland Sykes of DIMENET, in fostering more effective computerized networking among centers, and Steve Brown, in evaluating project impact and identifying movement-wide factors which impede effective center operations. In addition, individuals with expertise on Title VII of the Rehab Act and on center operations will be involved throughout training and technical assistance activities. TRAINING ACTIVITIES During the first year, training programs were conducted in each of the ten federal regions and were attended by more than 600 representatives of independent living centers and SILCs. Year one training activities focused largely on the amended Rehab Act and its implications for independent living centers and statewide independent living councils. Issues related to center operations and to use of DIMENET as a networking and technical assistance tool were covered as well. Year two training and technical assistance activities will emphasize the soon-to-be-released compliance indicators for centers, critical issues related to statewide independent living councils and development of state IL plans, systems advocacy, computer networking, and a closer look at state-administered CILs in the seven "723" states. Most of these focal points have been identified through training participants' input and technical assistance requests. These issues and others will be covered through new and dynamic training methods--national teleconferences, customized training programs for SILCs, and three five-day training sessions designed to be as comprehensive and intensive as possible. Hands-on training for use of DIMENET and other computer networks will be an integral part of the training sessions. In addition, the IL NETWORK plans to convene a task force with representation by RSA central and regional offices, state voc rehab agencies, and independent living centers for the purpose of examining policies and procedures affecting center and agency interaction. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Requests for technical assistance, whether from center staff, board members, or others involved in independent activities, are handled through a single point of contact at ILRU. ILRU staff determines who among various partner organizations and individuals are the most qualified to respond to the request, then provides referral to one or more potential technical assistants who may be ILRU staff, NCIL staff or board members, or other members of the project's technical assistance network. During the first project year, IL NETWORK staff responded to over 10,000 telephone requests from the field. IL NETWORK STAFF NCIL Anne-Marie Hughey Dawn Kemp-Moye (703) 525-3406 (V), 525-3409 (TTY), 525-3407 (fax) ILRU Laurel Richards Bob Michaels (602) 961-0553 (V), 961-0533 (fax) Quentin Smith Cynthia Dresden Dawn Heinsohn Laurie Gerken Redd (713) 520-0232 (V), 520-5136 (TTY), 520-5785 (fax) June Isaacson Kailes (310) 821-7080 (V), 827-0269 (fax) Steve Brown (505) 522-5225 (V/fax/TTY) Roland Sykes (513) 237-8360 IL NETWORK SUPPORT This three-year project is supported in part by the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education, with additional support provided by NCIL, ILRU, DIMENET and other project partners. ABOUT THE TRAINERS June Isaacson Kailes has been active as a disability rights advocate and program developer in the independent living movement since the late 1960s. June consults for and trains businesses, universities, government entities, centers for independent living, and other not-for-profit organizations. Prior to establishing a full-time consulting practice in 1989, June worked for the Westside Center for Independent Living (WCIL) in Los Angeles. During her eight years as executive director, she established WCIL as one of the largest, most respected independent living centers in the United States. One of the original national leaders in the independent living movement, June has held many offices in the National Council for Independent Living and the California Coalition of Independent Living Centers. She serves as co-director of curriculum development and training with the IL NETWORK. Among many diverse publications, June's latest book is A Guide to Planning Accessible Meetings. Bob Michaels is co-director of curriculum development and training with the IL NETWORK and is training and technical assistance associate with ILRU. Prior to his position with ILRU, Bob was president and chief executive officer of Liberty Resources, Inc., in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for four years. Bob has also served as director of the Arizona Bridge to Independent Living in Phoenix, Arizona, and on both the Arizona and Pennsylvania state independent living councils. He has been chair of the Rehab Act Subcommittee for the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) for the past ten years. Bob has written numerous articles and briefs on the Rehab Act and related topics and has conducted training programs for CILs and SILCs nationwide. Gina McDonald is the executive director of the Kansas Association of Centers for Independent Living, a statewide organization dedicated to advocacy on behalf of independent living centers in that state. Gina currently serves as president on the board of the National Council on Independent Living, sits on the National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and is chair of the Kansas Statewide Independent Living Council. These extensive current responsibilities follow eighteen years of professional experience in the development, management, and training of independent living programs, centers, and associations. Prior to her current positions, Gina served as program administrator for the consumer attendant care and head injury services for the state of Kansas and was executive director of the WHOLE PERSON, Inc., an independent living center in Kansas City, Missouri. Paul Spooner is executive director of the MetroWest Center for Independent Living in Framingham, Massachusetts. Prior to his employment at MetroWest, Paul was community development coordinator at Independence Associates in Brockton, Massachusetts, where his primary responsibilities included much of the community advocacy and outreach for the center, plus extensive research, grant writing, and proposal development. Paul is also involved in the development, training, and administration of DIMENET, the primary nationwide computer network for persons with disabilities. Paul currently serves as external vice president of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) and is a member of the NCIL Rehabilitation Act Subcommittee. He is also a past president of the National Association of Independent Living and is a member of the Massachusetts Association of Independent Living Centers and the New England Coalition of Independent Living Centers. Paul was recently elected chair of the Massachusetts Independent Living Council. Henrietta Jordan, of Middlesex, Vermont, is executive director of the Vermont Center for Independent Living. A long-time advocate for human rights and social justice, Henri has served as executive director of the Vermont Children's Forum and the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights, as well as director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Henri has provided training and consultation to nonprofit and governmental organizations in the areas of organizational and community planning, advocacy and systems change, personnel management, and child abuse prevention, and has authored numerous publications. Severely hard of hearing since birth, Henri is an avid hiker and canoeist, and has earned a small measure of local repute as a producer and lyricist. ABOUT NCIL Founded in 1982, the National Council on Independent Living is a membership organization representing independent living centers and individuals with disabilities. NCIL has been instrumental in efforts to standardize requirements for consumer control in management and delivery of services provided through federally-funded independent living centers. Until 1992, NCIL's efforts to foster consumer control and direction in independent living services through changes in federal legislation and regulations were coordinated through an extensive network and involvement of volunteers from independent living centers and other organizations around the country. Since 1992, NCIL has had a national office in Arlington, Virginia, just minutes by subway or car from the major centers of government in Washington, D.C. While NCIL continues to rely on the commitment and dedication of volunteers from around the country, the establishment of a national office with staff and other resources has strengthened its capacity to serve as the voice for independent living in matters of critical importance in eliminating discrimination and unequal treatment based on disability. Today, NCIL is a strong voice for independent living in our nation's capital. With your participation, NCIL can deliver the message of independent living to even more people who are charged with the important responsibility of making laws and creating programs designed to assure equal rights for all. ABOUT ILRU The Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program was established in 1977 to serve as a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance for independent living. In the mid-1980's, it began conducting management training programs for executive directors and middle managers of independent living centers in the U.S. Since 1985, it has operated the ILRU Research and Training Center on Independent Living at TIRR, conducting a comprehensive and coordinated set of research, training, and technical assistance projects focusing on leading issues facing the independent living field. ILRU has developed an extensive set of resource materials on various aspects of independent living, including a comprehensive directory of programs providing independent living services in the U.S. and Canada. ILRU is a program of TIRR, a nationally recognized, free-standing rehabilitation facility for persons with physical disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities. Since 1959, TIRR has provided patient care, education, and research to promote the integration of people with physical and cognitive disabilities into all aspects of community living. NATIONAL RESOURCES ON INDEPENDENT LIVING Several national organizations have been established to provide technical assistance on particular concerns relevant to issues in independent living. National Council on Independent Living Founded in 1982, NCIL is a membership organization representing independent living centers and individuals with disabilities. NCIL has been instrumental in efforts to incorporate independent living philosophy in federal legislation and regulations. National headquarters are located outside Washington, D.C. at 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 405, Arlington, VA 22201; (703) 525-3406 (V), 525-3407 (TTY), 525-3409 (fax). Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living One of the best resources for information about rural independent living is APRIL. Established in 1986, APRIL is an association of 33 centers and other organizations and individuals across the country serving a predominantly rural constituencies. For further information, contact APRIL president Michael Mayer at the Summit Independent Living Center, 1900 Brooks Street, #120, Missoula, Montana 59801, (406) 728-1630 (V/TTY), or Linda Tonsing Gonzales at 1919 Kiva Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87505, (505) 984-8035 (V/fax). Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers on ADA There are ten regional DBTACs funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the U.S. Department of Education, to provide technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Southwest DBTAC, operated by ILRU, features an Hispanic outreach program. By calling 1-800-949-4232 from anywhere in the country, your call will be routed automatically to the appropriate regional DBTAC. American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today One of the oldest and most active grassroots disability rights advocacy groups is ADAPT. Following its tremendous success in advocating for accessible transportation, ADAPT has focused its mission on personal assistance services. With local chapters in many cities around the country, ADAPT is centered in Colorado at 201 South Cherokee St., Denver, CO 80223; (303) 733-9324 (V), 733-6211 (fax). Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund DREDF is a organization dedicated to promoting the civil rights of individuals with disabilities through research, education, and advocacy. The DREDF offices are located at 1633 Q St., NW, Suite 220, Washington, D.C. 20009; (202) 986-0375 (V), 462-5624 (fax) and 2212 Sixth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710; (510) 644-2555 (V), 841-8645 (fax). Disabled Individuals Movement for Equality Network DIMENET is a computer network that serves the independent living and disability rights movements. It was established in 1985 to meet the demand for a computer network that directly serves the interests of all people with disabilities and that is fully accessible to people with visual impairments. You can access DIMENET from any of three host sites: (508) 880-5412 (Taunton, MA), (513) 439-0557 (Dayton, OH), and (918) 582-3622 (Tulsa, OK). If you have problems or questions regarding accessing DIMENET, technical assistance is also available from individuals at DIMENET regional host sites: Taunton (508) 880-5325 (V/TTY), Dayton (513) 439-0071 (V), 439-0072 (TTY), and Tulsa (918) 592-1235 (V/TTY). Additional help may be obtained from Roland Sykes at (513) 237-8360 (V) or Paul Spooner at (508) 875-7853 (V/TTY). Independent Living Research Utilization Program ILRU Program is a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance on independent living. Founded in 1977, its goal is to expand the body of knowledge in independent living and to improve utilization of results of related research and demonstration projects. ILRU, 2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77019; (713) 520-0232 (V), 520-5136 (TTY), and 520-5785 (fax). World Institute on Disability Originally founded in 1983 from within the grassroots disability rights movement, WID's focus is now international in scope. WID conducts research and training in public policy, personal assistance services, and independent living from its headquarters at 510 16th Street, #100, Oakland, CA 94612; (510) 763-4100 (V/TTY). RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTERS ON INDEPENDENT LIVING Four research and training centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), U.S. Department of Education, focus on independent living. They are: the ILRU Research and Training Center on Independent Living at TIRR; the RTC: IL at the University of Kansas; the RTC on Personal Assistance Services at the World Institute on Disability (WID); and the RTC on Public Policy and Independent Living, also at WID. All four centers conduct research and training projects designed to address the needs of individuals with disabilities, as well as state and private entities involved with independent living. More information about each is given below. ILRU Research and Training Center on Independent Living at TIRR The goals of the ILRU RTC are to enhance management performance in independent living centers through improved management and operational practices developed and tested in research-based models, and disseminated through training, technical assistance, and materials development projects. A major emphasis of these training and technical assistance projects is the promotion of networking among individuals and organizations in the independent living field. ILRU RTC is guided by the independent living philosophy, particularly with regard to the substantial involvement of people with disabilities at all levels of RTC operations. Director: Lex Frieden Associate Director: Quentin Smith Director of Research: Peg Nosek Director of Training: Laurel Richards Technical Assistance Director: Laurie Gerken Redd For more information, contact: ILRU Program 2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000 Houston, TX 77019 (713) 520-0232 (V), 520-5136 (TTY), 520-5785 (fax) Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas The University of Kansas operates a national research and training center which focuses on aspects of independent living particular to rural and other underserved populations, including persons with cognitive and psychiatric disabilities. In addition, the RTC conducts consumer control training, conducts research in prevention of secondary health conditions in people with disabilities, and studies successful attainment of vocational rehabilitation goals. Director: Glen W. White Co-Director: James F. Budde Assistant Director: John Youngbauer Training Director: Kenneth J. Golden For more information, contact: RTC-IL at Kansas 4089 Dole Building University of Kansas Lawrence, KS 66045 (913) 864-4095 (V/TTY), 864-5063 (fax) The Research and Training Center on Public Policy and Independent Living Funded by NIDRR at the World Institute on Disability, the RTC-PPIL conducts research and training on major disability policy issues including independent living, leadership development, peer support, and community integration. In addition, WID is attempting to establish the first full curriculum for disability studies. The program will offer courses of study at the undergraduate, graduate, professional training, and continuing education levels. Director: Simi Litvak Director of Training: Jeanne Elliot Director of Research: Tanis Doe For more information, contact: RTC-PPIL World Institute on Disability 510 16th Street, Suite 100 Oakland, CA 94612-1500 (510) 763-4100 (V/TTY), 763-4109 (fax) The Research and Training Center on Personal Assistance Services at WID One of two RTCs operated by WID, the RTC-PAS was established for the purpose of creating greater understanding about how personal assistance service systems can further the self-sufficiency and economic independence of individuals with disabilities. The RTC will perform a comprehensive evaluation of PAS programs across the country and will seek to define effective PAS from the consumer's point of view. In developing new service programs, the RTC-PAS also focuses on underserved or unserved populations. Director of Training: Msimsindo Mwinyipembe Research Associates: Lance Egley Devva Kasnitz For more information, contact: RTC-PAS World Institute on Disability 510 16th Street, Suite 100 Oakland, CA 94612-1500 (510) 763-4100 (V/TTY), 763-4109 (fax) Revised 5/95 _________________________ Developed by the IL NETWORK: NCIL/ILRU National Training and Technical Assistance Project. Requests for technical assistance on this and other independent living issues may be directed to the IL NETWORK Project, c/o ILRU at (713) 520-0232 (voice), 520-5136 (TTY), 520-5785 (Fax), or NCIL at (703) 525-3406 (voice), 525-3407 (TTY), 525-3409 (Fax). IL NETWORK RESOURCE MATERIALS The IL NETWORK: National Training and Technical Assistance project, a collaboration of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) and the Independent Living Research and Utilization (ILRU) Program, is committed to promoting a national network of centers for independent living, statewide independent living councils, and others involved in the independent living field. Through training and technical assistance activities, project staff seek to provide individuals at all levels of expertise with educational and networking opportunities. To enhance our ability to reach as wide an audience as possible, we are making many of our training materials available in the form of individual fact sheets and packets. The following is a description of resource materials concerning the Rehab Act, statewide independent living councils, state IL plans, funding, and other topics. These materials may be duplicated without acquiring permission, providing that the following credit is given to the project: "Developed as part of the IL NETWORK: NCIL/ILRU National Training & Technical Assistance Project." For further information or technical assistance, contact ILRU at (713) 520-0232 (V), 520-5136 (TTY) or NCIL at (703) 525-3406 (V), 525-3407 (TTY). FACT SHEETS ABOUT THE REHAB ACT Amendments to the Rehab Act: 1986 & 1992: A Comparison--a set of charts showing changes in the Rehab Act which occurred from 1986 to 1992. Where to Get Information About the Rehabilitation Act--how to obtain copies of the Rehab Act and related background information from the government, from public records, and from DIMENET, the national computer bulletin board for independent living. Terminology Related to the Legislative and Regulatory Process--explanations of terms and concepts related to the legislative process. Key OSERS Staff--a listing of top-level staff members of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). FACT SHEETS ABOUT STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCILS (SILCs) Composition of Statewide IL Councils--an easily understood overview of SILC responsibilities, composition criteria, and examples of some of the problems faced by state IL councils with direct, concrete suggestions for dealing with them. Questions About SILC Governance--identifies many of the pivotal questions an organization can use to establish the bylaws with which it governs itself; covers specific questions for councils operating as private, nonprofit corporations and seeking a tax exempt status. What Every SILC Member Should Know--a checklist of basic information that each SILC member should understand in order to be an effective, voting participant of a statewide IL planning body. Prototype Job Descriptions--basic duties, authorities, and qualifications for the SILC chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer, and member; intended as a guideline from which to build individualized descriptions. SILC Profile Analysis--a grid designed to reveal a basic profile of any SILC by mapping characteristics and affiliations of the members; simple, easy-to-follow instructions show whether or not a council is consumer controlled according to legal mandate. SILC Membership Compliance Assessment--a checklist for determining whether or not your SILC is in compliance with the compositional guidelines outlined in section 705(b)(2) the Rehab Act. Directory of Statewide IL Councils--a complete list of all SILCs with contact information for state chairs; current as of May 1995. AUTHORIZED USES OF FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE STATE IL COUNCIL Authorized Uses of Title VII, Part B--this document gives an overview of the history and development of Title VII, with an emphasis on gains made in controlling how the dollars allotted to support independent living programs and services are spent. Funding Under SILC Jurisdiction--identifies funding sources available to the statewide IL council: Title VII, Parts B and C, Title I, Part C, Social Security Reimbursement Funds, and private or other sources. Funding for Title VII, Part B: Fiscal Years 1994 & 1995--exact 1995 dollar amounts allocated from this source for each state and territory. Funding for Title VII, Part C: Fiscal Year 1994--dollar amounts by state and territory showing 1994 allotments as well as post-reallotment amounts for fiscal year 1993. Revised 6/95 _________________________ Developed by the IL NETWORK: NCIL/ILRU National Training and Technical Assistance Project. Requests for technical assistance on this and other independent living subjects may be directed to the IL NETWORK Project, c/o ILRU at (713)520-0232 (voice), 520-5136 (TTY), 520-5785 (FAX), or NCIL at (703) 525-3406 (voice), 525-3407 (TTY), 525-3409 (FAX). READINGS FOR THE INDEPENDENT LIVING AND DISABILITY RIGHTS MOVEMENTS DeJong, Gerben. "Independent Living: From Social Movement to Analytic Paradigm." Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 60 (October 1979): 435-446. DeJong, Gerben. "Physical Disability and Public Policy." Scientific American 248, no. 6 (June 1983): 40-49. DeJong, Gerben. Environmental Accessibility and Independent Living Outcomes: Directions for Disability Policy and Research. East Lansing: University Center for International Rehabilitation, 1981. DeJong, Gerben and Janice Hughes. Report of the Sturbridge Conference on Independent Living Services. Boston: Tufts Medical Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, 1981. Fasser, Carl E., Quentin Smith, Lex Frieden, Laura W. Smith, J. David Holcomb. "Addressing the Health Care Needs of People with Disabilities." Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants 7, no. 1 (January 1994): 26-32. Kailes, June. "Language is More Than a Trivial Concern!" (1984) reprinted in Disability Pride and A Guide to Planning Accessible Meetings (available through ILRU publications). Kailes, June Isaacson. Disability Pride: The Interrelationship of Self-Worth, Self-Empowerment, & Disability Culture. Houston: ILRU Program, 1993. Kailes, June Isaacson, and Darrell Jones. A Guide to Planning Accessible Meetings. Houston: ILRU Program, 1993. Kailes, June Isaacson. Putting Advocacy Rhetoric Into Practice: The Role of the Independent Living Center. Issues in Independent Living No. 8. Houston: ILRU Program, 1988. Lachat, Mary Ann. An Evaluation and Management Information System for Independent Living. Staying on Track: ILRU Management Support Series. Houston: ILRU Program, 1988. Lachat, Mary Ann. The Independent Living Service Model: Historical Roots, Core Elements, and Current Practice. Hampton: Center for Resource Management, 1988. National Council on the Handicapped (now the National Council on Disability). Toward Independence: An Assessment of Federal Laws and Programs Affecting Persons with Disabilities - With Legislative Recommendations. February 1986. Available from NCD, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20004 (202) 272-2004 (V), 272-2074 (TTY). National Council on the Handicapped (now the National Council on Disability). On the Threshold of Independence: A Report to the President and the Congress of the United States. January 1988. Available from NCD (see above). Nosek, Peg, Yayoi Narita, Yoshiko Dart, and Justin Dart. A Philosophical Foundation for the Independent Living & Disability Rights Movement. Occasional Paper No. 1. Houston: ILRU Program, 1982. Pflueger, Susan Stoddard. Independent Living. Emerging Issues in Rehabilitation. Washington, D.C.: Institute for Research Utilization, 1977. Richards, Laurel and Quentin Smith. An Orientation to Independent Living Centers. Houston: ILRU Program, 1987. Shapiro, Joseph P. No Pity. New York: Random House, Inc. 1993. Shreve Maggie, Patricia Spiller, Eric Griffin, Nancy Waldron, and Lynda Stolzman. Martha Williams, ed. Consumer Control in Independent Living. Available from: Center for Resource Management, 2 Highland Road, South Hampton, NH 03847; (603) 394-7040 (V/TTY), 394-7483 (fax). Smith, Quentin, Lex Frieden, and Laurel Richards. "Independent Living." Encyclopedia of Disability and Rehabilitation. New York: Macmillan, Inc., (in press, 1994). Smith, Quentin, Laura W. Smith, Kym King, Lex Frieden, and Laurel Richards. Health Care Reform, Independent Living, and People With Disabilities. Issues in Independent Living No. 11. Houston: ILRU Program, 1993. United States Department of Education. Comprehensive Evaluation of the Title VII, Part B of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended, Centers for Independent Living Program. January 1986. Available through clearinghouses (see below). Willig, Chava Levy. A People's History of Independent Living. 1988. Available from the Research and Training Center on Independent Living, 4089 Dole Building, University of Kansas 66045; (913) 864-4095 (V/TTY). In a special edition on independent living in American Rehabilitation 20, no. 1 (Spring 1994): Giordiano, Gerard and Bruno J. D'Alonzo. "The Link Between Transition and Independent Living," 2-7. Shreve, Maggie. "The Greater Vision: An Advocate's Reflections on the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992," 8-13. Smith, Laura W., Quentin W. Smith, Laurel Richards, Lex Frieden, and Kym King. "Independent Living Centers: Moving Into the 21st Century," 14-22. Chappell, John A., Jr. "The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts," 23-29. Moore, J. Elton and Barry C. Stephens. "Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who are Blind: Issues and Practices," 30-34. Montagano, Tim. "Bringing the Rehabilitation Family Together: An IL-VR Partnership," 35-36. Lougheed, Val, Bev Hunter, and Susan Wilson. "Partners for Independence: A Team Approach to Community-Based Rehabilitation," 37-38. Baker, David. "Independent Living in Communities: The Role of the Independence Fund in Vermont," 39-41. Lachat, Mary Ann. "Using the Power of Management Information System Technology to Support the Goals of Centers for Independent Living," 42-48. In a special issue on independent living in OSERS 6, no. 2 (Winter-Spring 1994): French, Duane. "Independent Living: Driven By Principles of Democracy," 37-38. Kafka, Bob. "Perspectives on Personal Assistance Services," 11-13. Kennedy, Jae, Hale Zukas, and Simi Litvak. "Independent Living and Personal Assistance Services: The Research, Training, and Technical Assistance Programs at the World Institute on Disability," 43-45. Mathews, Mark R. "Learning from the Experts: Best Practices in Rural Independent Living," 23-29. Michaels, Robert E. "Title VII: A Major Step Forward," 8-10. Nelson, John. "Changes in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Federal Regulations," 4-8. Smith, Quentin, Lex Frieden, Laurel Richards, and Laurie Gerken Redd. "Improving Management Effectiveness in Independent Living Centers through Research and Training," 30-36. Tate, Denise and Julie Daugherty. "The Effects of Insurance Benefits Coverage: Does It Affect Persons with Spinal Cord Injury?" 19-22. Westbrook, John D. "Consumer-Driven Supported Employment: Consolidating Services for People with Significant Disabilities," 14-18. Ziegler, Martha. "How Parent Networks Are Working with Independent Living Centers," 39-42. In a special issue on rural independent living in the Rural Special Education Quarterly 11, no.1 (1992): Clay, Julie Anna. "Native American Independent Living," 41-50. Curl, Rita M., Shanna M. Hall, Linda A. Chisholm, and Sarah Rule. "Co-workers as Trainers for Entry-level Workers: A Competitive Employment Model for Individuals with Disabilities," 31-35. Nosek, Margaret. "The Personal Assistance Dilemma for People with Disabilities Living in Rural Areas," 36-40. Potter, Carol G., Quentin W. Smith, Huong Quan, and Margaret A. Nosek. "Delivering Independent Living Services in Rural Communities: Options and Alternatives," 16-23. Richards, Laurel and Quentin Smith. "Independent Living Centers In Rural Communities," 5-10. Seekins, Tom, Craig Revesloot, and Bob Maffit. "Extending the Independent Living Center Model to Rural Areas: Expanding Services through State and Local Efforts," 11-15. Smith, Quentin W., Carl E. Fasser, Stacy Wallace, Laurel K. Richards, and Carol G. Potter. "Children with Disabilities in Rural Areas: The Critical Role of the Special Education Teacher in Promoting Independence," 24-30. We Won't Go Away, videocassette. Sells for $20 each, including postage, from the World Institute on Disability, 510 16th Street, Suite 100, Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 763-4100 (V), 208-9493 (TTY). The Disability Rag. A bi-monthly publication reflecting ideas and discussions in the disability rights movement. Available at $12 for a one-year subscription. Write to: Subscriptions, The Disability Rag, 1962 Roanoke Ave, Louisville, KY 40205 (502) 459-5343 (V/TTY/fax). Most of the readings cited above can be obtained from resource clearinghouses. Several are listed below and can be reached for further information about publications and modem-accessible databases by mail or telephone. National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials, Oklahoma State University, 816 West Sixth Ave., Stillwater, OK 74078 (800) 223-5219. National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), 8455 Colesville Road, Suite 935, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (800) 346-2742 (V), 227-0216 (TTY). ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (formerly the ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children), 1920 Association Dr., Reston, VA 22091, (800) 328-0272 (V/TTY) at the Council for Exceptional Children, (703) 620-3660, ext. 307 (V). ILRU also offers a number of publications and other materials on various independent living subjects. For a listing of resource materials contact ILRU at 2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77019, (713) 520-0232 (V), 520-5136 (TTY). For resource materials and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are ten regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs). One toll-free number, 1-800-949-4232, will direct your call to a technical assistant in your region. Resource materials are published by the U.S. Department of Justice and many are available free of charge. The Southwest DBTAC in Houston, Texas offers technical assistance and some resource materials in Spanish as well as English. Revis ed 6/95 Developed by the IL NETWORK: NCIL/ILRU National Training and Technical Assistance Project. Requests for technical assistance on this and other independent living subjects may be directed to the IL NETWORK Project, c/o ILRU at (713) 520-0232 (voice), 520-5136 (TTY), 520-5785 (Fax), or NCIL at (703) 525-3406 (voice), 525-3407 (TTY), 525-3409 (Fax). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The contents of this manual have come from a variety of sources--chapters in books, articles in magazines, sections of training manuals, and so forth. The authors and publishers of these documents have given us permission to reprint them for use in this training program. For their generosity, we are very grateful. STANDARDS AND INDICATORS "History of Independent Living," by Gina McDonald and Mike Oxford. Copyright 1995 by Gina McDonald and Mike Oxford. "Sequence of Title VII, Part C Funding Requirements," in Independent Living and the Rehab Act: Regional Training. Copyright 1994 by the IL NETWORK: National Training and Technical Assistance Project. SYSTEMS ADVOCACY "The Bootstrap Solution." Copyright 1985 by The Disability Rag. Disability Pride: The Interrelationship of Self-Worth, Self-Empowerment, and Disability Culture. By June Isaacson Kailes. Copyright 1993 by the ILRU Program. "Oh Mona Lisa, I Never Thought of You as Disabled," by William G. Stothers. Copyright 1994 by Mainstream, Magazine of the Able-Disabled, the national magazine for people with disabilities. Reprinted with permission. Mainstream provides essential reading on recreation, travel, social and political issues, new products, technology, employment and education. One-year subscription $24. Sample copy $5.00. Also available on computer disk (ASCII) and on audio cassette tape. Write: Mainstream, 2973 Beech Street, San Diego, CA 92102. No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement by Joseph P. Shapiro. Copyright 1993 by Joseph P. Shapiro. Reprinted by permission of Times Books, a division of Random House, Inc. "You and I" by Elaine Popovich. Copyright by Elaine Popovich. Reprinted with permission of the Advocate, a publication of ARC of Massachusetts. "A Little History Worth Knowing." Adapted by June Isaacson Kailes from Timothy Cook, 1995. "A Practical Guide to the IRS Rules on Lobbying by Charities" by Gregory L. Colvin, Esq., and prepared for the Liberty Hill Foundation Workshop. Copyright 1993 by Silk, Adler & Colvin. "State IL Plans--Use of Part B Funds," in Independent Living and the Rehab Act: Regional Training. Copyright 1994 by the IL NETWORK: National Training and Technical Assistance Project. "The Power of One Person" by Mary Johnson. Copyright 1992 by The Disability Rag. "To Stem the Tide" by Laura Younkin. Copyright 1989 by The Disability Rag. "Our Dream: Equality" by Duane French. Copyright 1994 by the Alaska Center for Independent Living. DIMENET DIMENET Manual for Beginners. Developed by Paul Spooner and Roland Sykes, 1995. "Netiquette," by June Isaacson Kailes. Copyright 1992, revised 1995. "The Wonderful World of Internet," by June Isaacson Kailes. Copyright 1992, revised 1995. The DIMENET Manual by Roland Sykes. Copyright 1993 by Roland Sykes. Selected portions reprinted. Using Communication Software by Roland Sykes. Copyright 1995 by Roland Sykes. A series of fact sheets. The Modem Manual: An Introduction to On-Line Communications. by David Whipp and Thomas G. Freeman III. Copyright 1994 by The West Virginia Research and Training Center. NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS "Interest Survey for Independent Living Systems Design," developed by the Vermont Center for Independent Living, 1995. "Community Needs and Solutions Survey for People with Disabilities," developed by the Vermont Center for Independent Living, 1995. "What Should Your CIL Be Doing?" adapted by the Vermont Center for Independent Living from an instrument developed with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Inc. Prospectus and Welcome: The Kansas Disability Caucus. Copyright 1995 by the Kansas Disability Caucus. Maine Opinion Poll and Findings. Copyright 1994 by the Maine State Council on Independent Living. STANDARDS & INDICATORS STANDARDS AND INDICATORS TABLE OF CONTENTS Agenda 3 Learning Objectives 5 History of Independent Living 7 Independent Living and Traditional Paradigms 15 Rehabilitation Act: Standards for Independent Living Centers 17 Evaluation 19 STANDARDS AND INDICATORS Presenters: Bob Michaels & Gina McDonald AGENDA 8:30 Registration/Continental Breakfast 9:00 Introductions 9:45 History and Philosophy of Independent Living 10:15 Break 10:30 Identifying Independent Living Beliefs and Values 12:00 Lunch 1:30 Overview of Standards and Indicators 3:00 Break 3:15 Overview (continued) 4:15 Wrap up/Questions and Answers 4:45 Evaluation 5:30 Reception STANDARDS AND INDICATORS LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Understand how independent living philosophy is the basis for all activity pursued by CILs. 2. Have a working knowledge of the standards and indicators. 3. Understand Title VII regulation which requires compliance with the indicators. 4. Identify at least one philosophically sound method for meeting the requirements of each indicator. 5. Know the national, regional, and state resources available to assist with implementation of standards and indicators. HISTORY OF INDEPENDENT LIVING by Gina McDonald and Mike Oxford This account of the history of independent living stems from a philosophy which states that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights, options, and control over choices in their own lives as do people without disabilities. The history of independent living is closely tied to the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s among African Americans. Basic issues--disgraceful treatment based on bigotry and erroneous stereotypes in housing, education, transportation, and employment--and the strategies and tactics are very similar. This history and its driving philosophy also have much in common with other political and social movements of the country in the late 1960s and early 1970s. There were at least five movements that influenced the disability rights movement. Social Movements The first social movement was deinstitutionalization, an attempt to move people, primarily those with developmental disabilities, out of institutions and back into their home communities. This movement was led by providers and parents of people with developmental disabilities and was based on the principle of "normalization" developed by Wolf Wolfensberger, a sociologist from Canada. His theory was that people with developmental disabilities should live in the most "normal" setting possible if they were to expected to behave "normally." Other changes occurred in nursing homes where young people with many types of disabilities were warehoused for lack of "better" alternatives (Wolfensberger, 1972). The next movement to influence disability rights was the civil rights movement. Although people with disabilities were not included as a protected class under the Civil Rights Act, it was a reality that people could achieve rights, at least in law, as a class. Watching the courage of Rosa Parks as she defiantly rode in the front of a public bus, people with disabilities realized the more immediate challenge of even getting on the bus. The "self-help" movement, which really began in the 1950s with the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, came into its own in the 1970s. Many self-help books were published and support groups flourished. Self-help and peer support are recognized as key points in independent living philosophy. According to this tenet, people with similar disabilities are believed to be more likely to assist and to understand each other than individuals who do not share experience with similar disability. Demedicalization was a movement that began to look at more holistic approaches to health care. There was a move toward "demystification" of the medical community. Thus, another cornerstone of independent living philosophy became the shift away from the authoritarian medical model to a paradigm of individual empowerment and responsibility for defining and meeting one's own needs. Consumerism, the last movement to be described here, was one in which consumers began to question product reliability and price. Ralph Nader was the most outspoken advocate for this movement, and his staff and followers came to be known as "Nader's Raiders." Perhaps most fundamental to independent living philosophy today is the idea of control by consumers of goods and services over the choices and options available to them. The independent living paradigm, developed by Gerben DeJong in the late 1970s (DeJong, 1979), proposed a shift from the medical model to the independent living model. As with the movements described above, this theory located problems or "deficiencies" in the society, not the individual. People with disabilities no longer saw themselves as broken or sick, certainly not in need of repair. Issues such as social and attitudinal barriers were the real problems facing people with disabilities. The answers were to be found in changing and "fixing" society, not people with disabilities. Most important, decisions must be made by the individual, not by the medical or rehabilitation professional. Using these principles, people began to view themselves as powerful and self-directed as opposed to passive victims, objects of charity, cripples, or not-whole. Disability began to be seen as a natural, not uncommon, experience in life; not a tragedy. Independent Living Ed Roberts is considered to be the "father of independent living." Ed became disabled at the age of fourteen as a result of polio. After a period of denial in which he almost starved himself to death, Ed returned to school and received his high school diploma. He then wanted to go to college. The California Department of Rehabilitation initially rejected Ed's application for financial assistance because it was decided that he was "too disabled to work." He went public with his fight and within one week of doing so, was approved for financial aid by the state. Fifteen years after Ed's initial rejection by the State of California as an individual who was "too" disabled, he became head of the California Department of Rehabilitation--the agency that had once written him off. After Ed earned his associate's degree at the College of San Mateo, he applied for admission to the University of California at Berkeley. After initial resistance on the part of the university, Ed was accepted. The university let him use the campus hospital as his dormitory because there was no accessible student housing (none of the residential buildings could support the weight of Ed's 800-lb. iron lung). He received attendant services through a state program called "Aid to the Totally Disabled." This is a very important note because this was consumer-controlled personal assistance service. The attendants were hired, trained, and fired by Ed. In 1970, Ed and other students with disabilities founded a disabled students' program on the Berkeley campus. His group was called the "Rolling Quads." Upon graduation, the "Quads" set their sights on the need for access beyond the University's walls. Ed contacted Judy Heumann, another disability activist, in New York. He encouraged her to come to California and along with other advocates, they started the first center for independent living in Berkeley. Although it started out as a "modest" apartment, it became the model for every such center in the country today. This new program rejected the medical model and focused on consumerism, peer support, advocacy for change, and independent living skills training. In 1983, Ed, Judy, and Joan Leon, co-founded the World Institute on Disability (WID), an advocacy and research center promoting the rights of people with disabilities around the world. Ed Roberts died unexpectedly on March 14, 1995. The early 1970s was a time of awakening for the disability rights movement in a related, but different way. As Ed Roberts and others were fighting for the rights of people with disabilities presumed to be forever "homebound" and were working to assure that participation in society, in school, in work, and at play was a realistic, proper, and achievable goal, others were coming to see how destructive and wrong the systematic institutionalization of people with disabilities could be. Inhuman and degrading treatment of people in state hospitals, schools and other residential institutions such as nursing facilities were coming to light and the financial and social costs were beginning to be considered unacceptable. This awakening within the independent living movement was exemplified by another leading disability rights activist, Wade Blank. ADAPT Wade Blank began his lifelong struggle in civil rights activism with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Selma, Alabama. It was during this period that he learned about the stark oppression which occurred against people considered to be outside the "mainstream" of our "civilized" society. By 1971, Wade was working in a nursing facility, Heritage House, trying to improve the quality of life of some of the younger residents. These efforts, including taking some of the residents to a Grateful Dead concert, ultimately failed. Institutional services and living arrangements were at odds with the pursuit of personal liberties and life with dignity. In 1974, Wade founded the Atlantis Community, a model for community-based, consumer-controlled, independent living. The Atlantis Community provided personal assistance services primarily under the control of the consumer within a community setting. The first consumers of the Atlantis Community were some of the young residents "freed" from Heritage House by Wade (after he had been fired). Initially, Wade provided personal assistance services to nine people by himself for no pay so that these individuals could integrate into society and live lives of liberty and dignity. In 1978, Wade and Atlantis realized that access to public transportation was a necessity if people with disabilities were to live independently in the community. This was the year that American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit (ADAPT) was founded. On July 5-6, 1978, Wade and nineteen disabled activists held a public transit bus "hostage" on the corner of Broadway and Colfax in Denver, Colorado. ADAPT eventually mushroomed into the nation's first grassroots, disability rights, activist organization. In the spring of 1990, the Secretary of Transportation, Sam Skinner, finally issued regulations mandating lifts on buses. These regulations implemented a law passed in 1970-the Urban Mass Transit Act-which required lifts on new buses. The transit industry had successfully blocked implementation of this part of the law for twenty years, until ADAPT changed their minds and the minds of the nation. In 1990, after passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), ADAPT shifted its vision toward a national system of community-based personal assistance services and the end of the apartheid-type system of segregating people with disabilities by imprisoning them in institutions against their will. The acronym ADAPT became "American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today." The fight for a national policy of attendant services and the end of institutionalization continues to this day. Wade Blank died on February 15, 1993, while unsuccessfully attempting to rescue his son from drowning in the ocean. Wade and Ed Roberts live on in many hearts and in the continuing struggle for the rights of people with disabilities. These lives of these two leaders in the disability rights movement, Ed Roberts and Wade Blank, provide poignant examples of the modern history, philosophy, and evolution of independent living in the United States. To complete this rough sketch of the history of independent living, a look must be taken at the various pieces of legislation concerning the rights of people with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on the original "bible" of civil rights for people with disabilities, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Civil Rights Laws Before turning to the Rehabilitation Act, a chronological listing and brief description of important federal civil rights laws affecting people with disabilities is in order. 1964--Civil Rights Act: prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and creed; later, gender was added as a protected class. 1968--Architectural Barriers Act: prohibits architectural barriers in all federally owned or leased buildings. 1970--Urban Mass Transit Act: requires that all new mass transit vehicles be equipped with wheelchair lifts. As mentioned earlier, it was twenty years, primarily because of machinations of the American Public Transit Association (APTA), before the part of the law requiring wheelchair lifts was implemented. 1973--Rehabilitation Act: particularly Title V, Sections 501, 503, and 504, prohibits discrimination in federal programs and services and all other programs or services receiving federal funding. 1975--Developmental Disabilities Bill of Rights Act: among other things, establishes Protection and Advocacy services (P & A). 1975--Education of All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142): requires free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible for children with disabilities. This law is now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 1978--Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act: provides for consumer-controlled centers for independent living. 1983--Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act: provides for the Client Assistance Program (CAP), an advocacy program for consumers of rehabilitation and independent living services. 1985--Mental Illness Bill of Rights Act: requires protection and advocacy services (P & A) for people with mental illness. 1988--Civil Rights Restoration Act: counteracts bad case law by clarifying Congress' original intention that under the Rehabilitation Act, discrimination in ANY program or service that is a part of an entity receiving federal funding--not just the part which actually and directly receives the funding--is illegal. 1988--Air Carrier Access Act: prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel and provides for equal access to air transportation services. 1988--Fair Housing Amendments Act: prohibits discrimination in housing against people with disabilities and families with children. Also provides for architectural accessibility of certain new housing units, renovation of existing units, and accessibility modifications at the renter's expense. 1990--Americans with Disabilities Act: provides comprehensive civil rights protection for people with disabilities; closely modeled after the Civil Rights Act and the Section 504 of Title V of the Rehabilitation Act and its regulations. The modern history of civil rights for people with disabilities is three decades old. A key piece of this decades-long process is the story of how the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was finally passed and then implemented. It is the story of the first organized disability rights protest. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 In 1972, Congress passed a rehabilitation bill that independent living activists cheered. President Richard Nixon's veto prevented this bill from becoming law. During the era of political activity at the end of the Vietnam War, Nixon's veto was not taken lying down by disability activists who launched fierce protests across the country. In New York City, early leader for disability rights, Judy Heumann, staged a sit-in on Madison Avenue with eighty other activists. Traffic was stopped. After a flood of angry letters and protests, in September 1973, Congress overrode Nixon's veto and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 finally became law. Passage of this pivotal law was the beginning of the ongoing fight for implementation and revision of the law according to the vision of independent living advocates and disability rights activists. Key language in the Rehabilitation Act, found in Section 504 of Title V, states that: No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Advocates realized that this new law would need regulations in order to be implemented and enforced. By 1977, Presidents Nixon and Ford had come and gone. Jimmy Carter had become president and had appointed Joseph Califano his Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). Califano refused to issue regulations and was given an ultimatum and deadline of April 4, 1977. April 4 went by with no regulations and no word from Califano. On April 5, demonstrations by people with disabilities took place in ten cities across the country. By the end of the day, demonstrations in nine cities were over. In one city--San Francisco--protesters refused to disband. Demonstrators, more than 150 people with disabilities, had taken over the federal office building and refused to leave. They stayed until May 1. Califano had issued regulations by April 28, but the protesters stayed until they had reviewed the regulations and approved of them. The lesson is a fairly simple one. As Martin Luther King said, It is an historical fact that the privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture, but, as we are reminded, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals. We know, through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed. Leaders in the Independent Living Movement The history of the independent living movement is not complete without mention of some other leaders who continue to make substantial contributions to the movement and to the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities. Max Starkloff, Charlie Carr, and Marca Bristo founded the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) in 1983. NCIL is one of the only national organizations that is consumer-controlled and promotes the rights and empowerment of people with disabilities. Justin Dart played a prominent role in the fight for passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and is seen by many as the spiritual leader of the movement today. Lex Frieden is co-founder of ILRU Program. As director of the National Council on Disability, he directed preparation of the original ADA legislation and its introduction in Congress. Liz Savage and Pat Wright are considered to be the "mothers of the ADA." They led the consumer fight for the passage of the ADA. There are countless other people who have and continue to make substantial contributions to the independent living movement. REFERENCES DeJong, Gerben. "Independent Living: From Social Movement to Analytic Paradigm," Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 60, October 1979. Wolfensberger, Wolf. The Principle of Normalization in Human Services. Toronto: National Institute on Mental Retardation, 1972. INDEPENDENT LIVING AND TRADITIONAL PARADIGMS This chart compares traditional approaches to medical and vocational rehabilitation services with the consumer-driven approach employed by independent living. MEDICAL MODEL & REHABILITATION PARADIGM INDEPENDENT LIVING PARADIGM Definition of problem physical or mental impairment; lack of vocational skill (in the VR system) dependence upon professionals, family members and others; hostile attitudes and environments Locus of problem in the individual (individual needs to be "fixed") in the environment; in the medical and/or rehabilitation process itself Solution to the problem professional intervention; treatment 1. barrier removal 2. advocacy 3. self-help 4. peer role models and counseling 5. consumer control over options and services Social role individual with a disability is a "patient" or "client" individual with a disability is a "consumer" or "user" of services and products Who controls professional "consumer" or "citizen" Desired outcomes maximum self-care (or "ADL"); gainful employment in the VR system independence through control over ACCEPTABLE options for every day living in an integrated community Developed by Gerben DeJong in 1978; adapted/expanded by Maggie Shreve. REHABILITATION ACT STANDARDS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTERS There are seven standards with which organizations must comply in order to qualify for federal funds available to support centers for independent living. The standards are specified in section 725 of Title VII of the Rehab Act as amended in 1992, and are paraphrased below. (1) Philosophy. The center shall promote and practice the independent living philosophy of: (A) consumer control of the center regarding decision-making, service delivery, management, and establishment of the policy and direction of the center; (B) self-help and self-advocacy; (C) development of peer relationships and peer role models; and (D) equal access of individuals with severe disabilities to society and to all services, programs, activities, resources, and facilities, whether public or private and regardless of the funding source. (2) Provision of services. The center shall provide services to individuals with a range of severe disabilities. The center shall provide services on a cross-disability basis (for individuals with all different types of severe disabilities, including individuals with disabilities who are members of populations that are unserved or underserved by programs under this Act). Eligibility for services at any center for independent living shall not be based on the presence of any one or more specific severe disabilities. (3) Independent living goals. The center shall facilitate development and achievement of independent living goals selected by individuals with severe disabilities who seek such assistance by the center. (4) Community options. The center shall work to increase the availability and to improve the quality of community options for independent living in order to facilitate the development and achievement of independent living goals by individuals with severe disabilities. (5) Independent living core services. The center shall provide independent living core services and, as appropriate, a combination of any other independent living services specified in section 7(30)(B). (6) Activities to increase community capacity. The center shall conduct activities to increase the capacity of communities within the service area of the center to meet the needs of individuals with severe disabilities. (7) Resource development activities. The center shall conduct resource development activities to obtain funding from sources other than this chapter. Reporting Compliance through Indicators (written and on-site reviews): The indicators were published as "notice of proposed rulemaking" in the Federal Register in December 1993, and the public had opportunity to provide comment through February 22, 1994. The final or "official" version of the indicators are expected to be announced by end of summer 1995. After the indicators become official, they will be used in evaluating of Title VII, Part C-funded independent living centers. STANDARDS AND INDICATORS EVALUATION 1. Describe your basic understanding of these workshop topics BEFORE and AFTER this workshop by circling the appropriate numbers below (a 7 being "high, detailed knowledge" and a 1 being "none"). BEFORE AFTER IL history and philosophy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 IL philosophy, values, and beliefs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Standards 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Indicators 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 CIL compliance with indicators 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2. What parts of the workshop/training did you find MOST helpful? Why? 3. What parts of the workshop/training did you find LEAST helpful? Why? 4. What (if any) ideas did you gain today that you will use? Name/phone (optional): DIMENET & COMPUTER NETWORKING DIMENET & COMPUTER NETWORKING TABLE OF CONTENTS Agenda 3 Learning Objectives 5 DIMENET Manual for Beginners 7 Glossary 23 Netiquette 33 The Wonderful World of Internet: A Brief Overview 35 What are Newsgroups 37 DIMENET File Areas 47 Using PKZIP Tools 53 Using Communication Software Programs 55 Bitcom 57 Crosstalk XVI 61 Microphone II 67 Procomm 71 Procomm Plus 75 Smartcomm II 79 DIMENET Costs 83 DIMENET Manual 85 DIMENET Resource Reading List 125 Evaluation 127 Individual Evaluation 129 DIMENET & COMPUTER NETWORKING Presenters: June Kailes & Paul Spooner AGENDA 8:30 Continental Breakfast 9:00 Introduction and Hands-on Signup 9:35 Benefits of Telecommunication and Getting Connected 10:15 Break 10:30 E-mail, Newsgroups, File Areas 11:30 A Brief Look at Internet 12:00 Lunch Wednesday Afternoon One-on-One DIMENET Training DIMENET LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Explain what DIMENET is. 2. Explain meaning of common telecommunication terms. 3. Use quick start information to logon and use key DIMENET features. 4. List benefits of using telecommunications. 5. List skills and tools needed to successfully surf information superhighway. 6. Understand and use hard copy and on-line "how to" information. 7. Understand how to get technical support. 8. Understand how to access and explore Internet. DIMENET MANUAL FOR BEGINNERS DIMENET MANUAL FOR BEGINNERS TABLE OF CONTENTS GETTING STARTED 11 Connecting to DIMENET 11 CREATING YOUR ACCOUNT 12 Identifying yourself 12 Selecting your logname 12 Selecting your password 12 Contact information 12 Terminal type 12 Verifying your information 14 Troubleshooting 14 LOGGING ON TO DIMENET 14 MAIN MENU 15 E-MAIL (electronic mail) 15 Entering your mailbox 15 Mail system 16 Reading mail 16 Sending mail 16 WHAT ARE NEWSGROUPS 18 DIMENET NEWSGROUPS 19 Batch read 19 News system menu 21 Entering DIMENET newsgroups 22 News system menu 22 Technical assistance 24 DIMENET MANUAL FOR BEGINNERS This manual has been developed to assist new users in getting acquainted with the basics of DIMENET and to walk step-by-step through the logging on process. To use DIMENET, you will need a computer, a modem, and communication software. Most computers, either IBM-compatible or Macintosh, will work with DIMENET. GETTING STARTED Connecting to DIMENET There are three data lines that will connect you to DIMENET. They are: (508) 880-5412 (V/TTY) Taunton, Massachusetts (513) 439-0557 (V), 439-0072 (TTY) Dayton, Ohio (918) 582-3622 (V/TTY) Tulsa, Oklahoma Your system will connect to DIMENET and you should see the following screen: HOME of DIMENET Enter dime to Login dimenet!login: NOTE: If you do not get the screen above press . It should appear. Once you have the screen shown above type 'dime' in lower case letters and press . Your screen should now show the following: HOME of DIMENET Enter dime to Login dimenet!login: dime TeleSys-II BBS System - v5.22 - tsbbs02.tnet.com Dimenet If you are a NEW USER, login as new Login: CREATING YOUR ACCOUNT The first time you log on, you will be asked to create an account. At the login prompt type 'new' and press . This starts the process of creating a DIMENET. You will receive a message welcoming you to DIMENET. Identifying yourself You will be prompted to enter your full real name. Please do so. You will also notice a statement that says, "Accounts created with obvious incorrect information will be deleted when identified." So far, this has happened once. Selecting your logname You will be asked to enter a logname that you will use to identify yourself in order to log into DIMENET. You will use this logname to log into DIMENET and others will use it to address mail to you. Your logname can be from 3 to 8 characters in length, all lower case letters. We recommend that you use either your last name, or the first letter of your first name followed by your last name (or as much of it will fit). This will make it easier for others to remember when sending mail to you. For an organizational account you can use the initials of the organization name. Use anything that will make it easy for others to remember. Selecting your password You will be asked to enter a 3 to 8 character password. You will be asked to enter it twice to make sure that it was recorded properly. Passwords can contain letters and numbers. No imbedded spaces are permitted in passwords. Please choose a password you will remember. You will not be able to logon without your logname and password. Contact information You will be prompted to enter your street address, city, state, and zip code as well as night, day, fax, and TTY phone numbers. The system then allows you to enter your organization name. Two lines are available for the name of your organization, if any. Your street address and night phone numbers are private and are not displayed to other users unless you make them public using the utilities commands after you logon. All other information, if given, is public and can be viewed by others using the 'Who' command. Terminal type You will be prompted to enter your terminal type. A list will be displayed from which to choose. Select the appropriate terminal type by number and press . If you are not sure which one to choose, consult your communications software manual to determine your current system terminal setting. Most communications software are set up to operate with a number of different terminal emulations. Determine the settings of your communications software (consult your software manual or the software guides in the "Documents" file area on DIMENET), and select the terminal type that matches it from the ones presented by DIMENET. If your terminal is not on the list or if you are not sure what type of terminal you are using, select option three, "ANSI.SYS standard crt." This option works with most popular communications software such as Procomm, Procomm+, Telix, and Crosstalk. The current terminal types supported by DIMENET are: ## Description 1 unknown dumb terminal 2 SCO ansi Console 3 ANSI.SYS standard crt 4 DEC vt52 terminal 5 DEC vt100 terminal 6 DEC vt102 terminal 7 Wyse WY-30 terminal 8 Wyse WY-50 terminal with 80 column screen 9 Wyse WY-60 terminal with 80 column/24 lines 10 Wyse WY-75 terminal with 80 column/24 lines 11 Wyse 85 in 80 column mode, vt100 emulation 12 Wyse 100 terminal 13 Wyse 350 80 column color terminal emulating Wyse 50 14 Wyse 150 terminal You will then be asked the following two questions. 1. Do you want the 'Clear Flag' turned on? This flag will clear the screen each time a major menu or message is displayed. Clear Flag On (Y/N): 2. Do you want the 'Brackets' flag on? Choosing to turn this flag when on will cause the system to display all data fields in brackets. Example: With Brackets User Name: [Roland Sykes] Without Brackets User Name: Roland Sykes Brackets Flag On (Y/N): Verifying your information After you have answered the 'Brackets' flag question all the information you have entered will be displayed as shown below. Items with an * can be changed later after you login. Logname : rsykes User Name *: Roland W. Sykes Addr1 *: 6256 Ramblewood Drive City *: Dayton State *: OH Zipcode *: 45424 Night Phone *: 513-237-8360 Day Phone *: 513-237-8360 FAX Phone *: 513-237-9191 TTY Phone *: Organization *: Greater Independence through *: Management Programs, Inc. Term Type *: dosansi Clear Flag *: ON Bracket Flag *: OFF Is the above correct? (Y/N): You will be asked to verify that the information is correct. Answering 'No' will start the account creation process over again from the beginning. Answering 'Yes' will create your account using the information displayed. Troubleshooting If you are having trouble with initial connection, you may need to configure your a computer, modem, or communications software. DIMENET works with 300, 1200, 2400, and 9600 baud modems and DIMENET is capable of supporting modems at speeds up to 57,600 baud. If your modem is faster than 9600 baud, please call (513) 237-8360 for assistance in configuring your system to attain maximum speed in utilizing DIMENET. Your communications parameters should be set to communicate using 8 bits, one stop bit, and no parity. Consult your communications software manual for help on further configuring your parameters. If you would like to speak with a DIMENET technical assistant, call: Taunton (508) 880-5325 (V/TTY); Dayton (513) 439-0071 (V), (513) 439-0072 (TTY); or Tulsa (918) 592-1235 (V/TTY). LOGGING ON TO DIMENET Once your account has been created, you will be returned to the login prompt and will see the following: TeleSys-II BBS System - v5.22 - tsbbs02.tnet.com Dimenet If you are a NEW USER, login as new Login: At this point, you can login using your new logname and password. Enter your logname and press . When prompted, enter your password and press . You are now logged on to DIMENET. MAIN MENU You will see the DIMENET welcome message, then the main menu will display as shown below: B Bulletins C Conferences D Databases F File System G Goodbye L Logged on Users M Mail System N Newsgroups Q Questionnaire R Read Files T Time U Utilities W Who are users X Xpert Toggle ? Help Main Menu: E-MAIL E-mail (electronic mail) is a method for exchanging messages among individual network users. All DIMENET users can send e-mail to other DIMENET users on the same system. If you have made a donation to DIMENET you can also send e-mail to DIMENET users on other DIMENET systems and to any address on the Internet. When you login you will automatically be notified if you have mail. The message "You have mail" will appear above the main menu whenever there is mail in your mailbox. This message will appear as long as there are remaining messages in your mailbox, whether you have read them or not. Entering your Mailbox If you press 'M' for mail at the main menu you will see the main menu shown below. ## Date From Size Subject N 1 8-Nov-93 Paul W. Spooner 6 sending files N 2 8-Nov-93 Paul W. Spooner 2 remove files N 3 8-Nov-93 Paul W. Spooner 6 lightspeed A Answer Mail D Delete Mail E Exit F Forward Mail G Goodbye H Header Message L List Mail M Mail Addresses N Nonstop Read All R Read Mail S Send Mail T Time U Undelete Mail W Who are users X Xpert Toggle ? Help Mail System: As you can see from the above example, when you have mail, a one-line summary is provided for each mail message. Note that meassages are listed from most to least recently received. The left column will display 'N' for new, 'R' for read. The second column shows the mail message number. The third column shows the date the mail arrived in your mailbox. The fourth column shows the name of the person who sent the mail message. The fifth column shows how long the message is in lines. The sixth column shows the subject the sender assigned when it was sent. Reading Mail There are three different ways that you can read mail. The first is by selecting 'R' to read items beginning with the most recent item. After reading the entire message, the mail menu will appear. At this point you can press 'A' to answer the item you just read, 'D' to delete the item you just read, 'F' to forward the item you just read to another user, or select 'R' to read the next item in your mailbox. The second way to read mail is by entering the number of the mail item and pressing . This method takes you directly to the message chosen. After reading the entire message, the mail menu will appear. Again, you can press 'A' to answer the item you just read, 'D' to delete the item you just read, or 'F' to forward the item you just read. To redisplay the list of items in your mailbox, use 'L' to list mail. The third way to read mail is to use the 'N' nonstop read all command. This command will cause the mail system to display all your waiting mail in a continuous mode. This option does not give you the option of answering, deleting or forwarding messages. It simply is a way to retrieve all your mail quickly and in one move. This way, you can capture it in a file on your machine and read it later once you are off-line. Sending Mail There are two ways to send mail on DIMENET. You can prepare your mail message ahead of time in an ASCII file and upload it to the Editor (the mode that you work in when you send a prepared document to one of the areas on DIMENET), or you can compose and enter your message by hand while you are on-line. Since using DIMENET entails a long distance call, it is more economical if you compose your message off-line and then upload it. We suggest that you prepare your mail message as an ASCII file using your word processor. ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Most word processors can create ASCII files either by saving them directly or by printing them to an ASCII file. Check your word processor manual to learn how to create ASCII files. Once you have created your mail message in a file or are ready to compose a message on-line, logon to DIMENET. From the main menu select 'M' to enter the mail system. The mail menu will appear. If you do not know the logname of the person to whom you wish to send mail, use the 'Who' command to locate that logname by entering the person's real name. Then select 'S' to send mail. You will see the prompt: To: Enter the logname or Internet address of the person to whom you wish to send the mail message and press . If you entered just a logname, DIMENET will find the user and place their real name on the 'To' line in parenthesis (). If the mail is to a user on another DIMENET system or an address on the Internet, the address will be displayed just as it was entered. You will then see the prompt: Subject: Enter a subject for the message and press . You will see the 'Editor' mode appear, indicating that it is ready for you to type your message or to upload your pre-composed ASCII message (called 'ASCII uploading'). At this point, you can enter your message by hand or give your machine the command to ASCII upload the file containing the mail message. Check your communications software manual for information on how to upload files using ASCII upload. Once the file has transferred or you have typed in your message, press to get on a blank line. Then type a '/' (slash) and press . You will see the following prompt as the editor closes the document you created and waits for you to edit the message or send it. A Abort C Change D Delete I Insert S Send L List ?=Help: From this menu, you can abort the message if you change your mind (choose option 'A'), change a line in the message ('C'), delete a line or lines from the message ('D'), insert lines into the message or append them at the bottom of the message ('I'). 'L' will list the contents of the entered message to allow you to determine which line numbers to use to change, delete, or insert text. Press 'S' to send. If you have a signature file you will be asked if you want to append it to the message. The mail message is delivered almost immediately to the receiver's mailbox. You will see the following prompt: Do you want to send the same message to another user? (Y/N): If you answer 'N', you will be returned to the mail menu. If you answer 'Y', you will be able to send the same message to another person and will see the prompt: [Press Enter to see user list] To: Enter the logname or Internet address of the person to whom you wish to send the message and press . If you can not remember the person's logname, press . You will be placed into the 'Who' command to look up the user's logname and when finished be back at the "Do you want to send the same message to another user" prompt to try again. If you send the mail message to another user by entering the logname of the user, DIMENET will identify the user by placing their real name on the 'To' line in parenthesis () and then ask if you want to edit the message first. If you answer 'yes' you will be placed into the editor to edit the message. After you have answered 'no' to the question of editing or have finished with the editor, you will be prompted to confirm that it is okay to send the message. If you answer 'yes,' the message is delivered. If you answer 'no' it is not delivered. Either way, you will be asked if you want to send the same message to still another user. If you do, you can re-edit the message if you choose to before sending it. Answering 'no' returns you to the mail menu. WHAT ARE NEWSGROUPS Newsgroups are like bulletin boards used for posting messages for others to read. When you select a particular newsgroup, you will see a list of messages (postings) that others have uploaded. Newsgroups are essentially a public forum on a given topic or issue. DIMENET supports several types of newsgroups: LOCAL This is a newsgroup carried only by the local system (any network connected to one hub, or host site) in which it resides. It is not available when you dial into DIMENET through another host site offering an entry point to DIMENET. LOCAL Private This newsgroup is local, but is only accessible to individuals included in the user access list that is maintained by the moderator of the newsgroup. LOCAL Exclude This is a local newsgroup which operates much like a private newsgroup with the exception that only individuals included in the user access list maintained by the moderator of the group can even see that the group exists. Non-members will not see it listed when they list available newsgroups. USENET This is a group that is available on more than one system. This can consist of regular USENET newsgroups or special DNET newsgroups discussed later. USENET Private and Exclude The same as local private newsgroups except that these groups are carried to the three DIMENET systems located in Taunton, Dayton, and Tulsa. The moderator for the newsgroup has an account on one of the three DIMENET systems and controls the user list to allow access by users on any of the three DIMENET systems. DIMENET NEWSGROUPS You can post messages to local and 'dnet' hierarchy newsgroups, and can read the contents of all public newsgroups. You can also read and participate in private and exclude newsgroups if the moderator has placed your logname in the user access list for the newsgroup. If you have off-site mail privileges, you can also post messages to USENET newsgroups other than those in the 'dnet' hierarchy. Batch Read The DIMENET news system provides a powerful function called batch read. It allows you to subscribe to newsgroups. You can then use the 'B' batch read command from the news system menu to get all new items you have not seen from all subscribed newsgroups quickly and efficiently. If you subscribe to newsgroups and then use the batch read command, all new items in those newsgroups can be displayed on the screen in continuous scroll mode so that you can capture the information in a log file and read it later off-line. Batch read will also place the capability to place new items in a file and then compress the file automatically before sending it to you as a file download. This greatly reduces the time needed to transfer new information from newsgroups. Compression methods are available for use on DOS, Mac and Unix computers. The batch read command can compress files using Unix Compress, Unix Pack, ZIP, or ARC. The compressed file will be transmitted to your computer using the file transfer protocol (the process of transferring data between two modems using matched speeds of transmittal and translation) of your choice: Batch Ymodem, CRC Xmodem, Kermit Transfer, Xmodem Checksum, Ymodem/Xmodem1K and Zmodem Transfer. Uncompression software tools are available in the Tools File Area of DIMENET for downloading if you need them. In order for the batch read function to work, the system must record your list of subscribed newsgroups. The very first time you enter newsgroups you will see the following message. NEW USER NOTICE: As a new user, you now need to select which newsgroups you want to subscribe to. Subscribing to a newsgroup allows you to download and read (off-line) any new postings to that newsgroup via the batch read function. Batch read will not send new articles from a newsgroup unless you have subscribed to it. You now have four choices to choose from: 1) DO NOT subscribe to any newsgroups 2) SUBSCRIBE to ALL newsgroups 3) Individually select which groups to SUBSCRIBE Q) Quit news and return to main menu Note that with many newsgroups to select from, selection may take sometime. Which option would you like: If you choose option three to individually select groups to subscribe to, DIMENET will present each new newsgroup and wait for you to decide whether or not you wish to subscribe to the newsgroup displayed before moving on to the next. Subscribing to newsgroups ONLY effects the functioning of the batch read command. You can still enter, read, and participate in a newsgroup even if you choose not to subscribe. Subscribing just makes it possible to get all new items from the newsgroup using the batch read command. When new newsgroups have been added to the DIMENET system and you enter newsgroups, you will be prompted for your subscription selections for the new newsgroups. NEW NEWSGROUP! Group: dnet.ADA Desc : Americans with Disabilities Act Type : USENET PUBLIC Subscribe (Y/N/Q): y NEW NEWSGROUP! Group: dnet.Adapt Desc : American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today Type : USENET PUBLIC Subscribe (Y/N/Q): y After you have finished answering the newsgroup subscribe questions, the following menu will appear: B Batch Read C Catchup News E Exit G Goodbye L List News O Old Newsrc P Post Article R Read Newsgroup S Subscribe T Time U Unsubscribe X Xpert Toggle ? Help News System Menu: From the news system menu, you can batch read all subscribed newsgroups ('B'), list the available newsgroups ('L'), post a message to a newsgroup ('P'), read a newsgroup ('R'), and subscribe or unsubscribe from newsgroups ('S' or 'U'). Two other important functions are also available at the news system menu. They are catchup news ('C') and old newsrc ('O'). Catchup news is useful for users that have subscribed to newsgroups because they wish to receive all new items from the newsgroups BUT do not want to batch read all of the old items from their subscribed newsgroups. Selecting 'C' will update your newsgroup record counters so that they are current. Then, the next time you log in and do a batch read you will only get the new stuff from your subscribed newsgroups since your last login. Old Newsrc is a selection that will reset your newsgroup message record counters back to where they were before your last batch read. This is useful if you were executing a batch read and for some reason lost the telephone connection to DIMENET. You can reconnect to DIMENET, select 'N' newsgroups, select 'O' old newsrc, then select 'B' to batch read again. To see a list of newsgroups, press 'N' from the main menu, then select 'L'. You will see the following prompt: List Groups: Enter newsgroup (ENTER=ALL/B/S/U/Q/?=Help) Input selection: From this menu, you can select 'B' to view a brief listing of all newsgroups, 'S' to list all subscribed newsgroups, or 'U' to list all unsubscribed newsgroups. Selecting 'B' will show all newsgroups, one per line, as shown below. List of ALL Newsgroups Brief (S) dnet.ADA Americans with Disabilities Act (S) dnet.CILstandards RSA Workgroup on CIL Standards and Indicators (S) dnet.Editorial DIMENET Editorial Committee (S) dnet.Employment Job announcements and other employment opportunities (S) dnet.General General Information (S) dnet.ILRU Independent Living Research and Utilization RTC (S) dnet.Meetings Meetings and Conferences (U)*dnet.NAIL National Association for Independent Living (S) dnet.NARIC National Rehabilitation Information Center (S) dnet.NCILBoard National Council on Independent Living Governing Board (S) dnet.NCILMembership National Council on Independent Living Members (S) dnet.NECILC New England Coalition of Independent Living Centers (S) dnet.PAS Personal Assistance Services (S) dnet.PCIL Pennsylvania Council on Independent Living (S) dnet.Presidential Presidential Forum (S)*dnet.Rehabact Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization (S) dnet.Suggestions DIMENET System Suggestions or Questions (S)*dnet.Town Meeting Town Meeting (Open Forum Discussion) (S) dnet.Training Independent Living Training Resources (U) = Unsubscribed (S) = Subscribed * = Contains New Messages Entering DIMENET Newsgroups You can enter a DIMENET newsgroup by following these steps. From the main menu, press 'N' for newsgroups. The news system menu will appear as shown below: B Batch Read C Catchup News E Exit G Goodbye L List News O Old Newsrc P Post Article R Read Newsgroup S Subscribe T Time U Unsubscribe X Xpert Toggle ? Help News System Menu Press 'R' for read newsgroup. You will be presented with the following prompt: Read Which Group (ENTER=List): At this prompt, you can press to see the list of newsgroups and pick the one you want by number, OR you can type a portion of the newsgroup name you wish to look at and press . The system will then search the newsgroups for the name you entered. If more than one newsgroup matches, it will present the ones found by number and allow you to select the one you want. If your search only finds one newsgroup that matches, you will be placed directly into the newsgroup. The list of possible newsgroup names can be seen as the second column of items using the list newsgroups brief command ('L', then 'B') from the news system menu. Newsgroup names are formed with the 'dnet' prefix and descriptive name or abbreviation suffix (i.e., dnet.ADA, dnet.CILstandards, etc.). Once you are in the newsgroup you have selected, you will see the newsgroup menu that appears below. dnet.ADA (1-38) [1] Moderator: dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com A Answer to User E Exit F Followup Post G GOODBYE H Header Info L List Messages M Mail to a user P Post Message R Read S Subscribe T Time U Unsubscribe W Who are users X Xpert Toggle ? Help Newsgroup Menu: The upper left side of the newsgroup menu displays the name of the newsgroup you have entered. After the name, you will see the number of messages in the newsgroup shown in parenthesis. Then you see the number one in brackets [1] indicating that the read command will start with item one by default. You may choose to read any message at any time by typing the number of the message at the prompt. The last item in the upper left will be the newsgroup moderator's e-mail address. To read newsgroup messages that are new to you, press 'R' to read. You will be presented with the first item that you have not yet read. After reading it, you will be returned to the newsgroup menu. Another way to read messages is to select 'L' to list messages. You will see a prompt like the one below. List Starting at (1 - 47) or N: Pressing will list all messages. Entering a number and pressing will show you the list from the number given to the end of the list. Entering 'N' for new and then pressing will list only new messages. Technical Assistance If you have problems or questions regarding using DIMENET, technical support is available to help with such procedures as hooking up and using a modem with communications software, connecting to DIMENET, uploading and downloading files, etc. Once you have logged on, you may also obtain technical assistance by referring to on-line help screens by pressing '?,' or by posting a message in the Suggestions and Questions newsgroup. Technical assistance is also available from individuals at DIMENET regional host sites: Taunton (508) 880-5325 (V/TTY), Dayton (513) 439-0071 (V), 439-0072 (TTY), and Tulsa (918) 592-1235 (V/TTY). Additional help may be obtained from Roland Sykes at (513) 237-8360 (V) or Paul Spooner at (508) 875-7853 (V/TTY). Developed by Paul Spooner and Roland Sykes, 1995. GLOSSARY The following is a glossary of terms related to computer networking and the Internet. Words appearing in bold letters are defined elsewhere in the list. ANONYMOUS FTP File transfer protocol allows retrieval of text files, data files, or software from a remote computer without establishing a user ID or a password. ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A set of standard 256 codes to represent letters, digits, special characters, and other symbols. These codes allow compatibility between the language of the computer and the language of people. Each letter, number, and special symbol has a unique pattern of bits. Each bit is either 0 or 1. Only the first 128 of these codes are standardized; the remaining 128 are special characters that are defined by the computer manufacturer. BACKBONE In communications, the part of the network that handles the major traffic. It may interconnect multiple locations, and smaller networks may be attached to it. BAUD RATE The speed of data transmission measured in bits per second (bps). Standard modem communication utilizes rates of 1200, 2400, 9600, and 14,400 baud. BBS Bulletin Board System. A computer set up to receive calls via telephone from other computers. It functions the same way a bulletin board does, with users leaving and receiving messages, mail, and information. Services provided on BBSs vary greatly, but usually include public messages and private mail, as well as the ability to send and receive files and software. BBSs generally have a specific topical or user focus. BIT A binary digit, either 0 or 1. In a computer, bits are represented by an on/off switch. BOOKMARK A marker used to provide a shortcut back to a resource of interest that you located on the Internet. BYTE After the bit, the second-most fundamental data unit in electronic computing and the smallest unit having generally understandable significance to humans. A byte is sufficient to define letters, digits, punctuation marks, and other special characters. Most micro-computers use 8 or 16 bit or byte structures. CACHE A reserved section of memory used to improve a component's memory performance. CAPTURE To save information sent to your computer rather than just view it on the screen. Captured text is usually stored in the computer's memory. It may also be captured, or stored, on a diskette. CD ROM Compact Disc Read Only Memory. A compact disc format used to hold text, graphics, and hi-fi stereo sound much like a music CD, but with a different track format for data. The music CD player cannot play CD ROMs, but CD ROM players usually play music CDs and have headphone and amplifier jacks. A CD ROM player connects to a controller card, which is plugged into one of the computer's expansion slots. CD ROMs hold in excess of 600MB (see megabyte) of data, which is equivalent to about 250,000 pages of text or 20,000 medium resolution images. CHIP An integrated circuit. Chips are approximately 1/16th to 1/2 inch square and about 1/30th of an inch thick. They hold from a few dozen to several million electronic components (transistors, resistors, etc.). The terms chip, integrated circuit, and micro-electronic are all synonymous. COMMAND DRIVEN Software which requires the user to enter an appropriate command in order to operate the system. CONNECT TIME The amount of time a user is connected to an electronic information service. Some services base charges on the amount of connect time. DATABASE A computer holding large amounts of information that can be searched by a user. Internet users have the capability to search huge databases maintained by universities and other organizations all over the world. DEDICATED PHONE LINE A line that is used only for the modem and telecommunicating. Also referred to as a dataline. DIAL-UP INTERNET CONNECTION Lets a user dial into an Internet service provider using a modem and telephone line to access the Internet. The user is usually presented with a text-based series of menus to navigate the Internet. DOS Disk Operating System. A set of basic operating instructions for a particular type of computer, based on its CPU. MS-DOS, (Microsoft DOS), refers to the standard IBM-compatible operating system. DOWNLOAD To transfer a program or file from another computer to your own, usually using a modem to capture or save messages. DPI Dots Per Inch, or a measure of printer resolution. A 300 dpi printer means 90,000 dots are printable in one square inch (300x300). E-MAIL Electronic mail is a written message transmitted electronically. ENCRYPTION Encoding data for security purposes by converting the standard data code into a proprietary code. The encrypted data must be decoded in order to be used. It is used to transmit documents over a network or to encode text so that it cannot easily be altered in a word processor. ETHERNET A local area network. Originally developed by Xerox, Digital, and Intel that interconnects personal computers via coaxial cable. It uses CSMA/CD access method, transmits at 10 megabytes per second and can connect up to 1,024 nodes, or PCs, in total. FAQ Frequently Asked Question files. Freely available across the Internet. These documents address hundreds of usually Internet-related topics. FLAMING Sending hate e-mail to an Internet user (usually a company or person who has violated netiquette and posted an illegal advertisement on a newsgroup or mailing list). A user who writes flames is known as a flamer. FREEWARE Free software found on the Internet. The makers of freeware permit their programs to be distributed freely, expecting no compensation in return. Freeware is usually found in an ITP file. FTP File Transfer Protocol. Allows files to be transferred between Internet-connected computers. GOPHER A menu-based system for browsing Internet information. Used for tunneling quickly from one place on the Internet to the other. GRAPHICS With regard to the computer, the creation and management of pictures. Pictures can be entered into the computer using input devices such as graphic tablets, mice, or light pens, and existing pictures on paper can be scanned into a computer using scanners or cameras. Once captured, pictures can be manipulated in many ways: colors can be changed, objects can be increased or decreased in size, slanted, squeezed, and squashed; frames of video recordings can be combined with drawn objects text descriptions can be added to produce charts, reports, brochures, and other kinds of presentation materials; pictures can be printed on graphics printers and plotters, high-resolution COM (computer output microfilm) machines, or photographed directly from the display screen. HACKER One who likes to use computers in new, creative ways to demonstrate technical genius. This term is also used to refer to those who visit computer sites illegally. HANDSHAKING A procedure where two modems learn how to "talk" to one another. HARD COPY That form of information which does not require the mediation of a computer to be readable. Examples of hard copy include a printout on paper, ink, or Braille. HARD DISK A high speed, large capacity component built into a computer for storing data; information stored on a hard disk may be transferred to a floppy diskette for use on other systems. HARDWARE The physical components of a computing and telecommunicating system. INK JET Printer mechanism that sprays one or more colors of ink onto paper and produces high-quality printing like that of a laser printer. INTERFACE Connection and interaction between hardware, software, and user. Hardware interfaces are the plugs, sockets and wires that carry electrical signals in a prescribed order. Software interfaces are the languages, codes, and messages that programs use to communicate with each other, such as between an application program and the operating system. User interfaces are the keyboards, mice, dialogues, command languages, and menus used for communication between the user and the computer. INTERNET Global "network of networks" that connects more than a million computers (called hosts) in over 3,000 government and academic networks in 40 countries. The Internet is the virtual "space" in which users send and receive e-mail, log onto remote computers (telnet), browse databases of information (through gopher, World Wide Web, WAIS), and send and receive programs (ftp) contained on these computers. ISP Internet Service Provider is any organization that provides access to the Internet. ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network. International telecommunications standard for transmitting voice, video, and data over a digital communications line. It uses out-of-band signaling, which provides a separate channel for control information. ISDN services come in two forms: Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and Primary Rate Interface (PRI). BRI provides a 144 kilobits-per-second service, which includes two 64Kbps "B" channels for voice, data or video, and one 16Kbps "D" channel for control information. PRI provides a 1.54 megabits-per-second service, which includes 23 64Kbps "B" channels and one 64 Kbps "D" channel. The future of ISDN: ISDN's 64Kbps transmission rate provides a big boost for PCs communicating via modem, even at 9,600bps, but it doesn't provide an alternative for interconnecting LANs transmitting in the 10+ megabit per second range. However, Broadband ISDN (BISDN) should materialize around 1993 and will utilize broadband transmission and fiber optic cables to jump transmission speed to 150 megabits per second. LASER PRINTER Printer that uses the electrophotographic method used in copy machines. A laser "paints" the dots of light onto a photographic drum or belt. The toner is applied to the drum or belt and then transferred onto the paper. LISTSERVE (Also see Mailing Lists) Much like a round-robin letter, there are many hundreds of mailing lists devoted to all kinds of topics. If you decide to subscribe to a mailing list, be sure you find out how to cancel your subscription. To get a list of mailing lists, send message to mail-server@nisc.sri.com, containing the words "send netinfointerest-groups." LOG OFF When you do this you give the computer a command signaling that you have completed your call. LOG ON When you do this you give the computer a command signaling that you are ready to use the system. A user password is usually necessary to log onto a system. MAILING LISTS More than 3,500 topic-oriented, e-mail-based message bases that can be read from and posted to. Users subscribe to lists they want to read and receive posts via e-mail. (Sometimes also referred to as listserves.) MEGABYTE One million bytes. Also MB, Mbyte and M-byte. MENU Used in almost every type of program to direct the flow of operation. When you see a menu displayed you are given a chance to select an option to take you to another part of the program. Most bulletin boards use some form of menu. MHZ Megahertz. One million cycles per second. Refers to a computer's clock rate, which is a raw measure of its internal speed. MODEM A device that allows a computer to transmit and receive information over telephone lines. A modem takes signals generated in a sending terminal and "modulates" them into electrical impulses that can be sent over telephone lines. When receiving information, it "demodulates" signals, that is, changes them from electrical impulses to data codes that the terminal can recognize. MOSAIC A graphical user interface with icons that enables you to negotiate your way through the Internet by using a Windows-like program and clicking an electronic mouse. MULTIMEDIA Communicating information in more than one form. Includes the use of text, audio, graphics, animated graphics and full-motion video. MULTITASKING Running two or more programs in one computer at the same time. It is controlled by the operating system, which loads the programs and manages them until finished. The number of programs that can be effectively multitasked depends on the amount of memory available, CPU speed, capacity and speeds of peripheral resources, as well as the efficiency of the operating system. Multitasking is accomplished due to the differences in I/O and processing speed. While one program is waiting for input, instructions in another program can be executed. With interactive programs, the delay between keystrokes is used to execute instructions in other programs. In batch processing systems, the milliseconds of delay getting data into and out of the computer are used to execute instructions in other programs. NETIQUETTE Conventional rules of conduct for Internet users. Violating netiquette may result in flaming. NETWORK A group of computers that are connected in some fashion. Most business networks are known as a LANs, or Local Area Networks, because they are networks linking computers in one location. The Internet is known as a WAN, or Wide Area Network, because it connects computers in more than one local area. NEWSGROUPS More than 7,500 topic-oriented message bases that can be read from and posted to. Also called Usenet newsgroups. ONLINE When a terminal, phone, or other equipment is logged onto (connected directly) to a computer (or network of computers). OPERATING SYSTEM Master control program that runs the computer and acts as a scheduler and traffic cop. It is the first program loaded when the computer is turned on. The central part of the operating system, called the kernel, resides in memory at all times and may be developed by the vendor of the computer it runs or by a third party. The operating system is an important component of the computer system, because it sets the standards for the application programs that run in it. All programs must be written to "talk to" the operating system. PALMTOP Computer small enough to hold in one hand and operate with the other. Palmtops may have specialized keyboards or keypads for data entry applications or have small qwerty keyboards. PATH The route to a file on a disk. PEN-BASED COMPUTING Using a stylus to enter handwriting and marks into a computer. PIRACY Illegal copying of software for personal or commercial use. POSTSCRIPT Page description language from Adobe Systems Inc., used in a wide variety of printers. PORT (1) Pathway into and out of the computer. On a front end processor, serial ports connect to communications lines and modems. The serial and parallel ports on a personal computer are external sockets for plugging in communications lines, modems and printers; however, the computer has several internal sockets (expansion slots) that accept control units for such devices as disk drives, display screens and scanners; or (2) To convert software to run in a different computer environment. RAM Random Access Memory, a computer's primary workspace. Although true of most memory chips, "random" means that the contents of each byte can be directly accessed without regard to the bytes before or after it. RAM chips require more power to maintain their content. ROM Read Only Memory. Memory chip that permanently stores instructions and data. Its contents are created at the time of manufacture and cannot be altered. Used extensively to store control routines in personal computers and in peripheral controllers, it is also used in plug-in cartridges for printers, video games, and other systems. SHAREWARE Software you can "try before you buy." Makers of shareware programs allow their work to be distributed freely, but retain copyright and expect frequent users to mail payment to them on the honor system. SLIP OR PPP (DIAL-UP IP) INTERNET CONNECTIONS Serial Line Internet Protocol or Point-to-Point Protocol. Both allow a computer to connect to the Internet using a modem and telephone line. Users can then explore using their own Internet navigation software. SOFTWARE Same as a program. Software is so called because it is essentially a set of instructions, and, therefore, represents ideas. The actual computer, which runs the software, is referred to as hardware. SPREADSHEET Software that simulates a paper spreadsheet, or worksheet, in which columns of numbers are summed for budgets and plans. It appears on screen as a matrix of rows and columns, the intersections of which are identified as cells. Spreadsheets can have thousands of cells and can be scrolled horizontally and vertically for viewing. STORING The act and process of writing programs or data to secondary media (hard or floppy disks). SYSOP A contraction of "systems operator." A person responsible for maintaining a bulletin board system (BBS), or a database on an information service. Duties may include validating users, maintaining a message board, gathering and posting messages for data library, providing training for others, and recruiting new callers. TELECOMMUNICATION Using a computer to communicate over distance with another computer or communication system. TELECOMMUTING Working at home and communicating with the office over telephone lines with a telephone, fax modem, or other technologies. TELECONFERENCING Video teleconferencing. Video conference among several users provided by video cameras and monitors set up inhouse or in a public conference center. It requires a high-bandwidth (TV capacity) network that uses coaxial cable, optical fibers, microwave, or satellite transmission. Although conventional computer networks can't yet handle video, video conferencing is slowly being integrated into data networks. In time, all data networks will provide this capability. TELNET Allows users to access remote computers directly. UPLOAD To transfer a program or file from your computer to another, usually using a modem. VERONICA A search utility that helps to find what you're looking for on gopher servers around the world. Instead of looking through menus, Veronica allows you to enter keywords to locate the gopher site that holds the information you want. VGA Video Graphics Array. IBM video display standard, the minimum standard for PCs (personal computers). VIRUS Actually a program, not a form of bacteria. It attaches itself to other programs and can create unexpected results from the computer--anything from mischievous messages to hard disk catastrophes, depending on the whim of the person who created it. WAIS Wide Area Information Servers. Servers allowing users to search by keyword for information located in databases and libraries connected to the Internet. WINDOWS Graphics-based operating environment from Microsoft that co-exists with DOS. It provides a desktop environment similar to the Macintosh. Different applications, or multiples of the same application, are kept active in windows that can be resized and relocated on screen. Users can switch back and forth between them. Individual windows can be converted into icons and placed on the desktop when not required. Windows provide a point-and-shoot method for working with DOS directories; however, it does not simulate file folders like the Mac. WORLD WIDE WEB (WWW) A revolutionary hypertext system that employs browser software to allow for point-and-click navigation of Internet information and resources. The WWW is the web-like interconnection of millions of bits of information spanning the Internet. XMODEM The oldest of all file transfer protocols. Typically used with older BBSs. YMODEM An older file transfer protocol that allows for the transfer of multiple files. ZMODEM Widely considered to be the fastest and most stable file transfer protocol. Can also be used to transfer multiple files. Compiled by June Isaacson Kailes, 5/91, 12/94, 1/95. NETIQUETTE Communicating by computers is new to almost everyone, and there are certain aspects that can make it a frustrating experience until you get used to it. Here are a few helpful tips to avoid the worst traps. Do not post messages on a newsgroup that aren't relevant to the group. The words you write and post are read by thousands of people all over the world. If your message is not relevant to the newsgroup, then send it by e-mail to interested people. Use meaningful subject lines when posting messages and composing e-mail. This is important because many, many people scan for postings that they are particularly interested in and make their judgment based on the content of the subject line. DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS! While writing a single word in caps is good for emphasis, writing an entire phrase, sentence, or message in all caps is the equivalent of shouting and is considered rude. Be very careful with humor and sarcasm. Without voices and body language, it is easy to be misinterpreted. You can convey some emotions that words alone cannot express by punctuating your message with "emoticons" (from emotion + icon!), but be sure your readers understand your smileys or emoticons before you use them, otherwise you might as well be typing in a foreign language. Be brief. People appreciate one's ability to stay succinct and on topic, and what you say will have greater impact! When you are responding to someone else's posting: Summarize the parts of the previous posting that you are responding to. This is best done by including appropriate quotes from the original posting or message. Don't include the entire message. Newsgroup postings: One of the problems when someone asks a question in a public newsgroup is that many people reply with identical answers. When this happens, many repetitive messages get posted to the newsgroup. Mail your answer to the person asking the question and suggest that they summarize the answers received and then post the summary in the newsgroup. It is recommended that you follow a newsgroup for a few weeks before you begin to post items to the group. Get a sense of the group's culture and focus before you post. Be careful about copyrights and licenses: Once something is posted, it is probably in the public domain unless you own the appropriate rights. Never publish private e-mail without permission. Adapted and expanded from a GJR Software Products publication by June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant; 6201 Ocean Front Walk, #2; Playa Del Rey, CA 90293-7556. Reprinted with permission. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF INTERNET A Brief Overview What is the Internet? Picture an airline-style hub system for electronic connections and make it even more complex. You then have a pretty good idea of how the Internet looks and works (O'Malley, p. 110). The Internet is the world's largest computer network and the nearest thing to a working prototype of the information superhighway (Elmer-DeWitt, p. 50). The Internet is the string of interconnected networks that started out as a link between government agencies and research centers around the country. It offers a wealth of information and a wide variety of discussion opportunities. One of its most important uses is the role it plays as a clearinghouse or processing center for the world's e-mail. All of the major public e-mail services are now linked to Internet (MCI Mail, AT&T Mail, Sprint Mail, CompuServe, America Online, Delphi, and Prodigy). History The ancestor of the Internet was the ARPANET, a project of the Department of Defense started in 1969 as an experiment in reliable networking to link together the Department of Defense and military research contractors, including a large number of universities doing military-funded research. ARPA stands for Advance Research Projects Agency, the branch of the Defense Department in charge of awarding grant funds. The concept was that if one of the network links became disrupted by enemy attack, the traffic on it could automatically be rerouted to other links. (Levine and Baroudi, pp. 11-12). The net was built without any central authority. This means that no one owns it and no one runs it and no one has the power to kick anybody off for good. There is no master switch that can shut it down (Elmer-DeWitt, p. 53). An example of how this really worked was seen during the Gulf War in 1991, when the U.S. military had considerable trouble knocking out the Iraqi command network. It turned out the Iraqis were using commercially available network routers with standard Internet routing and recovery technology. In other words, dynamically routing really worked, although this is not the way our country really wanted to find out (Levine and Baroudi, p. 12). Who is using the Internet? Ten to fifteen percent of households subscribe to more than one online information service. The five big companies accounting for 85% of the online customers include America Online, CompuServe, GEnie, Prodigy, and Delphi (APT News, p. 3). Use of the Internet is growing at an awesome rate, by approximately 10% per month. (Levine and Baroudi, p. 8). How to get connected You can get connected for free in some cities. Otherwise, direct access can usually be purchased for as little as $20 a month (see document SLIP connections). InterNic (800-444-4345) is a toll-free referral service that helps people find access points for the Internet. How do you find people's Internet addresses? 1. Ask people what their address is and make your own directory. 2. Purchase the Yellow Pages of Internet addresses in the book store. 3. If somebody sends you Internet e-mail, make a note of their address located in the header of the message. In the future, there will be the equivalent of "white pages" directory that lets you look up anyone's e-mail address regardless of where they are or which e-mail system they belong to (O'Malley, p. 112). Navigating the Net It's not easy. Newcomers at first are pretty frustrated and some say it's like sailing in a storm-tossed sea. After about a month of practice most people can develop enough proficiency to find their way around the net. References Alliance for Public Technology, APT News, Vol. V, No. 3, June 1994. Elmer-DeWitt, P., Battle for the Soul of the Internet, Time, July 25, 1994, pp. 50-56. Levine, J.R. and Baroudi, C., The Internet for Dummies, California: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1993. O'Malley, C., Caught Up in the 'Net, Mobile Office, February, 1994, pp. 110-112. Prepared by June Isaacson Kailes, 2/95. Reprinted with permission. WHAT ARE NEWSGROUPS Newsgroups are like bulletin boards on which people post messages for others to read. When you read a newsgroup, you will see the messages that others have posted. A newsgroup is essentially a public forum on a given topic or issue. There are complete descriptions of the different types of newsgroups in the DIMENET manual. To download a copy of the manual, check the "Documents'" file area for the version (WordPerfect, ASCII) you prefer. Why Are Newsgroups Named The Way They Are? When the first newsgroups began to form on the Internet, several hierarchies were created to group newsgroup topics into general categories. This made passing of news items from site to site easier. These categories included: comp: (computer) misc: (miscellaneous) news: (news as in newsgroups) rec: (recreation) sci: (science) soc: (social) talk: (talk) Over time, many more newsgroups have popped up including: alt: (alternate) biz: (business commercial) bionet:(biological) bit: (bitnet) clari: (Clarinet) info: (information) mail: (mail) All together there are now well over 7000 newsgroups throughout the world. Each hierarchy contains a type of newsgroup structure. The structure comp.* contains groups related to computers, soc.* are groups that deal with social issues, and so on. So What Is A DNET Newsgroup? DNET (normally seen as dnet.newsgroup_name) is a special hierarchy of newsgroups that are used for the newsgroups maintained in the DIMENET network. ONLY DIMENET sites are permitted to receive these newsgroups. In order to read a dnet.* newsgroup, you must access a DIMENET site. List of all Newsgroups Available on DIMENET NewsGroup Name: CATS-SC Title: California Assistive Technology Systems Steering Committee Messages:*1 to 3 (U) [PRIVATE ] [jkailes@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: CATSCON Title: California Assistive Tech Systems Contractors & Staff Messages:*1 to 2 (S) [PRIVATE ] [jkailes@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: CATSLTM Title: California Assistive Tech Systems Leadership in Technology Management Messages:*1 to 19 (S) [PRIVATE ] [jkailes@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: IABOARD Title: Independence Associates Board of Directors Messages: 1 to 8 (S) [PRIVATE ] [griffin@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.activism Title: Activities for activists Messages:*16325 to 17732 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.bbs.ads Title: Advertisements for BBS Systems Messages:*2593 to 2598 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.conspiracy Title: Be paranoid -- they are out to get you! Messages: 16418 to 16459 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.med.cfs Title: Duplicates the CFS-L mailing list Messages:*2958 to 3008 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.personals Title: Geek seeks Dweeb. Object: low-level interfacing Messages:*23633 to 23648 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.support.arthritis Title: Group for those interested in Arthritis Messages:*970 to 979 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.support.attn-deficit Title: Newsgroup for discussion about Attention Deficit diso Messages:*3178 to 3242 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.support.depression Title: Newsgroup for discussion about depression Messages: 17688 to 18217 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: alt.support.mult-sclerosis Title: Newsgroup echos the MS-LIST Mailing List Messages:*4327 to 4427 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.ada-law Title: Duplicates the ADA-LAW Mailing List Messages:*1318 to 1334 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.autism Title: Duplicates the AUTISM mailing list Messages:*2344 to 2445 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.axslib-l Title: Duplicates the AXSLIB-L mailing list Messages:*184 to 187 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.blindnws Title: Duplicates the BLIND NEWS DIGEST mailing list Messages: 10 to 64 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.cfs.newsletter Title: Carries the newsletter from CFS-NEWS@LIST.NIH.GOV Messages: 0 to 0 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.deaf-l Title: Redistribution of DEAF-L mailing list Messages:*4850 to 4930 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.down-syn Title: Duplicates the DOWN-SYN mailing list Messages:*685 to 699 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.dsshe-l Title: Duplicates the DSSHE-L mailing list Messages:*669 to 1917 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.easi Title: Duplicates the EASI mailing list Messages:*1142 to 1153 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.l-hcap Title: Duplicates the L-HCAP mailing list Messages: 98 to 214 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: bit.listserv.tbi-sprt Title: Duplicates the TBI-SPRT mailing list Messages: 0 to 0 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.ADA Title: Americans with Disabilities Act Messages: 1 to 97 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.AILCNY Title: Association of Independent Living Centers in New York Messages: 1 to 3 (S) [P USENET] [eggert@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.ATPEE Title: Assistive Technology Product Exchange & Evaluation Exchange Messages:*1 to 39 (S) [USENET ] [jkailes@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.AWD Title: Aging with a disability Messages:*1 to 8 (S) [USENET ] [jkailes@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Adapt Title: American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today Messages: 1 to 32 (S) [USENET ] [adapt@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.BayStateNews Title: Massachusetts News Exchange Messages:*1 to 15 (S) [USENET ] [griffin@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.CATS Title: California Assistive Technology Systems Messages:*1 to 24 (S) [USENET ] [jkailes@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.CILReg4 Title: Region IV Centers for Independent Living Messages:*1 to 8 (S) [USENET ] [ilsckd@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.CILstandards Title: RSA Workgroup on CIL Standards and Indicators Messages: 1 to 17 (S) [P USENET][pspooner@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Editorial Title: DIMENET Editorial Committee Messages: 1 to 154 (S) [USENET ] [rsykes@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Employment Title: Job announcements and other employment opportunities Messages:*1 to 62 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.For_Sale Title: Items For Sale Messages:*4 to 11 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.General Title: General Information Messages: 1 to 191 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Health Title: National Health Care Reform Messages:*1 to 79 (S) [USENET ][michaels@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.ILRU Title: Independent Living Research and Utilization RTC on IL Messages:*1 to 21 (S) [USENET ] [ilru@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.ILTA Title: Independent Living Technical Assistance Messages: 1 to 16 (S) [USENET ] [ilru@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.JOBSILRU Title: ILRU Job Bank Listings Messages:*1 to 15 (U) [USENET ][ilrujobs@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Jerrys_orphans Title: Jerry's Orphans Messages: 1 to 25 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.KACIL Title: Kansas Association of Independent Living Centers Messages:*21 to 22 (U) [P USENET] [gina@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Meetings Title: Meetings and Conferences Messages: 1 to 3 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NAIL Title: National Association for Independent Living Messages: 1 to 8 (S) [P USENET][pspooner@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NARIC Title: National Rehabilitation Information Center Messages: 1 to 5 (S) [USENET ] [adele@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NCILAnnual Title: National Council on IL Annual Meeting Messages: 1 to 11 (S) [P USENET] [maggie@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NCILBoard Title: National Council on Independent Living Governing Board Messages: 1 to 84 (S) [P USENET] [ncil@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NCILHealth Title: NCIL Health Care Reform Meeting Messages: 1 to 53 (S) [E USENET] [hughey@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NCILMembership Title: National Council on Independent Living Members Messages: 1 to 108 (S) [P USENET] [ncil@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NCILNEWS Title: NCIL Newsletter Article Submission Area Messages: 0 to 0 (S) [USENET ] [duane@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NCILReg8 Title: NCIL Region 8 Messages: 1 to 7 (S) [USENET ] [jas@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NCILRegion Title: NCIL Regional Representatives Committee Messages: 1 to 98 (S) [P USENET][kleinman@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NECILC Title: New England Coalition of Independent Living Centers Messages: 1 to 40 (S) [P USENET] [griffin@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.NWS Title: National Womanist Society Messages: 0 to 0 (U) [P USENET] [dcil@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.PAS Title: Personal Assistance Services Messages:*1 to 36 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.PAnews Title: Pennsylvania News Messages:*1 to 14 (S) [USENET ][kleinman@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.PCIL Title: Pennsylvania Council on Independent Living Messages: 1 to 121 (S) [P USENET][kleinman@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Presidential Title: Presidential Forum Messages: 1 to 72 (S) [USENET ] [rick@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.RComm Title: NCIL Rehabilitation Act Committee Messages: 1 to 129 (S) [E USENET][michaels@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.RTCIL Title: Research and Training Center on Independent Living Messages: 1 to 3 (S) [USENET ] [rtcil@tsbbs05.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Rehabact Title: Rehabilitation Act Messages: 1 to 76 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.SERIES Title: SERIES Discussion Messages: 1 to 1 (S) [USENET ] [vmike@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.SILC Title: State Independent Living Council Discussion Messages: 1 to 12 (S) [USENET ][pspooner@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Speech Title: Speech Disability - Hear Our Voices Messages: 1 to 1 (U) [USENET ][segalman@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Suggestions Title: DIMENET System Suggestions or Questions Messages: 1 to 36 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Town_Meeting Title: Town Meeting (Open Forum Discussion) Messages: 1 to 32 (S) [USENET ] [dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.Training Title: Independent Living Training Resources Messages: 1 to 20 (S) [USENET ] [pari@tsbbs02.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.c-palsy Title: Cerebral Palsy Mailing List Messages: 0 to 0 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.clinton.news Title: Whitehouse News Messages:*2 to 1568 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.dadvocat Title: Fathers of Children with Disabilities Messages:*1 to 99 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.mobility Title: SJU Mobility Disabilities List Messages:*1 to 591 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.roadmap Title: Interactive Internet Training Workshop Messages: 1 to 48 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.test Title: Test Newsgroup for dnet Distribution Messages:*1 to 32 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: dnet.testers Title: TeleSys-II Testers Support Newsgroup Messages: 1 to 55 (S) [P USENET] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.consumers Title: Consumer Interests, Product Reviews, Etc. Messages:*19082 to 19085 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.consumers.house Title: Discussion about owning and maintaining a house Messages:*17635 to 17656 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.education Title: Discussion of the Educational System Messages:*7663 to 7667 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.handicap Title: Items of Interest for/about people with disabilities Messages: 15827 to 16167 (S) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.jobs.contract Title: Discussions about contract labor Messages:*37054 to 43843 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.jobs.offered Title: Announcements of Positions available Messages:*100663 to 120232 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.jobs.offered.entry Title: Announcements of only entry level positions Messages:*4356 to 4494 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.jobs.resumes Title: Posting of resumes and "situation wanted" articles Messages:*14405 to 41984 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] NewsGroup Name: misc.legal Title: Legalities and the ethics of law Messages:*3649 to 3649 (U) [USENET ] [kreed@tsbbs01.tnet.com] DIMENET FILE AREAS DIMENET provides numerous file areas. These are used to make files available for users to download. The files available may be software, as in the case of PKZIP or other Shareware tools, or documents, as in the case of federal statutes and federal regulations. For a complete description of file areas, as well as instructions for uploading, downloading, and using PKZIP or other compression tools, consult your DIMENET manual. To obtain a manual, call (513) 237-8360 to request a hard copy or download from the 'Documents' file area on DIMENET. Alternative formats are available. DIMENET file areas include the following subjects: ## Directory Description 1 ADAFILES Americans with Disabilities Act 2 CATS California Assistive Technology System 3 REHAB Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization 4 PresFiles Presidential Forum Files 5 Trans Transportation 6 TECHACT Technology-Related Assistance Act 7 Housing Housing 8 PCServices PCA Services 9 Funds Fund raising and other Money Items 10 ILRUFiles ILRU Research and Training Center on IL 11 IL_Network NCIL/ILRU Independent Living Network 12 NAILFiles National Assoc. for Independent Living 13 NARICFiles National Rehabilitation Info Center 14 NECILCFiles New England Coalition of ILC's 15 RTCIL Research and Training Center on IL at KU 16 SpeechFiles Speech Disability - Hear Our Voices 17 Newsletters Newsletters from various sources 18 Documents General Document Files 19 Tools Shareware and Other Software Tools 20 Uploads Upload files here Enter Selection (E=Exit or Enter for MORE selections): As you can see, DIMENET has many areas for files and documents. The following is a list of files in different file areas. File area 1 is ADAFILES; File Name File Size Description tamanii.zip 49152 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title II, ADA ZIP File TAMANIII.ZIP 75264 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title III, ADA ZIP File tamanii.ask 155648 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title II, ADA, Ascii file TAMANIII.ASK 232192 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title III, ADA, Ascii file infect.ask 10752 Depart. of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control, Diseases Transmitted through the Food Supply, ascii file adabill.ask 154752 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 full text of the Law, ascii file adatle1.ask 244424 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 1 Regulations Nondiscrimination in Employment, ascii file adatle1.zip 72832 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 1 Regulations Nondiscrimination in Employment, zip file adabill.zip 46464 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Full text of the Law, zip file adatle2.ask 49664 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 2 Regulations, Nondiscrimination in State and Local Government Services, ascii file adatle2.zip 16128 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 2 Regulations, Nondiscrimination in State and Local Government Services, zip file adatle3.ask 91520 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 3 Regulations; Nondiscrimination on the basis of disability by Public Accommodation and in Commercial Facilities, ascii file adatle3.zip 28672 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 3 Regulations; Nondiscrimination on the basis of disability by Public Accommodation and in Commercial Facilities, zip file adatle4.ask 11008 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 4 Regulations; Telecommunications, ascii file adatle4.zip 3840 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 4 Regulations; Telecommunications, zip file adatle5.ask 27008 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 5 Regulations; Miscellaneous Provisions, ascii file adatle5.zip 8832 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Title 5 Regulations; Miscellaneous Provisions, zip file atbcb.ask 212864 Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities 9/91 ascii file atbcb.zip 71808 Architectural & Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities 9/91, zip file atbcbprm.393 304702 ATBCB proposed rule making Notice on regulations on Public buildings and facilities, Jails, Courts and Housing March 5, 1993, Deadline for comments 3/22/93, ascii file ada-rsrc.zip 47577 From NARIC, 50 pages of resources on Title 1-4, of the ADA. Information on documents, videos, software, online connections, etc. August 1993 zip file adawatch1.txt 16607 ADA news and opinion from the "ADA WATCH" column in the April issue of ACCESS, the Newsletter of the Center for Independent Living of North Florida adawatch2.txt 16607 ADA news and opinion from the "ADA WATCH" column in the August 1993 issue of ACCESS, the Newsletter of the Center for Independent Living of North Florida vr-view.txt 19700 NCIL Testimony on Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act given by Bonnie O'Day. (bcil) t7reauth.ccd 30679 Title7 Reauth. position CCD, 2/27/92 regs88.act 213504 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The 1986 Admends. Vocational Rehabilitation Services Regulations 1988, ascii file sec508 1792 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Section 508 Electronic Equipment Accessibility, ascii file title1.act 119387 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Title 1: Vocational Rehabilitation Services, ascii file title2.act 31360 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Title 2: Rehabilitation Research, ascii file title3.act 54656 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Title 3: Supplementary Services and Facilities ascii file title4.act 10368 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Title 4: National Council on Disability, ascii file title5.act 34432 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Title 5: Miscellaneous; employment, discrimination, Barriers Board, ascii file title6.act 37632 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Title 6: Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities, ascii file title7.act 36352 Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1986 Admends. Title 7: Comprehensive Services for Independent Living ascii file rehab 30531 Proposed Changes to Title VII comments.ask 85504 NCIL comments to Senate Committee on Disability Policy draft of Title 1 of the Rehab. Act April 1992, ascii file comments.zip 28288 NCIL comments on Senate Committee on Disability Policy draft of Title 1, Rehab. Act April 1992, zip file T7draft.ask 36608 Title 7, draft from Senate Comm. on Disability Policy May 1992 ascii file This is a modified draft with many changes. This is the latest draft as of May 9, 1992 T7draft.zip 11264 Title 7 draft from Senate Comm. on Disability Policy May 9,1992 zip file compare.chr 13952 WP 5.1 file (only) using "tables" to compare House and Senate versions of the Rehab Act reauthorization drafts as of 6/12/92. senatedr.asc 310294 senate draft of the Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization. Full text without Title V. standilc.zip 25344 Federal Register Aug. 1992 34 CFR Part 366 Centers for independent Living, Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) Standards and Indicators zip file rehab92.ask 425984 Rehabilitation Act of 1992 Full text of the Act, very large file ASCII file Oct. 22, 1992 rehab92.zip 124032 Rehabilitation Act of 1992 Full text of the bill in a zip file Oct. 22, 1992 confrehr.p92 240384 Joint Conference Committee Report Rehabilitation Act of 1992 ascii file full text of conference comm. report summsht.reb 25532 Short Summary of the New Rehabilitation Act of 1992, ascii file, done by the Senate SubComm. on Disability Policy summlong.reb 71805 Long Summary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1992, ascii file, summary done by the Senate Subcomm. on Disability Policy 704rpt.dft 131129 draft copy of the data collection instrument for Title VII. This one document served as a reporting instrument for the State in Part I (DSU and SILC). Part II serves as a data reporting, continuation application and T&TA survey form. The SILC would identify their T&TA needs in Part I This is still subject to change but reflects or final thinking prior to official comments. Part II, Subpart A is reserved until we have a final call on the Standards and Indicators. These are in the final phase of their development and are expected to be in final form in August. ilregswp.fin 254207 Rehabilitation Act Independent Living FINAL REGULATIONS as published in the FEDERAL REGISTER today. WordPerfect copy. 8/15/94 ilregswp.zip 64245 Rehabilitation Act Independent Living FINAL REGULATIONS as published in the FEDERAL REGISTER today. WordPerfect Zip file ilregsas.fin 234331 Rehabilitation Act Independent Living FINAL REGULATIONS as published in the FEDERAL REGISTER today. ASCII copy. rehab94.wp 522651 WordPerfect version of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, including all of the amendments through 4/94. As of 10/27/94, this is the most current version of the Rehab Act. This is not an "official" copy but is excepted to be identical to the "official" version that is codified. rehab94w.zip 187084 Zipped copy of the Word Perfect version of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 as amended above. USING PKZIP TOOLS PKZIP tools are used to compress and uncompress computer files. Any type of files or formats can be compressed or uncompressed using these tools. On DIMENET, zip tools are used to compress batch reads of newsgroups and many files are posted as zip files in the file areas. Why use PKZIP tools on files? When a computer file is too large, PKZIP tools allows the file to exist in a much smaller form. The zipped file is a copy of the larger file in a compressed form. For example, the Rehab Act is a large file that is over 500,000 bytes. When you create a zipped file of the Act, it is 1/4 the size, or around 120,000 bytes. The size of files is important because it means less time to download or upload files, which helps to keep the phone costs down in using DIMENET. How does PKZIP work? When you use PKZIP to create a zipped file, you are taking an existing file, and using the tool PKZIP to create a copy of the file in an compressed format. This process looks at all the characters in a file, including spaces and format commands, keeps track of all the information, and gets rid of extra or duplicate characters. This may sound strange, but PKZIP tools tracks all the characters in the file and only uses the minimum characters necessary, thereby reducing the overall size of the file. For example, if you had a file called Rehab, when you use PKZIP tools, you will have a new file called "Rehab.zip," which is a compressed copy of the Rehab file. PKZIP tools include two types of tools: PKZIP and PKUNZIP. PKZIP is used to compress files, and PKUNZIP is used to uncompress files. Without both parts, this tool is not very helpful, because when you compress a file, you also need to be able to uncompress that file. So, when you download a file that has been zipped, you use PKUNZIP to uncompress the zipped file. PKZIP tools run on DOS-based machines, both in DOS or Windows. In addition, the Mac world has Stuff-it, and Unstuff-it, which are similar to PKZIP. These tools can be found in the file area called "Tools" in DIMENET. You can download these tools to your machine and use them. However, since both tools are called "shareware" it is important to understand that once you have a copy of the tools you need, you should fill out the registration form that comes with the tools. Currently, the PKZIP tools are in a file called PKZ204G.EXE in the tools file area. In order to have this file, you will need to download this file to your computer and place the file in your DOS subdirectory. This file is a compressed copy of all the PKZIP tools, a manual, and registration information. In order to use these tools you will need to follow a number of simple steps. 1. After you have downloaded the file to your computer, place the file in your DOS subdirectory. 2. At the DOS prompt ( C:\DOS>), type 'PKZ204G.EXE' . This will uncompress all the PKZIP tool files into your DOS directory. 3. The reason you want these tools in the DOS directory is that in most cases, your machine will look in the DOS directory when you use the PKZIP tools. 4. You should now be able to zip and unzip files at any time from the DOS prompt. How to zip files and unzip files. 1. In most cases, when you want to zip or unzip files you need to be in the subdirectory where the file is located. In many cases, you will be in the subdirectory of your communication software where you have downloaded a zip file. 2. To zip a file you need to follow these steps at the DOS prompt: Assuming that the file name is 'manual.txt,' type 'pkzipmanual.zipmanual.txt.' This command will create the file 'manual.zip,' which is a zipped copy of the file 'manual.txt.' 3. To unzip a file you need to follow these steps at the DOS prompt: Assuming that the file name is 'manual.zip,' type 'pkunzipmanual.zip.' This command will unpack the zipped file and create the file called 'manual.' USING COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE PROGRAMS On the following pages are "how-to" guides which provide explicit, step-by-step instructions for using six different communication software programs to access DIMENET. The programs include Bitcomm Crosstalk XVI MicroPhone II Procomm Procomm Plus Smartcomm II These were prepared by Roland Sykes, president of Greater Independence through Management Programs, Inc., and are reprinted with his permission. BITCOMM The procedures described specifically pertain to using Bitcomm (TM) communication software to access DIMENET (Disabled Individuals Movement for Equality Network). The steps described may not be the only way to perform a particular operation because your program has features beyond those outlined. In addition, your version of a program may differ from the one described in this fact sheet, and the use of keyboard assignments, script files or other customizing features may cause your program to operate differently. As such, you should consult your program manual for the most inclusive source of information regarding your particular software program. The following functions will be described: setup and revision of a dialing entry, dialing, exiting, help, uploading and downloading information, capturing information, and printing. Setup or Revision of a Dialing Directory Entry 1. From the opening menu, type '1' (Select/Edit Phone Numbers) to reach the dialing menu. 2. Mark the entry to change using the arrow keys (or press to create a new entry). 3. Type 's' (Show More) to reach the change/setup menu. 4. Enter information by positioning the cursor with the and keys to the desired prompt. Record Id: (DIMENET) Description: (DIMENET Computer Network) Phone Number: (1-508-880-5412 or 1-513-439-0557 or 1-918-582-3622) Baud Rate: (enter the highest baud rate your modem is capable of using 300, 1200, 2400 or 9600) Parity (NONE) Data (8) Stop (1) Echo (NO) Skip all other communication options, special keys, filters, delays, and other options. 5. Press to return to the dialing menu. Dialing 1. At the opening menu, select '1' (Select/Edit Phone Numbers) to reach the dialing menu. 2. Highlight the DIMENET dialing entry using the arrow keys. 3. Press or type 'd' to dial. NOTE: Using from anywhere other than the main menu or the dialing menu may cause dialing of the last selected number. Exiting After exiting DIMENET, return to the Bitcomm main menu and press to quit Bitcomm and return to DOS. Help Press to reach the help menu. Uploading 1. When prompted by DIMENET to begin sending or uploading, press to enter the option menu. 2. Type '2' (Send a File). 3. Type the file name to send, including drive and path if the file is not in the current directory. 4. Press the key to select the protocol method to use to send the file. 5. Press the and keys to select the appropriate protocol. NOTE: When sending items through mail or posting them to newsgroups select ASCII as the protocol to use. When uploading files to a file area tell DIMENET to use Xmodem as the upload protocol. Then select Xmodem as the protocol to use in step 5 above. 6. Press to confirm. 7. Press to begin sending. NOTE: If you uploaded using ASCII to the mailbox or a newsgroup press to get on a blank line. Type '/' and press to close the Editor. Then type 's' to send it. Downloading 1. Tell DIMENET to use Xmodem protocol to download the file. When prompted by DIMENET to begin receiving or downloading, press to enter the option menu. 2. Type '1' (Receive a File). 3. Type the file name to download too, including drive and path if the file is to be created in a directory other than the current directory. 4. Press the key to select method. 5. Press the and keys to select 'Xmodem' protocol. 6. Press to begin receiving. Capturing 1. Press to toggle file screen capturing on. 2. Type the file name for the captured file's destination, including drive and path if the file is to be created in a directory other than the current directory. 3. Press to proceed with screen viewing. Everything appearing on the screen will be captured in the file specified in step 2 above. 4. Press followed by to toggle file capturing off. Printing Press to toggle continuous screen printing on and off. When continuous screen printing is on, everything appearing on the screen will be printed. CROSSTALK XVI The procedures described specifically pertain to using Crosstalk XVI communication software to access DIMENET (Disabled Individuals Movement for Equality Network). The steps described may not be the only way to perform a particular operation because your program has features beyond those outlined. In addition, your version of a program may differ from the one described in this fact sheet and the use of keyboard assignments, script files, or other customizing features may cause your program to operate differently. As such, you should consult your program manual for the most inclusive source of information regarding your particular software program. The following functions will be described: setup and revision of a dialing entry, dialing, exiting, help, uploading and downloading information, capturing information, and printing. Setup of a Dialing Entry 1. Select 'NEWUSER' from the opening status screen. 2. Press . 3. Press (to continue). 4. Type 'o' (other service not listed above). 5. Press . 6. Enter information as requested: Phone Number (1-508-880-5412 or 1-513-439-0557 or 1-918-582-3622) System Name (DIMENET) Baud Rate (enter the highest baud rate your modem is capable of using: 300, 1200, 2400 or 9600) 7. Press . 8. Type 'y' to save to disk for future use. 9. Type file name: 'DIMENET.' 10. Press . 11. Type 'n' (do not dial number now). 12. Press (until you reach the newuser menu). 13. Type 'x' (Exit from this program) to return to the status screen. The new DIMENET entry should be reflected. 14. Press to bring up the command line. 15. Revise the desired communication parameters and settings by typing on the command line the capitalized letters of the corresponding parameter (one at a time), followed by . Then supply the setting for each when prompted. Parameter|Setting ------------------- DA (8) PA (N) ST (1) DU (FULL) SKIP key settings, filter settings, and send control settings. 16. When changes are complete, type 'sa' on the command line and press to save to disk. 17. Type 'dimenet.xtk' as the file name to use to save the settings and press . NOTE: The filename visible in the upper right corner of the status screen should be used. However, if another filename is used, assign '.xtk' as the extension. Revision of a Dialing Entry 1. At the opening status screen, select the dialing entry to revise. 2. Press . 3. Press to abort dialing. 4. Type 'n' to cancel re-dialing. 5. Revise the desired communication parameters and settings by typing on the command line the capitalized letters of the corresponding parameter (one at a time), followed by . Then supply the setting for each when prompted. Parameter|Setting ------------------- NA (DIMENET) NU (1-508-880-5412 or 1-513-439-0557 or 1-918-582-3622) DA (8) PA (N) ST (1) DU (FULL) 6. When changes are complete, type 'sa' on the command line and press to save to disk. 7. Type 'dimenet.xtk' and press . NOTE: The filename visible in the upper right corner of the status screen should be used. However, if another file name is used, assign '.xtk' as the extension. Dialing 1. At the opening status screen select the number of the DIMENET dialing entry. 2. Press . NOTE: Pressing from anywhere other than the opening status screen may cause dialing of the last selected number. Pressing and typing 'lo (Load Command) on the command line followed by will display the list of dialing entries and allow you to choose. Exiting 1. Log off of DIMENET. 2. Press to cancel dialing and bring up the command line. 3. On the command line, type 'quit' to return to DOS. Help 1. Press to bring up the command line. 2. Type on the command line and press . NOTE: You can also type the word 'help' followed by a command name to get specific information. For example: 'help lo' will get information about the Load command. Uploading 1. When prompted by DIMENET to begin sending or uploading, press to bring up the command line. 2. Type 'se' (ASCII Send) OR 'sx' (Send Xmodem) on the command line and press . NOTE: When sending items through mail or posting them to newsgroups type 'se' (ASCII Send) as the method to use. When uploading files to a file area tell DIMENET to use Xmodem protocol and type 'sx' (Send Xmodem) as the upload method to use. 3. Type the file name to send and press . NOTE: The file to be sent should be placed in the current directory prior to sending. 4. If you uploaded using 'se' (ASCII Send) to the mailbox or a newsgroup press to get on a blank line. Type '/' and press to close the editor. Then type 's' to send it. Downloading 1. When prompted by DIMENET to begin receiving or downloading, press to bring up the command line. 2. Type 'rx' (Receive Xmodem) on the command line and press . 3. Type the file name for the download destination and press . NOTE: The file will be created in the current directory. Capturing 1. Press to bring up the command line. 2. Type 'ca' (Capture) on the command line and press . 3. Type a file name to save the captured information. NOTE: The file will be created in the current directory. 4. Proceed with screen viewing. Everything appearing on the screen will be captured to the file name given in step 3. 5. Press to bring up the command line. 6. Type 'ca off' and press on the command line to turn capture off. Printing 1. Press to bring up the command line. 2. Type 'pr' on the command line and press to toggle continuous screen printing on and off. When continuous screen printing is on, everything appearing on the screen will be printed. MICROPHONE II The procedures described, specifically pertain to using MicroPhone II (TM) communication software to access DIMENET (Disabled Individuals Movement for Equality Network). The steps described may not be the only way to perform a particular operation because your program has features beyond those outlined. In addition, your version of a program may differ from the one described in this fact sheet and the use of keyboard assignments, script files, or other customizing features may cause your program to operate differently. As such, you should consult your program manual for the most inclusive source of information regarding your particular software program. The following functions will be described: setup and revision of a dialing entry, dialing, exiting, uploading and downloading information, capturing information, and printing. Setup of a Dialing Entry 1. Point at the 'Phone' menu bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Create Service..' item and release the mouse button. 2. Type DIMENET in the service name field. 3. Press the 'Tab' key or point at and click on the phone number field to move there. 4. Type (1-508-880-5412, or 1-513-439-0557, or 1-918-582-3622) as the phone number to use. 5. Click on the 'OK' button to save the new phone directory entry. 6. Point at the 'Settings' menu bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Communications...' item and release the mouse button. 7. Point at the 'Method' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Microphone Standard' item and release the mouse button. 8. Point at the 'Driver' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Standard' item and release the mouse button. 9. Point at the 'Baud Rate' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the fastest speed your modem will use and release the mouse button. 10. Point at the 'Data Bits' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the '8' item and release the mouse button. 11. Point at the 'Parity' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'None' item and release the mouse button. 12. Point at the 'Stop Bits' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the '1' item and release the mouse button. 13. Point at the 'Flow Control' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the Xoff' item and release the mouse button. 14. Make sure that the connection port window on the lower right has the correct icon highlighted to indicate where your modem is connected. Either the modem or printer port can be selected. Highlight the one where you connected your modem by pointing at it and clicking the mouse button. 15. Click on the 'OK' button to save your changes. 16. Point at the 'Settings' Menu Bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Terminal...' item and release the mouse button. 17. Point at the 'Terminal Type' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'IBM PC/ANSI' item and release the mouse button. 18. Point at the 'Rows' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the '24' item and release the mouse button. 19. Point at the 'Columns' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the '80' item and release the mouse button. 20. Point at the 'Backspace Key' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Backspace' item and release the mouse button. 21. Click on the 'OK' button to save your changes. 22. Point at the 'File' menu bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Close Settings' item and release the mouse button. 23. Point at the 'File' menu bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Quit' item and release the mouse button. Revision of a Dialing Entry 1. Place the cursor on the 'Phone' menu bar Item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Modify Service..' item and release the mouse button. 2. Point at the name of the service you wish to modify and click to highlight it. 3. Point at and click on the 'Modify' button. 4. Type the service name. 5. Press the key or point at and click on the phone number field to move there. 4. Type the new phone number. 5. Click on the 'OK' button to save the phone directory entry. Dialing 1. Point at the 'Phone' menu bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. 2. Highlight the name of the service you want to dial at the bottom of the menu under the heading 'Dial:', then release the mouse button. Your system will dial and connect. Exiting 1. Log off of DIMENET. 2. Point at the 'File' menu bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Quit' item and release the mouse button. Uploading 1. When prompted by DIMENET to begin sending or uploading, point at the 'Transfer' menu bar item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Send...' item and release the mouse button. 2. Point at the 'Protocol' item. Press and hold the mouse button. If you are sending an item through mail or posting to the newsgroups, highlight the 'ASCII/Text' item and release the mouse button. If you are uploading files to a file area, tell DIMENET to use 'Xmodem' as the protocol to use and highlight the 'Xmodem' item and release the mouse button. 3. Point at the file name to send and highlight it by clicking the mouse button. 4. Point at and click on the 'Send' button to begin the file transfer. NOTE: If you uploaded using 'ASCII/Text' to the mailbox or a newsgroup press to get on a blank line. Type '/' and press to close the Editor. Then type 's' to send it. Downloading NOTE: If you tell DIMENET to download files utilizing Zmodem protocol the process will be fully automatic and you can skip steps 1 through 5 below. The file will arrive and have the same file name as the file downloaded from DIMENET. 1. Tell DIMENET to download the file using Xmodem protocol. When prompted by DIMENET to begin receiving or downloading, point at the 'Transfer' Menu item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Receive...' item and release. 2. Point at the 'Protocol' item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Xmodem' item and release the mouse button. (You can skip this step if it is already set correctly.) 3. Point at the 'Receive' button and click the mouse to begin receiving. 4. When the window appears asking for a filename, type a file name. 5. Click on the 'OK' button to save the item in the file name given in step 4 above. Capturing 1. When quitting Microphone II, you will be presented with a window asking if you want to save the data in the terminal session before closing 'MicroPhone Settings.' 2. Click on the 'Save' button. 3. Type a file name in the highlighted space. 4. Click on the 'Save' button. The information from your last session will be saved in the file name given in step 3 above. Printing 1. Place the cursor on the 'File' menu bar Item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Turn Printer On' item and release the mouse button. 2. Place the cursor on the 'File' menu bar Item. Press and hold the mouse button. Highlight the 'Turn Printer Off' item and release the mouse button. PROCOMM The procedures described specifically pertain to using Procomm (TM) communication software to access DIMENET (Disabled Individuals Movement for Equality Network). The steps described may not be the only way to perform a particular operation because your program has features beyond those outlined. In addition, your version of a program may differ from the one described in this fact sheet, and the use of keyboard assignments, script files or other customizing features may cause your program to operate differently. As such, you should consult your program manual for the most inclusive source of information regarding your particular software program. The following functions will be described: setup and revision of a dialing entry, dialing, exiting, help, uploading and downloading information, capturing information, and printing. Setup or Revision of A Dialing Directory Entry 1. Press and hold the key and type 'd' to reach the Dialing Directory Menu. 2. Type 'r' to revise a dialing directory entry. 3. Type the number of the dialing entry to set up or revise. 4. Press . 5. Type or change information as requested: Name (DIMENET) Number (1-508-880-5412 or 1-513-439-0557 or 1-918-582-3622) Baud (Select the highest baud rate your modem is capable of using 300, 1200, 2400, or 9600. Space bar changes, accepts your choice.) Parity (N) Data Bits (8) Stop Bits (1) Echo On (N) Command File ( to bypass Command File). 6. Type 'y' to save the entry to Disk. Dialing 1. Press and hold the key and type 'd' to reach the dialing directory menu. 2. Type the number of the DIMENET dialing directory entry. 3. Press . Your system will dial and connect with DIMENET. Exiting After exiting DIMENET, press and hold the key and type 'x' to quit Procomm. Then type 'y' to return to DOS. Help Press and hold the key then press to reach the help menu. Uploading 1. When prompted by DIMENET to begin sending or uploading, press the key. 2. Select a protocol to use to send the item from the list that appears. NOTE: When sending items through mail or posting them to newsgroups select ASCII as the protocol to use. When uploading files to a file area select the same protocol you told DIMENET you were going to use to upload the file. 3. When prompted type the file name to send, including drive and path if the file is not in the current (Procomm) directory. 4. Press to begin sending. NOTE: If you uploaded using ASCII to the mailbox or a newsgroup press to get on a blank line. Type '/' and press to close the Editor. Then type 's' to send it. Downloading 1. Tell DIMENET to download the file using Xmodem protocol. When prompted by DIMENET to begin receiving or downloading, press the key. 2. Select 'Xmodem' protocol. NOTE: It is important that you use the same protocol to receive the file that you told DIMENET to use to download the file. 3. Type the file name to download too, including drive and path if the file is to be created in a directory other than the current (Procomm) directory. 4. Press to begin receiving. Capturing 1. Press and hold the key and press to toggle file capturing on. 2. Type the file name to capture too, including drive and path if the file is to be created in a directory other than the current directory. 3. Press to proceed with screen viewing. Everything appearing on the screen will be captured to the file name given in step 2 above. The Procomm status line will say 'Log Open.' 4. Press and hold the key and press to toggle file capturing off. The Procomm status line will say 'Log Closed.' Printing Press and hold the key and then press 'l' to toggle continuous screen printing on or off. When continuous screen printing is on, everything appearing on the screen will be printed. PROCOMM PLUS The procedures described specifically pertain to using Procomm + (R) communication software to access DIMENET (Disabled Individuals Movement for Equality Network). The steps described may not be the only way to perform a particular operation because your program has features beyond those outlined. In addition, your version of a program may differ from the one described in this fact sheet, and the use of keyboard assignments, script files or other customizing features may cause your program to operate differently. As such, you should consult your program manual for the most inclusive source of information regarding your particular software program. The following functions will be described: setup and revision of a dialing entry, dialing, exiting, help, uploading and downloading information, capturing information, and printing. Setup or Revision of a Dialing Directory Entry 1. Press and hold the key and type 'd' to reach the dialing directory menu. 2. Highlight the entry to setup or revise using the up or down arrow keys. 3. Press 'r' to revise the highlighted dialing directory entry. 4. Type or change information as requested: Name (DIMENET) Number (1-508-880-5412 or 1-513-439-0557 or 1-918-582-3622) Baud (Select the highest baud rate your modem is capable of using 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200, 38400 or 57600. Press the arrow keys to change the highlighted speed, accepts your choice.) Parity (NONE) Data Bits (8) Stop Bits (1) Duplex (FULL) Port (Default or Comm 1-8. Use Default if you are not sure which port your modem is on, or select the proper Comm port if you know which one to use.) Script (Press to bypass script.) Protocol (Zmodem) Terminal (ANSI) Mode (Modem) Password (Press to bypass Password.) Meta File (Press to bypass Meta File.) KBD File (Press to bypass KBD File.) Note File (Press to bypass Note File.) 5. Type "y" to clear last date and total. 6. Type "y" to accept. 7. Type "y" to save the dialing directory entry to disk. Dialing 1. Press and hold the key and type "d" to reach the dialing menu. 2. Press the arrow keys to highlight the DIMENET dialing entry. Press . Your system will dial and connect with DIMENET. Exiting After exiting DIMENET, press and hold the key and type "x" to quit Procomm Plus. Then type "y" to return to DOS. Help Press and hold the key then type "z" to reach the help menu. Uploading 1. When prompted by DIMENET to begin sending or uploading, press the key. 2. Select a protocol to use to send the item from the list that appears. NOTE: When sending items through mail or posting them to newsgroups select ASCII as the protocol to use. When uploading files to a file area select the same protocol you told DIMENET to use to upload the file. 3. When prompted type the file name to send, including drive and path if the file is not in the current (PCplus) directory. 4. Press to begin sending. NOTE: If you uploaded using ASCII to the mailbox or a newsgroup press to get on a blank line. Type "/" and press to close the Editor. Then type "s" to send it. Downloading NOTE: If you tell DIMENET to download files utilizing Zmodem protocol the process will be fully automatic and you can skip steps 1 through 4 below. The file will arrive and have the same file name as the file downloaded from DIMENET. 1. Tell DIMENET to download using Xmodem protocol. When prompted by DIMENET to begin receiving or downloading, press the key. 2. Select "Xmodem" protocol. NOTE: It is important that you use the same protocol to receive the file that you told DIMENET to use to download the file. 3. Enter file name to download too, including drive and path if the file is to be created in a directory other than the current (PCplus) directory. 4. Press to begin receiving. Capturing 1. Press and hold the key and press to toggle file capturing on. 2. Type the file name to capture too, including drive and path if the file is to be created in a directory other than the current directory. 3. Press to proceed with screen viewing. Everything appearing on the screen will be captured to the file name used in step 2 above. The Procomm + Status line will say "Log Open". 4. Press and hold the key and press "F1" to toggle file capturing off. The Procomm + Status line will say "Log Closed". Printing Press and hold the key and then press "l" to toggle continuous screen printing on or off. When continuous screen printing is on, everything appearing on the screen will be printed. SMARTCOMM II The procedures described specifically pertain to using Smartcomm II (TM) communication software to access DIMENET (Disabled Individuals Movement for Equality Network). The steps described may not be the only way to perform a particular operation because your program has features beyond those outlined. In addition, your version of a program may differ from the one described in this fact sheet, and the use of keyboard assignments, script files or other customizing features may cause your program to operate differently. As such, you should consult your program manual for the most inclusive source of information regarding your particular software program. The following functions will be described: setup and revision of a dialing entry, dialing, exiting, help, uploading and downloading information, capturing information, and printing. Setup or Revision of a Dialing Set 1. Press to reach the dialing menu (it will normally appear on program startup). 2. Type '2' (Edit Set). 3. Type 's' (Set) to reach the communication directory. 4. Press the and keys, to highlight the set that you wish to change or select the next available empty set (if setting up a new entry). Then press . 5. Select 'p' (Parameters) from the prompt. 6. Enter information as requested, using the and keys to move through the selections and the and keys to make changes as follows. Name of set (DIMENET) Duplex (FULL) Connection type (CCITT or BELL) (baud set to the highest speed your modem will use 300, 1200, 2400, 9600) Character format 8 DATA + NONE + 1 STOP Skip keyboard definitions Set error-free protocol to 'Xmodem' (in protocol parameters) Phone Number (1-508-880-5412, or 1-513-439-0557, or 1-918-582-3622) 7. Press . 8. Type 'y' to record to disk. Dialing 1. Press to reach the dialing menu. 2. Type '1' (Begin Communications). 3. Press to bring up the communications directory. NOTE: Press again if the communications directory does not appear. 4. Using the and keys, highlight the DIMENET set. 5. Press or type 'o' (Originate) to dial. Exiting 1. Log off of DIMENET. 2. Press to reach the dialing menu. 3. Type '0' [Zero] (End Communication Program). 4. Type 'e' (Exit). Help 1. Press to reach the dialing menu. 2. Press to reach the help menu. Uploading 1. When prompted by DIMENET to begin sending or uploading, press to reach the dialing menu. 2. Type '5' (Send File). 3. Select a protocol to use to send the file. NOTE: When sending items through mail or posting them to newsgroups select START/STOP as the protocol to use. When uploading files to a file area tell DIMENET to use Xmodem as the upload method. Then select ERROR FREE in Smartcomm. 4. Press . 5. Type the file name of the file to upload. NOTE: No path can be specified. The file should be placed in the current directory prior to sending. 6. Press to begin sending. NOTE: If you uploaded using START/STOP to the mailbox or a newsgroup press to get on a blank line. Type '/' and press to close the editor. Then type 's' to send it. Downloading 1. Tell DIMENET to use Xmodem protocol to send the download. When prompted by DIMENET to begin receiving or downloading, press to reach the dialing menu. 2. Type '4' (Receive File). 3. Select ERROR FREE protocol. 4. Type the file name to use to receive the download. NOTE: No path can be specified. The file will be created in the current directory. 5. Press to begin receiving. Capturing 1. Press to toggle file capturing on. 2. Proceed with screen viewing. Everything appearing on the screen will be captured to the file indicated in step 4 below. 3. Press to toggle file capturing off. 4. Type the file name to use to store the captured information. NOTE: No drive or path can be specified. The file will be created in the current directory. 5. Press to write the captured information to the file name given in step 4 above. Printing Press to toggle continuous screen printing on and off. When continuous screen printing is on, everything appearing on the screen will be printed. DIMENET COSTS In most cases, the cost of using DIMENET will be only as high as the out-of-state long distance charges to your telephone carrier. Distributed over a one-year period, DIMENET subscription fees are negligible. The following shows a breakdown of estimated charges to minimal and average individual users, and to a center with multiple users. Compare these estimates to typical charges for long-distance telephone calls and faxes, time lost sitting on hold or hearing messages, postage, travel, etc. Minimal Usage 1-year subscription per individual $35.00 Average use: 1 hour per week 10 per minute = $ 6.00 per hour $ 6.00 per week 20 per minute = $12.00 per hour $12.00 per week 25 per minute = $15.00 per hour $15.00 per week Total cost based on 20 per minute for the year: $624.00 Average Usage 1-year subscription per individual $35.00 Average use: 2 hours per week 10 per minute = $ 6.00 per hour $12.00 per week 20 per minute = $12.00 per hour $24.00 per week 25 per minute = $15.00 per hour $30.00 per week Total cost based on 20 per minute for the year: $1,283.00 Center Usage 1-year subscription per individual $150.00 Average use: 2 hours per week 10 per minute = $ 6.00 per hour $18.00 per week 20 per minute = $12.00 per hour $36.00 per week 25 per minute = $15.00 per hour $45.00 per week Total cost based on 20 per minute for the year: $2,022.00 POSSIBLE INTERNET COSTS Average cost range from $15.00 per month for 40 hours, to $30.00 per month for 100 hours. DIMENET USERS MANUAL (For New and Advanced Users) TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO DIMENET 87 GETTING STARTED 89 Configuring your computer system 89 Capturing the session on disk 89 Connecting to DIMENET 89 Creating your account 90 Identifying yourself 90 Selecting your logname 90 Selecting your password 90 Contact information 90 Terminal type 91 Verifying your information 92 LOGGING ON TO DIMENET 92 MAIN MENU 93 DIMENET hotkeys 93 Help and how to get it 93 DIMENET PAGE DISPLAY commands 94 The possible PAGE DISPLAY commands are 94 Changing the PAGE DISPLAY pause mode 94 You can change the pause mode of the PAGE DISPLAY at any menu 94 The WHO command 95 EXPLORING OTHER AREAS FROM THE MAIN MENU 95 Bulletins 95 (E-MAIL) ELECTRONIC MAIL 96 Entering your mailbox 97 Reading mail 97 Sending mail 98 DIMENET and INTERNET mail addresses 100 The INTERNET and USENET and what it all means 101 The INTERNET, what is that? 101 So what is USENET? 101 How is DIMENET connected to INTERNET/USENET? 102 What does it cost? 102 E-MAIL and where it can go 102 List servers and mailing lists can be a problem 102 WHAT ARE NEWSGROUPS 104 Why are newsgroups named like they are? 104 So what is a DNET newsgroup? 105 What is the difference between a local and USENET group 105 THE BASICS OF NEWS AND HOW IT GETS AROUND 105 Posting 106 Followup posting 106 Replying via E-MAIL 107 Deleting a newsgroup posting 107 DIMENET NEWSGROUPS 108 Batch read 108 Entering DIMENET newsgroups 111 POSTING NEWSGROUP MESSAGES ON DIMENET 113 Posting directly to the newsgroup 114 DIMENET FILE AREAS 115 Downloading files 116 Uploading files 118 THE IMPORTANCE OF CLOSING YOUR LOG FILE 120 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 120 DIMENET Editorial Committee Bylaws 121 DISABLED INDIVIDUALS MOVEMENT FOR EQUALITY NETWORK (DIMENET) DIMENET is a national computer networking system that is accessible at multiple locations and provides access for communications and information sharing among individuals involved in the disability rights and independent living movements. DIMENET is a voluntary cooperative effort of the National Council on Independent Living, National Association for Independent Living, Associated Programs in Rural Independent Living, New England Coalition on Independent Living, the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at ILRU, Independence Associates, Inc., Access Center for Independent Living, Inc., Ability Resources, Inc, Telesys Development Systems and Greater Independence through Management Programs, Inc. DIMENET operations and development are under the control and direction of the DIMENET Editorial Committee. Appendix A contains the Bylaws of the Editorial Committee and the current member roster. Three Independent Living Centers (ILCs) currently provide direct DIMENET dial-up access. They are Independence Associates, Inc. of Taunton Massachusetts, Access Center for Independent Living of Dayton Ohio, and Ability Resources, Inc of Tulsa Oklahoma. The three data numbers to reach DIMENET are (508) 880-5412 Taunton, (513) 439-0557 Dayton and (918) 582-3622 Tulsa. If you have questions or problems call (513) 237-8360 Voice for assistance. DIMENET'S ROLE IN CONSUMER EMPOWERMENT THROUGH COMPUTER NETWORKING Providing independent living services is one of the most information intensive tasks ever undertaken. This is because an Independent Living Center's primary mission is the empowerment of people with disabilities through knowledge transfer. Center staff seek to empower consumers by connecting them with knowledge so that consumers can confidently make choices and decisions about their life, their future, and their destiny. DIMENET seeks to facilitate this process by providing a mechanism to access the current body of knowledge related to and needed for independent living. It does this through the use of searchable databases of information, cataloging systems to manage retrieval and dissemination of relevant print, video, audio and other materials maintained by ILCs, the Government and others, and provides the means for ILC staff and consumers to communicate with others in similar circumstances to secure additional knowledge learned from personal experience. DIMENET promotes the development of the disability community by connecting all ILC's and people with disabilities nationwide. By doing so it facilitates the peer-sharing approach that is basic to the independent living movement. DIMENET is committed to the concept of universal access. As a result the DIMENET software is constantly improved in response to user input and is structured to insure that it is accessible to individuals that utilize adaptive software and hardware. DIMENET insures that consumers with disabilities have access to the information resources available today. DIMENET will continue to do so in the future. DIMENET is based on a unique design that allows it to serve as an information and communications system for local ILC staff and as a dial up Computer Bulletin Board System for access by consumers and the general public. DIMENET provides access to searchable databases of information and serves as a gateway to the new electronic highway. DIMENET provides access to Internet electronic mail capabilities and participation in USENET Newsgroups allowing communication with individuals around the world that have access to Internet, FidoNet, Compuserve, America On-Line, Delphi, Genie and other computer network systems. When resources permit, DIMENET will provide direct access through the INTERNET to services such as those available through the Library of Congress, Census Bureau, Department of Justice, Rehabilitation Services Administration, National Rehabilitation Information Center, Clearinghouse on Rehabilitation Training Materials and other sources of Government and non-government information related to independent living and disability rights. We invite you to join the DIMENET community to share information and interact with network members. We welcome and encourage your participation in this new electronic disability community. We would be pleased to have you host a Newsgroup and/or File Area on DIMENET to share information concerning your organization and its activities. DIMENET is an excellent way for you to stay in touch with colleagues and friends around the country and allow individuals to benefit immediately from your efforts and expertise. We look forward to sharing with you through DIMENET. Sincerely, Roland W. Sykes, Chairman DIMENET Editorial Committee GETTING STARTED Configuring your computer system To connect to DIMENET, you need a computer, modem, and most any type of communications software. DIMENET works with 300, 1200, 2400, and 9600 baud modems. Your communications parameters should be set to communicate using 8 bits, one stop bit and no parity. Consult your communications software manual for help on configuring communications parameters. The phone number to reach DIMENET is (508) 880-5412 OR (513) 439-0557 OR (918) 582-3622. DIMENET is capable of supporting modems at speeds up to 57,600 BAUD. If your modem is faster than 9600 BAUD please call (513) 237-8360 for assistance in configuring your system to attain maximum speed in utilizing DIMENET. Capturing the session on disk Before you dial you should open a log or capture file to capture the screen display in a file on your machine for future reference. Then you can read it later after you have logged off of DIMENET. Check your communications software manual for information on how to create log or capture files. NOTE: Using Procomm, Procomm+ or Telix you would press ALT and while holding it press the F1 key. When the window appears give it the filename you want the log file stored in on your machine and press ENTER. Using Crosstalk you would press Escape. When the bottom line of your screen says Command ? type CA filename and press ENTER where filename is the name of the file you wish to use. Connecting to DIMENET Once you have opened a log file you are ready to connect to DIMENET. Give your system the command to dial DIMENET. Your system will connect to DIMENET and you should see the following screen: HOME of DIMENET Enter dime to Login dimenet!login: NOTE: If you do not get the screen above press ENTER. It should appear. Once you have the screen shown on the previous page type dime in lower case letters and press ENTER. Your screen should now show the following: HOME of DIMENET Enter dime to Login dimenet!login: dime TeleSys-II BBS System - v5.22 - tsbbs02.tnet.com Dimenet If you are a NEW USER, login as new Login: Creating Your Account At the above prompt type new and press ENTER. This starts the process of creating a DIMENET account for you. You will receive a message welcoming you to DIMENET. Identifying yourself You will be prompted to enter your Full Real Name. Please do so. Selecting your logname You will be asked to enter a logname that you will use to identify yourself in order to log into DIMENET. This logname will be used by you to log into DIMENET and will be used by others to address mail to you. Your logname can be from 3 to 8 characters in length, all lower case letters. We recommend that you use either your last name, or the first letter of your first name followed by your last name (or as much of it will fit). This will make it easier for others to remember when sending mail to you. For an organizational account you can use the initials of the organization name. Anything that will make it easy for others to remember. Selecting your password You will be asked to enter a 3 to 8 character password. You will be asked to enter it twice to make sure that it was recorded properly. Passwords can contain letters and numbers. No imbedded spaces are permitted in passwords. Please choose a password you will remember. You will not be able to logon without your logname and password. Contact information You will be prompted to enter your street address, city, state and zip code as well as night, day, Fax and Deaf Access TDD phone numbers. The system then allows you to enter your organization name. Two lines are available for your organization name. Your street address and night phone numbers are private and are not displayed to other users unless you make them public using the utilities commands after you logon. All other information, if given, is public and can be viewed by others using the Who command. Terminal type The Database Systems available within DIMENET operate more efficiently when utilizing the terminal emulation capabilities of your communications software. Utilizing terminal emulation allows information to be transferred to your computer utilizing less characters than are needed without terminal emulation. This improves speed and efficiency of the system during database operations. You will be prompted to enter your terminal type. A list will be displayed from which to choose. Select the appropriate terminal type by number and press ENTER. If you are not sure which one to choose consult your communications software manual to determine your current system terminal setting. Most communications software will do a number of different terminal emulations. Determine the settings of your communications software and then select the terminal type that matches it from the ones presented by DIMENET. If your terminal is not on the list or if you are not sure what type of terminal you are using select 3 ANSI.SYS standard crt. Selection 3 ANSI.SYS works with most popular communications software such as Procomm, Procomm+, Telix and Crosstalk. The current terminal types supported by DIMENET are: ## Description 1 unknown dumb terminal 2 SCO ansi Console 3 ANSI.SYS standard crt 4 DEC vt52 terminal 5 DEC vt100 terminal 6 DEC vt102 terminal 7 Wyse WY-30 terminal 8 Wyse WY-50 terminal with 80 column screen 9 Wyse WY-60 terminal with 80 column/24 lines 10 Wyse WY-75 terminal with 80 column/24 lines 11 Wyse 85 in 80 column mode, vt100 emulation 12 Wyse 100 terminal 13 Wyse 350 80 column color terminal emulating Wyse 50 14 Wyse 150 terminal You will then be asked the following two questions. Do you want the Clear Flag turned on. This flag will clear the screen each time a major menu or message is displayed. Clear Flag On (Y/N): Do you want the Brackets flag on. This flag when on will cause the system to display all data fields to be enclosed in brackets. Example: With Brackets User Name: [Roland Sykes] Without Brackets User Name: Roland Sykes Brackets Flag On (Y/N): Verifying your information After you have answered the brackets flag question all the information you have entered will be displayed as shown below. Items with an * can be changed later after you login. Logname : rsykes User Name *: Roland W. Sykes Addr1 *: 6256 Ramblewood Drive City *: Dayton State *: OH Zipcode *: 45424 Night Phone *: 513-237-8360 Day Phone *: 513-237-8360 FAX Phone *: 513-237-9191 TTY Phone *: Organization *: Greater Independence through *: Management Programs, Inc. Term Type *: dosansi Clear Flag *: ON Bracket Flag *: OFF Is the above correct? (Y/N): You will be asked to verify if the information is correct. Answering no will start the account creation process over again from the beginning. Answering yes will create your account using the information displayed. LOGGING ON TO DIMENET Once your account has been created you will be returned to the login prompt and will see the following: TeleSys-II BBS System - v5.22 - tsbbs02.tnet.com Dimenet If you are a NEW USER, login as new Login: At this point you can login using your new logname and password. Enter your logname and press ENTER. When prompted enter your password and press ENTER. You will be logged on to DIMENET. MAIN MENU You will see the DIMENET Welcome Message, then the Main Menu will display as shown below: B Bulletins C Conferences D Databases F File System G Goodbye L Logged on Users M Mail System N Newsgroups Q Questionnaire R Read Files T Time U Utilities W Who are users X Xpert Toggle ? Help Main Menu: From the Main Menu you can go to any of the other areas of DIMENET. But, first you need to know about four features of DIMENET. Hotkeys, Help, the Page display and Who command. DIMENET hotkeys Hotkeys are used throughout DIMENET whenever possible to reduce the number of keystrokes required for system use. You move around within DIMENET by selecting the first letter of the area you want to visit or the first letter of the menu item you want to choose. If possible DIMENET executes the commands without the need for you to press ENTER. Sometimes it is not possible to accept input without the need to press ENTER. An example is the need to enter a members logname to look up information on that person. In these instances DIMENET will wait for you to press ENTER after typing in your selection before executing the command. Help and how to get it Whenever DIMENET is waiting for a command help is available by typing ? (Question Mark). This is true at all menus and sub-menus of the system and while waiting at a more prompt in the page display system. The help provided will be specific to the area you are in or the function you are using. In the DIMENET Editor and Conference Areas help is available by typing /H and pressing enter. DIMENET PAGE DISPLAY commands DIMENET employs a powerful page display system. Whenever you are reading an item and it is more than one screen DIMENET will use the page display. You will recognize it by the following display at the bottom of the screen: More 23 of 47 48% Y/N?: In this example the prompt shows that you are looking at the first 23 lines of a 47 line message. You are 48% through the message. It is waiting for you to give it a command. The possible PAGE DISPLAY commands are: Y or Space Bar to move forward one screen ENTER move forward one line C display to the end of message with no further pauses U page backward one screen R redisplay current screen T goto Top of item E goto End of item / Search for string in file Case-Sensitive \ Search for string in file NOT Case-Sensitive N or Q Quit and return to menu ? Help on using the page display commands Changing the PAGE DISPLAY pause mode When you first enter DIMENET the page display pause mode is turned on. This means that if the item you are viewing is more than one screen it will display each screen of the item and pause waiting for you to give it a command. When pause mode is off items will be displayed in continuous mode. This means that when you read an item the entire item will scroll up the screen and you will see the page display prompt at the bottom of the screen. To continue press the space bar or use one of the page display commands to redisplay the message or a portion of the message. Pause mode off is useful if you have opened a log or capture file and just wish to display the information in order to save it but do not want to take the time to read it while you are on-line with DIMENET. You can change the pause mode of the PAGE DISPLAY at any menu. Pressing - (minus sign) turns pause mode off. Pressing + (plus sign) turns pause mode on. Whenever you change the pause mode of the page display it will present a message on the screen indicating that it has turned the Pause Mode Off or Pause Mode On as appropriate. The WHO command The WHO command appears on most menus. It is used to look for another users logname in order to send mail and to see information about a user or groups of users. Press W Who from any menu where it is displayed and you will be presented with the following prompt: Who: Enter Logname (ALL,R,D,A,S,Q,?=Help): From this prompt you must make a choice depending on what you want to display. Entering the logname of a user and pressing ENTER will display all public information available about the user including address, phone numbers and the users resume information. Pressing ENTER will list all users alphabetically by logname. Pressing R ENTER will list all users alphabetically by logname in reverse order. Pressing D ENTER will list all users by date of last login with the most recent first. Pressing A ENTER will list all users by date of last login with the most recent last. Pressing S ENTER will present instructions for searching the user database and wait for you to give it a string of letters or characters to find. Using Who Search allows you to find users by logname, real name, city, state or date of last session. You can enter the item to look for in lower case letters and then press ENTER. The System will display the user information that matches the string you gave it to find. If you are searching by logname, real name or city, just enter the logname, first name, last name or city and press ENTER. To find all users in a particular state enter a comma, then a space, then the two letter designation for that state. To find all users in Ohio you would enter , oh ENTER. EXPLORING OTHER AREAS FROM THE MAIN MENU Now that you are familiar with DIMENET hotkeys, help, page display and Who commands it is time to explore the areas we can visit from the main menu. Bulletins The DIMENET Bulletins System is an automatic function that will search the items available in the Bulletins area right after you log on. If any items are found that have dates since your last logon the system prompts you to read them. If you answer yes it will display all new bulletins posted since your last logon. Then you will be placed at the Main Menu. The Bulletins area on DIMENET is used to inform users of important news or system changes. Most items placed here are news of new statutes and regulations that are available and where to find them in DIMENET. Also, news of interest to the disability community that we want to make sure you get an opportunity to see. Like funding announcements, deadline dates on proposed regulations, policy items from various Federal agencies and other important news you should not miss. You can also read Bulletins by selecting B Bulletins from the Main Menu. You will be presented with the following screen. Available System Bulletins to Read ## Description 1 CIL Proposed Standards and Indicators 10/27/93 2 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Database 11/07/93 3 Proposed CIL Data Collection Forms from RSA 12/3/93 4 NEW Title VII Regulations PRE-OMB Draft 12/22/93 5 Frank Bowe's request for Action on NII 1/3/94 6 Rehabilitation Act updated copy thru 93 Amendments 2/8/93 7 RSA Pre-OMB DRAFT of FY95 Pre Print Plan for IL 3/13/94 E Exit to Main Menu Bulletins Menu: You can select any bulletin to read by entering the number of the item you wish to read and press ENTER. The item will display and then you will be returned to the Bulletins Menu. When you are done viewing bulletins press E to exit and press ENTER. You will be returned to the Main Menu. (E-MAIL) ELECTRONIC MAIL E-mail (electronic mail) is a method for exchanging messages among individual network users. All DIMENET users can send e-mail to other DIMENET users on the same system. If you have made a donation to DIMENET you can also send e-mail to DIMENET users on other DIMENET systems and to any address on the Internet. When you login you will automatically be notified if you have mail. The message "You have mail" will appear above the Main Menu whenever there is mail in your mailbox. This message will always show as long as there are remaining messages in your mailbox whether you have read them or not. Entering your mailbox If you press M for Mail at the Main Menu you will see the Mail Menu shown below: ## Date From Size Subject N 1 8-Nov-93 Paul W. Spooner 6 sending files N 2 8-Nov-93 Paul W. Spooner 2 remove files N 3 8-Nov-93 Paul W. Spooner 6 lightspeed A Answer Mail D Delete Mail E Exit F Forward Mail G Goodbye H Header Message L List Mail M Mail Addresses N Nonstop Read All R Read Mail S Send Mail T Time U Undelete Mail W Who are users X Xpert Toggle ? Help Mail System: If you have mail it will list and be displayed one item per line above the Mail Menu. The left column will display N for new, R for read. The second column shows the mail message number. The third column shows the date the mail arrived in your mailbox. The fourth column shows the name of the person that sent the mail message. The fifth column shows how long the message is in lines. The sixth column shows the subject the sender assigned when it was sent. Reading mail There are three different ways that you can read mail. The first is by selecting R to Read items beginning with the most recent item. After reading the entire message the Mail Menu will appear. At this point you can press A to Answer the item you just read, D to Delete the item you just read, F to Forward the item you just read to another user, or select R to Read the next item in your mailbox. The second way to read mail is by entering the number of the mail item and pressing ENTER. This method takes you directly to the message chosen. After reading the entire message the Mail Menu will appear. At this point you can press A to Answer the item you just read, D to Delete the item you just read, or F to Forward the item you just read. To redisplay the list of items in your mailbox use L to List Mail. The third way to read mail is to use the N Nonstop Read All command. This command will cause the mail system to display all your waiting mail in a continuous mode. This option does not give you the option of answering, deleting or forwarding messages. It simply is a way to quickly retrieve all your mail in one move. That way you can capture it in a file on your machine and read it later once you are off-line. Sending mail There are two ways to send mail on DIMENET. You can prepare your mail message ahead of time in an ASCII file and upload it to the Editor or you can compose your message by hand while you are on-line. Since using DIMENET entails a long distance call it is more economical if you compose your message off-line and then up-load it. We suggest that you prepare your mail message as an ASCII file using your word processor. ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Most word processors can create ASCII files either by saving them directly or by printing them to an ASCII file. Check your word processor manual to learn how to create ASCII files. You can use Wordperfect to create ASCII documents by using the Text In/Out Feature. Retrieve the document onto the screen. Set the right margin to 2 inches, then select Control-F5. A menu will appear. Select DOS text. Another menu will appear. Select Save. It will ask you for a filename to store it in and then create an ASCII file that you can upload as a mail message. You can use Wordstar to create an ASCII file by printing your document to a disk file. Check your Wordstar manual for the process to create ASCII files. In Windows applications you can select File from the Menu Bar and then select Save as... A window will appear. Use the mouse or the TAB key to get on the box at the bottom of the window titled Save file as Type. Click on the arrow at the right of the box to open it and then scroll down and select ASCII. Then give it a filename and save it. Once you have created your mail message in a file or are ready to compose a message on-line log on to DIMENET. From the Main Menu select M Mail System. The Mail Menu will appear. Use the Who Command to find the logname of the person that you want to send mail too. Then select S Send Mail. You will see the prompt: TO: Enter the logname or Internet address of the person you wish to receive the mail message and press ENTER. If you entered just a logname DIMENET will find the user and place their real name on the TO line in parenthesis (). If the mail is to a user on another DIMENET system or an address on the Internet the address as you entered it will be displayed. Then you will see the prompt: Subject: Enter a subject for the message and press ENTER. Then you will see the Editor appear indicating it is ready for you to compose or ASCII upload your message. Enter Message: Type: / at start of a line to end message. For HELP type: /H Editor is ready for you to upload ASCII or compose your message At this point you can compose your message by hand or give your machine the command to ASCII upload the file containing the mail message. Check your communications software manual to determine how to upload files using ASCII upload. Using Procomm, Procomm+ and Telix press the PageUp key to upload. A window will appear with possible upload methods. Select ASCII. Another window will appear asking for the filename of the file to upload. Give it the path and filename of your ASCII prepared message file. Using CrossTalk press Escape. The bottom line of your screen will say Command ?. Type SEND FILENAME and press ENTER to upload the file. Replace FILENAME in the example above with the name of your ASCII message file. Once the file has transferred or you have composed your message by hand press ENTER to get on a blank line. Then type a / (slash) and press ENTER. You will see the following prompt as the editor closes the document you created and waits for you to edit the message or send it. A Abort C Change D Delete I Insert S Send L List ?=Help: From this menu you can Abort the message if you change your mind, Change a line in the message, Delete a line or lines from the message, Insert lines into the message or append them at the bottom of the message. L will List the contents of the Editor to allow you to determine what line number to use to change, delete or insert text. Press S Send. If you have a signature file you will be asked if you want to append it to the message. Then the mail message is delivered to the receivers mailbox. You will see the following prompt: Do you want to send the same message to another user? (Y/N): If you answer No you will be returned to the Mail Menu. If you answer Yes you will be able to send the same message to another person and will see the prompt: [Press Enter to see user list] To: Enter the logname or Internet address of the person you wish to receive the message and press ENTER. If you can not remember the persons logname press ENTER. You will be placed into the Who command to look up the users logname and when finished be back at the "Do you want to send this same message to another user" prompt to try again. If you send it to another user by entering the logname of the user DIMENET will identify the user by placing their real name on the TO line in parenthesis () and then ask if you want to edit the message first. If you answer yes you will be placed into the Editor to edit the message. After you have answered no to the question of editing or finished with the Editor it asks you to confirm that it is ok to send the message to the user. If you answer yes the message is delivered. If you answer no it is not delivered. Either way you will be asked if you want to send the same message to another user. If you do you can edit it again if you choose before sending it. Answering no returns you to the Mail Menu. DIMENET and INTERNET mail addresses If you have privilege to send mail off-site you can send e-mail to any address on the Internet. Just enter the full Internet e-mail address at the TO prompt when sending mail. Selecting M Mail Addresses from the Mail Menu will show if you have privilege to send mail off-site. It will also show your incoming UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy Program) and Internet mail addresses for your DIMENET mailbox. They are your worldwide e-mail addresses that others can use to send mail too you. You have privilege to send email offsite and you can receive email from offsite with the following email addresses: Your email addresses are: UUCP:...!ncar!asuvax!libre.com!tnet.com!tsbbs02!rsykes INTERNET: rsykes@tsbbs02.tnet.com In order for e-mail to be delivered on the Internet all systems that provide Internet e-mail services must have registered Internet system names. Each system name is unique. Systems on the Internet are divided into domains or groups. Each domain has a machine, or group of machines, responsible for routing e-mail to systems in the domain. Using this method it is possible for mail to be routed over the Internet and be delivered to a particular user on a particular system. A typical Internet e-mail address looks like the following: rsykes@tsbbs02.tnet.com Internet e-mail addresses are composed of four parts. The users logname that you are sending mail too, followed by an @ (at sign), followed by the system name of the machine on the Internet where the user has their e-mail account, followed by the domain that services mail requests to that system. The example above rsykes@tsbbs02.tnet.com is for my account on DIMENET Taunton. My account has a logname of rsykes. The system name is tsbbs02 and .tnet.com is the domain. The INTERNET & USENET and what it all means We WELCOME you to the world of networking. You are connecting to a system that is connected to the world, and as such, you will have abilities to do things that can be read, seen and responded to, by literally millions of users throughout the world. The INTERNET, what is that? THE Internet is a bunch (literally hundreds of thousands) of computer systems connected together around the world into one big network. Most of these sites are using what is called Internet Packets to send data from site to site. All sites on the Internet are given a unique system name and an address called an IP (Internet Packet) address that consists of a unique group of digits separated by periods. Some examples: 192.150.127.5 is the IP address registered to TNET.COM, 198.4.7.1 is the IP address registered to CompuServe, and 128.54.16.1 is the IP address registered to the University of California San Diego. The IP address and system name are used to control the routing of data and connections on the Internet so that proper connections are made and so that e-mail, news items and other data get delivered to the proper place on the network. So what is USENET? USENET is another network, but one that goes beyond IP addressed sites. Originally composed of basically UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy) systems, it is now integrated into a whole host of additional networks including the Internet. These systems all together are what is loosely called USENET. Systems that are connected to the USENET do not necessarily have an ongoing physical connection with all the other systems. Instead, they may use other protocols to temporarily connect to get and send information to and from USENET such as UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy), X.25 (Packet Protocol), and SLIP (Serial Line Internet Packet). How is DIMENET connected to the INTERNET/USENET? We are connected via UUCP to each of the other DIMENET sites throughout the country. All DIMENET systems in one form or another are connected to a site located in Phoenix Arizona that acts as a gateway between the DIMENET network and Internet/USENET. This system is responsible for all traffic between DIMENET sites and the rest of the world. What does it cost? Many users forget that these resources cost money. Obviously, sending an email message to a user on the same system in itself doesn't cost a lot, but sending a bunch of messages off to another site around the world can incur a cost not only to the site you sent it from, but also each site along the way that has to permit the message to flow though it. All DIMENET sites are connected via what is called UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy) which uses regular phone lines using high-speed modems. These connections are long distance calls between each of the sites. Each message or email that needs to be transferred from one DIMENET site to another or from DIMENET to the outside world, is most likely being sent via a Long Distance Call. These costs are paid for by the system you are connecting to and all the other DIMENET sites that they need to connect with to pass on information. This cost is the reason that off-site mail privileges are only given to individuals and organizations that make a yearly donation to their local DIMENET site. The donations go to pay the communications costs for delivery of off-site items and our connections to Internet. E-MAIL and where it can go If you have off-site mail privilege you have the ability to send email to just about anywhere in the world. This includes to commercial systems like Prodigy, CompuServe, America On-Line and even the President of the United States. Sending email to a user elsewhere in the world should be done with care so that the message is properly delivered. Improperly addressed email will result in email bouncing. Bouncing is when a mail message is returned to the sender. If off-site mail cannot be delivered it will be returned to the sender (bounced) with a header message at the top indicating the reason that it could not be delivered. If you experience bounced mail please contact the DIMENET system administrator by leaving a log off message or by sending mail to sysop. They will help you get your mail delivered properly. List servers and mailing lists can be a problem On the Internet some information is made available by what are called list servers or mailing lists. These are usually automated processes that distribute information to a mailing list of users. Individuals can subscribe to the list by sending mail to a given address. This adds their name to the distribution list. Many times this is a valuable way of distributing important data to a small group of people. The Whitehouse has a mailing list to tell people of what the President has said in speeches. A good idea. BUT. Not so hot when many people from the same site begin subscribing to the same mailing list. Instead of getting only one copy of the mailing list for one user, a copy for each user that is subscribed is received, duplicating resources, transmission times and reducing overall performance of the system. As an example, the Whitehouse mailing list typically includes about 5 to 10 messages a day. These are a bit on the large side tending to be around 25 to 30k each. For one user on a site, this would amount to about 300kb of data each day for a site. Assuming the larger amounts. If 10 users, however, were subscribed on the same site, this would be more than 3,000kb or 3 megabytes of data per day. This adds unnecessary data transmission costs that can be reduced by cooperation. If several users are interested in the same mailing list, an arrangement can be made to have the mailing list Gatewayed so that only one copy will need to be received by the site. The Gateway automatically translates the mailing list to newsgroup format allowing only one copy to be received that all can read. As an example, DIMENET systems carry the White House mailing list as the Newsgroup dnet.clinton.news. It contains text of speeches, press releases, proclamations and news on a range of topics including health care reform. If you find that you want information from a list server or mailing list, please contact the System Administrator and tell them what list server or mailing list you are interested in. You may find that there are others that are already obtaining this information on your site. The system administrator may arrange to have the mailing list Gatewayed to a Newsgroup for you. If others are not interested, and it is not a large mailing list, the system administrator may then give you permission to subscribe to the list as e-mail. Users who register for large or duplicate mailing lists, without permission of the DIMENET system administrator, may have their accounts ability to send off-site email revoked. A good example of this is what happened on an Internet site recently. A user subscribed to the Catholic informational mailing list. This one mailing list included more than 350 postings a day. Many of them VERY large. This resulted in more than 2.7 million bytes of data being received by this site on a daily basis. This cost the site more than $12 a day in long distance charges just for this one users mailing list. It took more than 2 weeks for the list to get turned off. Moral of the story is that you should ask the site administrator about any list before you subscribe. Many times the information is already available on the site and you just need to be directed to where it is located. WHAT ARE NEWSGROUPS Newsgroups are like bulletin boards. People post messages in them for others to read. When you read a newsgroup, you will see the messages (postings) that others have made. Newsgroups are essentially a public forum on a given topic or issue. DIMENET supports several types of newsgroups: LOCAL This is a newsgroup that is only on the system that it resides on. It is not available on other DIMENET systems. LOCAL Private This newsgroup is local, but in order to read it, you must be included in the users access list that is maintained by the Moderator of the group. LOCAL Exclude This is a local exclusive newsgroup. Only members included in the users access list maintained by the Moderator of the group can even see that the group exists. Non-members will not see it listed when they list available newsgroups. USENET This is a group that is propagated to more than one system. This can consist of regular USENET newsgroups or the special DNET newsgroups discussed later. USENET Private & Exclude The same as Local Private/Exclusive except that these groups are propagated to all three DIMENET Systems located in Taunton, Dayton and Tulsa. The Moderator for the Newsgroup has an account on one of the three DIMENET Systems and controls the user list to allow access by users on any of the three DIMENET Systems. Why are newsgroups named like they are? In the beginning of USENET a couple hierarchies were created to group newsgroup topics into general categories. This made passing of news items from site to site easier. These categories included: comp (computer), misc (Miscellaneous), news (news as in newsgroups), rec (recreation), sci (science), soc (social) and talk (talk) Over time, many more newsgroups have popped up including: alt (alternate), biz (Business Commercial), bionet (biological), bit (bitnet), clari (Clarinet), info (information), mail (mail), and a large number of local hierarchies All together there now exist well over 7000 newsgroups throughout the world. Each hierarchy contains a type of newsgroup structure. comp.* are groups related to computers, soc.* are groups that deal with social issues and so on. So what is a DNET newsgroup? DNET (normally seen as dnet.newsgroup_name) is a special hierarchy of newsgroups that are used by DIMENET sites for the newsgroups maintained as the DIMENET network. ONLY DIMENET sites are permitted to receive these newsgroups. In order to read a dnet.* newsgroup, you must access a DIMENET site to see them. What is the difference between a local and USENET group If you post a message to a LOCAL group, it will only show up on the system you are connected to. This may include anywhere from 20 to 30 users to several thousand depending on how large the system is. A USENET group however may be carried by many systems and may have a readership of SEVERAL MILLION READERS!! All newsgroups that are marked as USENET that are not in the dnet.* hierarchy are broadcast to a very large number of sites. THE BASICS OF NEWS AND HOW IT GETS AROUND When you post a message, it is stored on the system where you posted it. Normally, it will show up on the system you are connected to fairly quickly. Sometimes as soon as you re-enter the newsgroup. If it is a local group, then that is as far as it's going to go. If however it is a dnet.* or USENET type group, it needs to get to other sites carrying that newsgroup. This happens by a method called batching. Each new posting on your system is listed in a file for each system that is supposed to receive that news. Every so often, the system reads these files and creates a compressed batch of news to be sent to the other sites. One of those batches would contain the message you posted. The next time one of these sites connects with your site, the information is sent via UUCP to the other site where it is unbatched, and stored in the appropriate space for that news. That site then performs the same task of batching to pass on the news to other sites that it serves. Eventually, your message is delivered to all the readers of the newsgroup. How long it takes for this to happen depends on how quickly all these sites connect and receive the news. For a large USENET newsgroup that has a readership all around the world, it may take between 5 to 7 days for your post to actually arrive to the farthest reaches of the net. For DIMENET sites and dnet.* newsgroups, most news articles will be received within 24 hours. Posting When you decide to post an article to a newsgroup, it is suggested that you put some thought into it before and while entering in your message. It is many times much easier to compose a message off-line so you have time to think about what it is you are trying to say, giving yourself time to check spelling, grammar. et al. REMEMBER, your posting may be seen by MILLIONS OF USERS! Is the message clear? Can people understand what you are trying to say? Is the message content related to the topic which the newsgroup addresses? ARE YOU USING ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS. If so many people will wonder if you are SHOUTING at them. It is better to use mixed case to help make a POINT so that users can QUICKLY see what you are trying to EMPHASIZE. You should be careful when you are posting something that is intended to be funny. You need to make sure that people interpret what you are saying as being funny or as intended to be funny. This is done by an old established USENET method of marking text with what is called a Smiley which looks like this :-) Keep in mind that people can't hear your message as you intended it and have to read it to understand its meaning. If what you are posting is personal or intended for a single user, then PLEASE use E-MAIL INSTEAD! Please don't post a message for all to see when its intended for a single person. NEVER POST IN ANGER! This is an easy thing to want to do, but almost always a big mistake. Most people don't come across as being very rational when they are posting in anger. Some of the biggest flame-wars to take place on USENET (a flame is to say something inflammatory about or to someone) are over postings made in anger. If you are angry about what someone has said, take some time to cool off before you post a reply. The best reply sometimes is to not reply. If you really have to respond and it is personal PLEASE use E-MAIL INSTEAD! Followup posting When you read a newsgroup posting and decide you want to add some comments to it or perhaps answer a question raised in the original post you can followup post. While composing a Followup Post you should be thinking about: Is this a personal reply that could be better delivered if it is sent via e-mail rather than to the whole world? If so select A Answer to User and your message will be delivered as an e-mail message to the poster of the original message only. Are you including the entire text of the original item in your reply? Is so, WHY? Remembering that the size of the message that is sent can directly effect the costs involved in sending it, be careful to remove any information in a reply that includes the original that is not directly related to the reason you are responding. This makes it easier for users to understand what you are trying to say. Was the original post in the appropriate newsgroup? If not, please post the followup in the appropriate newsgroup. Don't like what you read in an article, and want to send some flames. PLEASE use E-MAIL INSTEAD! Replying via E-MAIL The preferred method of responding to a post when the answer is specific to the user that the post was from is to send them an e-mail message. If someone asks for information on how to do something or find something, chances are, that if you e-mail them the information using A Answer to User, they will get it much faster than if you post it to the newsgroup as a followup message. News can be a bit slow sometimes due to the way it is handled. E-mail however normally has priority over any other type of traffic. E-mailing a message directly to a user may get there in less than an hour while waiting for news to arrive at the same users system may be delayed by up to several days. Many times, the user that posted the request, will followup their own post to recap the responses they received so that others with the same question may get the answer. If you see a question asked and you would also like an answer, e-mail the original poster telling them that when they get an answer, you would like to receive the information also. Most users will oblige such a request and if they receive many requests, will post the information for all to see. Deleting a newsgroup posting This is not as easy as it may seem, especially if you posted the message more than an hour before and the newsgroup is a USENET type. The reason is this. Even though the message that you posted is stored on the system you posted it to, copies may have already been sent to other sites for storage as well. When you delete a message, the system will remove the message on the system you are using right then. It then sends what is called a control message to the rest of the sites telling them that you have requested that the message you posted be deleted (canceled). This control message travels just like all other news postings and will take just as long to get there as the original message did. The moral of this story is, BEFORE you post something, make sure it is accurate, composed properly, factually correct and something you want everyone to read. You cannot delete a posting of another user unless you are the moderator of the newsgroup which contains the article. This is to prevent someone who does not share your opinions from deleting your postings. DIMENET NEWSGROUPS You can post messages to Local and dnet hierarchy newsgroups and read the contents of all public newsgroups. You can also read and participate in Private and Exclude Newsgroups if the moderator has placed your logname in the permissions list for the Newsgroup. If you have off-site mail privilege you can also post messages to USENET Newsgroups other than those in the dnet hierarchy. Batch read The DIMENET News System provides a powerful function called Batch Read. It allows you to subscribe to Newsgroups. You can then use the B Batch Read command from the News System Menu to get all new items you have not seen from all subscribed newsgroups quickly and efficiently. If you subscribe to newsgroups and then use the Batch Read command all new items in those newsgroups can be displayed on the screen in continuous scroll mode so that you can capture the information in a log file and read it later off-line. Batch Read also has the capability to place the new items in a file and then compress the file before sending it to you as a file download. This greatly reduces the time needed to transfer new information from Newsgroups. Compression methods are available for use on DOS, MAC and Unix computers. The Batch Read command can compress files using Unix Compress, Unix Pack, ZIP or ARC. It will ask you to choose one when you use it. The Batch Read command will download the compressed file too you using a file transfer protocol. It will ask you to choose one. The file transfer protocols available are Batch Ymodem, CRC Xmodem, Kermit Transfer, Xmodem Checksum, Ymodem/Xmodem1K and Zmodem Transfer. Uncompression software tools are available in the Tools File Area of DIMENET for downloading if you need them. In order for the Batch Read function to work the system must record your list of subscribed newsgroups. The very first time you enter newsgroups you will see the screen below. NEW USER NOTICE: Being that you are new to the news section, you now need to select which newsgroups you want to subscribe to. Subscribing to a newsgroup, allows you later to quickly read any new postings to that newsgroup via the Batch Read function. Batch read will not send new articles from a newsgroup unless you have subscribed to it. You now have four choices to choose from: 1) DO NOT subscribe to Any Newsgroups 2) SUBSCRIBE to ALL Newsgroups 3) Individually select which groups to SUBSCRIBE. Q) Quit news and return to main menu Note that selection #3 may take awhile as there may be many newsgroups to select from. Which option would you like: If you choose 3 to individually select which groups to subscribe it will present each new newsgroup and wait for you decide if you want to subscribe or not as shown in the example below. Subscribing to Newsgroups ONLY effects the functioning of the Batch Read command. You can still enter, read and participate in a Newsgroup even if you choose not to subscribe. Subscribing just makes it possible to get all new items from the newsgroup using the Batch Read command. When new newsgroups have been added to the DIMENET System and you enter Newsgroups you will be prompted for your subscription selections for the new Newsgroups. NEW NEWSGROUP! Group: dnet.ADA Desc : Americans with Disabilities Act Type : USENET PUBLIC Subscribe (Y/N/Q): y NEW NEWSGROUP! Group: dnet.Adapt Desc : American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today Type : USENET PUBLIC Subscribe (Y/N/Q): y After you have finished answering the newsgroup subscribe questions the following Menu will appear: B Batch Read C Catchup News E Exit G Goodbye L List Newsgroups O Old Newsrc P Post Article R Read Newsgroup S Subscribe T Time U Unsubscribe X Xpert Toggle ? Help News System Menu: From the News System Menu you can Batch Read all subscribed Newsgroups, List the available Newsgroups, Post a message to a Newsgroup, Read a Newsgroup, and Subscribe or Unsubscribe from Newsgroups. Two other important functions are also available at the News System Menu. They are C Catchup News and O Old Newsrc. Catchup News is useful for users that have subscribed to newsgroups because they wish to receive all new items from the newsgroups BUT, do not want to Batch Read all of the old items from their subscribed newsgroups. Selecting C Catchup News will update your newsgroup record counters so that they are current. Then the next time you log in and do a Batch Read you will only get the new stuff from your subscribed newsgroups since your last login. O Old Newsrc is a selection that will reset your newsgroup message record counters back to where they were before your last Batch Read. This is useful if you were executing a Batch Read and for some reason lost the phone connection to DIMENET. You can reconnect to DIMENET, select N Newsgroups, select O Old Newsrc, then select B to Batch Read again. To see a list of Newsgroups press N Newsgroups from the Main Menu. Select L List Newsgroups. You will see the following prompt: List Groups: Enter newsgroup (ENTER=ALL/B/S/U/Q/?=Help) Input selection: From this menu you can select B to view a brief listing of all newsgroups, S to list all subscribed newsgroups or U to list all unsubscribed newsgroups. Selecting B for a brief listing will show all newsgroups one per line as shown below. List of ALL Newsgroups Brief (S) dnet.ADA Americans with Disabilities Act (S) dnet.CILstandards RSA Workgroup on CIL Standards and Indicators (S) dnet.Editorial DIMENET Editorial Committee (S) dnet.Employment Job announcements and other employment opportunities (S) dnet.General General Information (S) dnet.ILRU Independent Living Research and Utilization RTC (S) dnet.Meetings Meetings and Conferences (U)*dnet.NAIL National Association for Independent Living (S) dnet.NARIC National Rehabilitation Information Center (S) dnet.NCILBoard National Council on Independent Living Governing Board (S) dnet.NCILMembership National Council on Independent Living Members (S) dnet.NECILC New England Coalition of Independent Living Centers (S) dnet.PAS Personal Assistance Services (S) dnet.PCIL Pennsylvania Council on Independent Living (S) dnet.Presidential Presidential Forum (S)*dnet.Rehabact Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization (S) dnet.Suggestions DIMENET System Suggestions or Questions (S)*dnet.Town_Meeting Town Meeting (Open Forum Discussion) (S) dnet.Training Independent Living Training Resources (U) = Unsubscribed (S) = Subscribed * = Contains New Messages Entering DIMENET newsgroups You can enter a DIMENET newsgroup by following these steps. From the Main Menu press N Newsgroups. The News System Menu will appear as shown below: B Batch Read C Catchup News E Exit G Goodbye L List Newsgroups O Old Newsrc P Post Article R Read Newsgroup S Subscribe T Time U Unsubscribe X Xpert Toggle ? Help News System Menu: Press R for Read Newsgroup. You will be presented with the following prompt: Read Which Group (ENTER=List): At this prompt you can press ENTER to see the list of Newsgroups and pick the one you want by number OR you can type a portion of the Newsgroup name you wish to look at and press ENTER. The system will then search the Newsgroups for the name you entered. If more than one Newsgroups matches it will present the ones found by number and allow you to select the one you want. If your search only finds one Newsgroup that matches, you will be placed directly into the Newsgroup. The list of possible Newsgroup names can be seen as the second column of items using the List Newsgroups Brief command from the News System Menu. Newsgroup names are dnet.ADA, dnet.CILstandards, etc. Once you are in the Newsgroup you have selected you will see the Newsgroup Menu that appears below. dnet.ADA (1-38) [1] Moderator: dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com A Answer to Use E Exit F Followup Post G GOODBYE H Header Info L List Messages M Mail to a user P Post Message R Read S Subscribe T Time U Unsubscribe W Who are users X Xpert Toggle ? Help Newsgroup Menu: The upper left side of the Newsgroup Menu displays the name of the Newsgroup you have entered. After the name are the first and last message numbers of messages in the Newsgroup. Then it displays [1] indicating that the Read command will start with item 1. The last item in the upper left will be the Newsgroup moderators email address. To read Newsgroup messages that are new to you press R Read. You will be presented with the first item that you have not read. After reading it you will be returned to the Newsgroup Menu. Another way to read messages is to select L to List Messages. You will see a prompt like the one below. List Starting at (1 - 47) or N: Pressing ENTER will list all messages. Entering a number and pressing ENTER will list starting with the number given. Entering N for New and then pressing ENTER will list only new messages. The messages will be displayed one item per line as shown below. MSG# Date Line By Description 1*04-Apr-1994 287 adata ADA Tax Credit Passed 2*04-Apr-1994 1983 adata Conference Committee Report on ADA 3*04-Apr-1994 142 adata Rights & Empowerment Task Force Repo 4*04-Apr-1994 2938 adata AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1 5*04-Apr-1994 28 adata DOJ ADA OFFICE 6*04-Apr-1994 841 adata ADA Implications for Business 7*04-Apr-1994 4270 adata Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - EEOC 8*04-Apr-1994 110 liz savage ADA Regulations Action Alert Enter to Continue, # to View, Q=Quit: You can read individual items by entering the message number of the item you wish to read and press ENTER. Either way, once you have read an item and returned to the Newsgroup Menu, you can compose a confidential mail message to the person that posted the message you read by pressing A to Answer to User. Or you can use M Mail to a user to send a copy of the item to a users email mailbox. You will be given the opportunity to edit it before it is sent. Selecting F for Followup Post will allow you to post a reply to the item you just read as a public message in the Newsgroup for all to see. Once you are through, press R to Read the next Newsgroup item. POSTING NEWSGROUP MESSAGES ON DIMENET Prepare your message as an ASCII file using your word processor. (See the section on sending mail for helpful tips on preparing your ASCII file.) From the Main Menu select N Newsgroups. The News System Menu will appear. Select R Read Newsgroup. Give it a Newsgroup name and press ENTER or just press ENTER to display the available Newsgroups. Select the Newsgroup to receive the posting by its number and press ENTER. You will now be in the Newsgroup Menu as shown below: dnet.ADA (1-38) [1] Moderator: dimenet@tsbbs02.tnet.com A Answer to User E Exit F Followup Post G GOODBYE H Header Info L List Messages M Mail to a user P Post Message R Read S Subscribe T Time U Unsubscribe W Who are users X Xpert Toggle ? Help Newsgroup Menu: Select P to Post Message. You will see the prompt: Subject: Enter a subject for the message and press ENTER. You will see the Editor appear indicating it is ready for you to compose or ASCII upload your message. Enter Message: Type: / at start of a line to end message. For HELP type: /H Editor is ready for you to upload ASCII or compose your message At this point give your machine the command to ASCII upload the file containing the message or compose your message by hand. Using Procomm, Procomm+ and Telix press the PageUp key to upload. A window will appear with possible upload methods. Select ASCII. Another window will appear asking for the filename of the file to upload. Give it the path and filename of your ASCII prepared message file. Using CrossTalk press Escape. The bottom line of your screen will say Command ?. Type SEND FILENAME and press ENTER to upload the file. Replace FILENAME in the example above with the name of your ASCII message file. Once the file has transferred or you have composed your message by hand press ENTER to get on a blank line. Then type a / (slash) and press ENTER. You will see the following prompt as the editor closes the document you created and waits for you to edit the message or send it. A Abort C Change D Delete I Insert S Send L List ?=Help: Press S Send. The message will be Posted to the Newsgroup. Posting directly to the newsgroup In addition to posting Newsgroup messages from within Newsgroups, as described above, it is possible to post messages to Newsgroups without entering the Newsgroup. From the Main Menu select N Newsgroups. From the News System Menu that appears select P Post Article. It will ask which Newsgroup you want. Press ENTER to see the list of Newsgroups and pick the one you want by number OR type a portion of the Newsgroup name you want and press ENTER. The system will then search the Newsgroups for the name you entered. If more than one Newsgroup matches it will present the ones found by number and allow you to select the one you want. Once you have selected by number or if your search only finds one Newsgroup then you will be prompted to give the subject for the posting. You will then be placed in the Editor to compose or ASCII upload your message. Once you are finished with the Editor and you Send the posting you will be returned to the News System Menu. DIMENET FILE AREAS DIMENET provides numerous file areas. These are used to make files available for users to download. The files available may be software, as in the case of ZIP or other Shareware tools, or just documents as in the case of Federal Statutes and Federal Regulations. Uploading means sending files from your computer to DIMENET. Downloading means transferring files from DIMENET to your computer. In order to upload or download files you will need to utilize what are called file transfer protocols. File transfer protocols control the transfer of a file from DIMENET to your computer or from your computer to DIMENET. File transfer protocols are used to handle the transfer. They make sure that an accurate copy of the file gets transferred. When transferring files DIMENET and your computer MUST both be utilizing the same file transfer protocol. The file transfer protocols available on DIMENET are Batch Ymodem, CRC Xmodem, Kermit Transfer, Xmodem Checksum, Ymodem/Xmodem1K and Zmodem Transfer. They all do the same job of transferring files between computers. Some computers can only do one or two file transfer protocols. By making a range of file transfer protocols available DIMENET insures that you will be able to select one that matches what your communications software makes available. Check your communications software manual to determine which file transfer protocols it will execute and the commands needed to execute them. If possible use Zmodem. It will transfer files faster that any of the others. However, any will work. The DIMENET file system is divided into areas to make it easier to locate items. From the Main Menu select F File System. The available DIMENET file areas will be presented as shown below. ## Directory Description Access 1 ADAFILES Americans with Disabilities Act Public 2 REHAB Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization Public 3 PresFiles Presidential Forum Files Public 4 Trans Transportation Public 5 Housing Housing Public 6 PCServices PCA Services Public 7 Funds Fund raising and other Money Items Public 8 ILRUFiles ILRU Research and Training Center on IL Public 9 NAILFiles National Assoc. for Independent Living Public 10 NARICFiles National Rehabilitation Info Center Public 11 NECILCFiles New England Coalition of ILC's Public 12 SpeechFiles Speech Disability - Hear Our Voices Public 13 Newsletters Newsletters from various sources Public 14 Documents General Document Files Public 15 Tools Shareware Software Tools Public 16 Uploads Upload files here Public Enter Selection (E=Exit): Select the file area you wish to enter by number and press ENTER. You will be placed in the file area you selected and will see the File Systems Menu shown. File Area: ADAFILES Moderator: rsykes@tsbbs02.tnet.com A Areas C Contents D Download Files E Exit F Full List G Goodbye L Locate Files N New Files List U Upload Files X Xpert Toggle ? Help File Systems: The upper left of the menu will show the name of the file area you have entered and the moderators name for that file area. Downloading files To look at a list of the files available for downloading from this area select F Full List. You will see the file names, size, dates and descriptions of the available files as shown below. Obtaining Directory Information tamanii.zip 49152 Mar 07 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title II, ADA ZIP File tamaniii.zip 75264 Mar 07 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title III, ADA ZIP File tamanii.txt 155648 Mar 07 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title II, ADA, Ascii file tamaniii.txt 232192 Mar 07 Technical Assistance Manual, Dept. of Justice Title III, ADA, ascii file infect.txt 10752 Apr 04 Depart. of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control, Diseases Transmitted through the Food Supply, ascii file adabill.txt 154752 Apr 04 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 full text of the Law, ascii file Use the page display commands to move around in the listing of available files. Determine which files you want to download and make a note of their filenames. Then exit the page display. You will be returned to the File System Menu. Select D to Download a file. You will be prompted to enter the filename for the file you wish to download. Enter the filename exactly as it appeared in the Full List of files and press ENTER. You will then be asked to select a protocol method to use to transfer the file as shown below. Input file name(s) to download: tamanii.txt A ASCII Dump B Batch Ymodem C CRC Xmodem E Exit K Kermit Transfer X Xmodem Checksum Y Ymodem/Xmodem1k Z Zmodem Transfer Select a file transfer protocol to use to transfer the file. Once you have selected a file transfer protocol you will see a display that looks something like the following: File open: 1217 records Send time: 1 min, 29 sec at 19200 baud To cancel: use CTRL-X numerous times Waiting ready signal This means that DIMENET is ready to begin the protocol file transfer. Now you must give your communications software the command or commands to begin a file download using the same file transfer protocol that you selected from the DIMENET Menu. You will see the file transfer occur. Your communications software will display the status of the transfer in blocks. It will be counting the blocks as they are received. When the file transfer is complete you will be returned to the File System Menu. The file you downloaded will be on your computer. Usually in the same directory as your communications software unless your communications software has a download path configured to place files in another directory. Look for the file while at the DOS prompt in the directory where your communications software resides. If it is not there then check your communications software manual for information on how to configure where file downloads will arrive. Examine your communications software configuration to see where it is programmed to place incoming downloads. That is where is will be. Uploading files To upload files select F File System from the Main Menu. Choose the file area that best suits the topic of the file you wish to upload by number and press ENTER. You will be placed in the file area and will see the following menu. File Area: ADAFILES Moderator: rsykes@tsbbs02.tnet.com A Areas C Contents D Download Files E Exit F Full List G Goodbye L Locate Files N New Files List U Upload Files X Xpert Toggle ? Help File Systems: Select U to Upload a file. You will be asked for the filename of the file you are about to upload. Enter the filename of the file you are sending and press ENTER. You will be prompted to select a file transfer protocol from the following menu. Input filename for upload: test.txt A ASCII Dump B Batch Ymodem C CRC Xmodem E Exit K Kermit Transfer X Xmodem Checksum Y Ymodem/Xmodem1k Z Zmodem Transfer File Protocols: Once you have selected a protocol DIMENET is ready to receive the file. Give your communications software the command or commands to upload a file using the SAME protocol that you selected from the DIMENET Menu. The file will transfer to DIMENET and you will see the following: FILE RECEIVED: test.txt You can now enter a description for the above named file. The description can be up to 49 characters wide and as long as necessary to properly describe it. If the file is for access by the Sysop only, please enter an ! as the first character of the first line and only the Sysop will see the new file. Enter Message: Type: / at start of a line to end message. For HELP type: /H Line length is set to 49 characters with wordwrap. Editor is ready for you to upload ASCII or compose your message. ------------------------------------------------| Enter a description of the file. Take as many lines as you need to make sure that you have described the contents of the file. Your description will allow others to determine if it is something they want and should download. When you have finished press ENTER to get on a blank line. Type a / (slash) and press ENTER. You will be returned to the file menu. If you select F Full List and then press E to jump to the end of the page display your file should be there, listed, just as you entered it. DIMENET makes files available in ASCII and compressed ZIP copies. ASCII filenames normally end with .txt. ZIP compressed filenames always end with .zip. Downloading the ZIP copies is much quicker. Since they are compressed they do not take as long to transfer as the full size ASCII copies. If you download ASCII copies of files you can use them as soon as you download them. If you download ZIP copies of files you will need to unzip them before you can use them. If you do not have ZIP compression and uncompression tools they are available to download from the Tools File Area of DIMENET. The filename to download is pkz204g.exe. Once you have downloaded the pkz204g.exe file copy it to the C:\DOS directory. Then while you are in the C:\DOS directory you can unpack the full set of ZIP tools including user manual by entering the following from the DOS prompt: pkz204g ENTER. Once you have downloaded the pkz204g.exe file and unpacked it you will be able to execute the zip and unzip commands on your computer. Unzipping files restores them to their full size so that you can use them with your word processor or other software. As an example, to unzip the tamanii.zip file you would first have to download it to your computer. Then enter the following command from the DOS prompt: pkunzip tamanii ENTER. This will unpack the file or files contained in the ZIP archive. It will announce the names of the files that it is unzipping as it does it. It will not write over an file that already exists when unzipping. If it finds a conflict it will warn you and ask if you want to continue. If you choose you can overwrite the existing file or you can answer no and not unzip the one file that has a filename the same as the one already on your disk. Once you have completed unzipping the item you downloaded the full size copies of the files contained in the ZIP file will then be available for you to use. THE IMPORTANCE OF CLOSING YOUR LOG FILE After you have logged off of DIMENET but before you exit from your communications software you need to close the capture or log file that was opened at the beginning of this session. This will cause your computer to properly store the file on disk under the filename you assigned when you opened it. If you do not close the file before exiting your communications software you may loose the information you were attempting to capture. Using Procomm, Procomm+ or Telix press the ALT key and while holding it down press the F1 key. The bottom line of your screen should now say LOG CLOSED. Using CrossTalk you would press Escape. The bottom line of your screen will say Command ? type CA OFF and press ENTER. You can now exit from your communications software. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE If you have problems or questions regarding using DIMENET, technical support is available to help with such procedures as hooking up and using a modem with communications software, connecting to DIMENET, uploading and downloading files, etc. Once you have logged on, you may also obtain technical assistance by referring to on-line help screens by pressing '?,' or by posting a message in the Suggestions and Questions newsgroup. Technical assistance is also available from individuals at DIMENET regional host sites: Taunton (508) 880-5325 (V/TTY), Dayton (513) 439-0071 (V), 439-0072 (TTY), and Tulsa (918) 592-1235 (V/TTY). Additional help may be obtained from Roland Sykes at (513) 237-8360 (V) or Paul Spooner at (508) 875-7853 (V/TTY). DIMENET Editorial Committee Bylaws MISSION To provide consumer controlled electronic communications and publications which are responsive to the needs of the independent living and disability rights movements. ROLE OF THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE The Editorial Committee is responsible for: Receiving input from DIMENET members Providing guidance for and assisting with DIMENET information content development Providing guidance for and assisting with DIMENET system and software development METHODS OF ACTION The Editorial Committee will conduct business of the committee through an ongoing schedule of conference calls and electronic communications utilizing the DIMENET Editorial Committee newsgroup area. The Committee and all sub-committees will utilize a consensus decision-making process when possible. When consensus decisions are not possible, decisions will be made by a simple majority of a roll call vote. The Chair may cast a vote in order to break a tie vote. OFFICERS The Editorial Committee shall have a Chair and a Secretary. The Chair and Secretary shall be selected by a vote of the Editorial Committee members. The terms of office shall be for one year or until successors are chosen by the Editorial Committee. The Chair shall be responsible for: Serving as Chair for all meetings of the Editorial Committee Appointing sub-committees of the Editorial Committee with the advice and consent of the Editorial Committee Coordinating activities of sub-committees with those of the Editorial Committee Appointing a member of the Editorial Committee to chair meetings in their absence. The Secretary shall be responsible for: Producing minutes of all meetings of the Editorial Committee Maintaining the roster of Editorial Committee members Coordinating scheduling and payment for conference calls CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP DIMENET Host sites All DIMENET Host Sites shall have the right to be present, be heard and cast votes at all meetings of the DIMENET Editorial Committee until such time as there are five DIMENET Host sites. At the point there are five DIMENET Host sites a standing sub-committee of the Editorial Committee will be created of DIMENET Host System Operators. The Chair of DIMENET Host System Operators Committee and one other member, selected by the sub-committee members, shall serve as members of the Editorial Committee and represent the views of the sub-committee during Editorial Committee meetings. National and International Organizations They are Consumer Controlled Disability organization, that have endorsed DIMENET. They will utilize DIMENET to communicate with their members via a newsgroup they maintain and will encourage their members and others to utilize DIMENET. They will assist in supporting the conference call expenses of the DIMENET Editorial Committee. They will submit an organizational resolution signed by a duly authorized representative to the Editorial Committee stating agreement with the above requirements. Coalitions They are Consumer Controlled Disability organization that have endorsed DIMENET. They will utilize DIMENET to communicate with their members via a newsgroup they maintain. They will encourage their members and others to utilize DIMENET. They will assist in supporting the conference call expenses of the DIMENET Editorial Committee. They will submit an organizational resolution signed by a duly authorized representative to the Editorial Committee stating agreement with the above requirements. At the point there are five Coalition members, a standing sub-committee of the Editorial Committee will be created of DIMENET Coalitions. The Chair of DIMENET Coalitions Committee and one other member, selected by the sub-committee members, shall serve as members of the Editorial Committee and represent the views of the sub-committee during Editorial Committee meetings. Individuals The Editorial Committee may add individual members to the Editorial Committee for specified terms by a vote of the Editorial Committee. Individuals will have a specific purpose or function within the Editorial Committee for the duration of their appointment. Roland Sykes, Chair 6256 Ramblewood Drive Dayton, OH 45424 513-237-8360 FAX: 513-439-2995 DIMENET: rsykes Kathleen Kleinmann, Secretary NCIL 69 E. Beau Street Washington, PA 15301 412-223-5115 FAX: 412-223-5119 DIMENET: kleinman Eric Griffin Independence Associates, Inc. 9 Taunton Green Taunton, MA 02780 508-880-5325 FAX: 508-880-6311 DIMENET: griffin Anne-Marie Hughey National Council on Independent Living 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 405 Arlington, VA 22201 703-525-3406 FAX: 703-525-3409 DIMENET: hughey Mark Leeper APRIL 124 East Third Street Moscow, ID 83843 208-883-0523 FAX: 208-882-8692 DIMENET: leeper Laurel Richards ILRU 2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000 Houston, TX 77019 713-520-0232 FAX: 713-520-5785 DIMENET: laurel Larry Robinson New England Coalition of ILCs 172 Pembroke Road Concord, NH 03301 603-228-9680 FAX: 603-225-3304 DIMENET: gsilf Paul SpoonerNational Association for IL c/o MetroWest CIL 63 Fountain Street, Suite 504 Framingham, MA 01701 508-875-7853 FAX: 508-875-8359 DIMENET: pspooner Carla Lawson Ability Resources, Inc. 1724 East Eighth Street Tulsa, OK 74104 918-592-1235 FAX: 918-582-3622 DIMENET: carla Gene Leber Access Center for Independent Living 7990 Clyo Road Centerville, OH 45459 513-439-0071 FAX: 513-439-2995 DIMENET: gene DIMENET RESOURCE READING LIST The following is a partial listing of some of the excellent readings and resources available to you on DIMENET. Find the newsgroup or file area noted for each document, ask for the full list of files or postings, and download what you like. For instructions on downloading, consult your DIMENET manual (also available for downloading from the 'Documents' file area) or contact one of the technical assistants at the host sites. Congressional Fax Numbers in 'dnet.Justice' newsgroup, uploaded 2/95. Congressional E-Mail Addresses in 'dnet.Justice' newsgroup, uploaded 2/95. Cheap Internet Access! in 'dnet.CATS' newsgroup, uploaded 11/94. State-by-State Listing of Disability (and Medical) Bulletin Board Systems in a file called 'blackbag.txt' in the 'Documents' file area. This listing was made available particularly so that For Justice For All volunteers could identify disability-related BBS to upload E-mail alerts. Uploaded 1/20/95 and current as of 11/94. List of Disability Resources Available on the Internet in an ASCII file called 'dislist' in 'Documents' file area, uploaded 11/94. Zen and the ART of INTERNET, a beginner's guide to understanding and using the INTERNET in the 'Documents' file area under the following file names: 'zen.txt' (ASCII), 'zen.zip' (zipped version). Uploaded 2/92. The ROADMAP for the Information Superhighway Interactive Internet Training Workshop in 'dnet. roadmap' newsgroup, uploaded 11/94. 'Roadmap' describes itself as follows: Roadmap is an interactive Internet training workshop designed to teach both new and old Net travellers how to travel around the rapidly expanding (and often times confusing) Information Superhighway without getting lost. Using the latest information available coupled with guest lectures and, best of all, it is absolutely FREE!!!!! All you need is e-mail (although it would be nice if you also had telnet access). Since a substantial number of Roadmap participants only have e-mail access, the Roadmap workshop sessions will teach you how to use the tools of the Internet directly and also how to use these same tools using nothing but e-mail. The typical session will take no more than five to ten minutes to complete. DIMENET & COMPUTER NETWORKING EVALUATION 1. Describe your basic understanding of these workshop topics BEFORE and AFTER this workshop by circling the appropriate numbers below (a 7 being "high, detailed knowledge" and a 1 being "none"). BEFORE AFTER Equipment and software needed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Benefits of telecommunication 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Login procedures 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DIMENET access features 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 E-mail 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Newsgroups 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 File areas 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Downloading and uploading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Internet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 World Wide Web 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2. What parts of the workshop/training did you find MOST helpful? Why? 3. What parts of the workshop/training did you find LEAST helpful? Why? 4. What topics would you like to see covered in future workshops? Name/phone (optional): DIMENET & COMPUTER NETWORKING INDIVIDUAL EVALUATION 1. Describe your basic understanding of these workshop topics BEFORE and AFTER this workshop by circling the appropriate numbers below (a 7 being "high, detailed knowledge" and a 1 being "none"). BEFORE AFTER Equipment and software needed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Benefits of telecommunication 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 New user login 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 E-mail 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Newsgroups 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 File areas 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Logoff message 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2. What parts of the workshop/training did you find MOST helpful? Why? 3. What parts of the workshop/training did you find LEAST helpful? Why? 4. What topics would you like to see covered in future workshops? Name/phone (optional): SYSTEMS ADVOCACY SYSTEMS ADVOCACY TABLE OF CONTENTS Agenda 3 Learning Objectives 5 Advocacy Definitions 7 Telephone Alert System 9 Sample Telephone Alert Form 11 Telephone Tree 13 The Bootstrap Solution 15 Oppression and Liberation Note-taking Outline 17 Disability Pride: The Interrelationship of Self-worth, Self-empowerment, and Disability Culture: Table of Contents 19 Exercise Identification of Stereotypes Associated with Disability 21 List of Common Stereotypes (optional) 23 Exercise How Have Disability Stereotypes Affected You? 25 Exercise Media Messages 27 Exercise What to Do about Disability Stereotypes? 29 What Is Your Role? 31 Exercise Strengths that Result from Living with Disability 33 Oh, Mona Lisa, I Never Thought of You as Being Disabled 35 Society's Values 37 No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement 39 Exercise The 'Built Environment' Often Causes the Real Disability 41 Exercise The Activist Leap 43 Handout: The Activist Leap 45 From Oppression to Activism 47 You and I 49 A Little History Worth Knowing 51 Legislative Advocacy Pre-test 53 Political Contact Report Form 57 Top 12 Tips for Meeting with your Legislator 59 Legislative Advocacy Resources 61 Organizing Strategies Skit One: 'Do-Gooder Dave's Dilemma' 63 Organizing Strategies Skit Two: 'Advocate Dave' 65 The Lobbying Test 69 A Practical Guide to the IRS Rules on Lobbying by Charities 71 Systems Advocacy Scenario One: 'They Just aren't Motivated' 91 Systems Advocacy Scenario Two: 'Who Gets Credit?' 93 Systems Advocacy Scenario Three: 'John's Dilemma' 95 Systems Advocacy Scenario Four: 'Jane's Dilemma' 97 Systems Advocacy Readings 99 Evaluation 103 SYSTEMS ADVOCACY Presenters: Bob Michaels & June Kailes AGENDA TUESDAY PM 1:30-1:40 Introductions 1:40-2:40 Systems Advocacy Definitions 2:40-3:10 Creating & Maintaining a Systems Advocacy Component within a CIL 3:10-3:25 Break 3:25-3:45 Moving from Service to Systems Advocacy 3:45-5:00 Infrastructure Development WEDNESDAY AM -- The Training 9:00-11:00 Understanding Oppression 11:00-11:15 Break 11:15-11:45 Power 11:45-12:00 Process & Outcomes THURSDAY -- The Training (continued) 8:30-9:00 Breakfast 9:00-11:00 Civics Like You've Never Heard It Before 11:00-11:15 Break Continued on next page. 11:00-11:50 Lobbying: Dispelling the Myth 11:50-1:20 Lunch 1:20-2:20 Putting Your Systems Advocacy Program to Work 2:20-2:45 Funding Systems Advocacy 2:45-3:00 Break 3:00-4:40 Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation 4:40-5:00 Wrap-up/Evaluation SYSTEMS ADVOCACY LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Understand the differences between systems, individual, and self advocacy. 2. Understand the differences between advocacy and public infomration/education. 3. Understand why systems advocacy is most important component of a CIL. 4. Understand the importance of acknowledging and discussing oppression. 5. Understand different types of power. 6. Understand the components of a systems advocacy approach. 7. Understand how to integrate systems advocacy into a CIL. 8. Understand how to build coalitions. 9. Understand methods for financing systems advocacy. 10. Understand how to plan, monitor, and evaluate a systems advocacy effort. ADVOCACY DEFINITIONS Advocacy: Action by an individual or group in support of a cause, ideal, or policy to effect change, advance a cause, or raise public awareness. Actions to achieve these goals may take the form of demonstrations, lobbying for legislative change, conducting educational activities, or organizing others. Types of advocacy include self advocacy, individual advocacy, and systems advocacy. Self Advocacy (personal advocacy): Addressing specific issues to achieve change in one's own life by advocating on one's own behalf. The goal is to protect personal rights and to secure access to services, entitlements, or rights. Being an effective self-advocate requires having or developing assertiveness skills, knowledge of rights, strategizing skills, and networking skills. Self-advocacy activities may include filing a complaint or a suit, obtaining curb cuts in your community, or requesting and getting an audio loop system installed in city council chambers. Example: While riding the public bus, John missed his stop because the driver failed to call out his stop. Because of his blindness, John cannot utilize public buses unless the stops are called out. John knew that he had a right to accessible transportation. John spoke to the driver as he got off the bus and then later wrote a letter to the transit district. Individual Advocacy: Action on behalf of, for, and most importantly with, an individual. Focuses on providing training, information, referral, and intervention with individuals. An effective individual advocate seeks to help people develop knowledge and skills for effective future advocacy activities. Individual advocacy may include confronting unacceptable conditions that infringe upon daily living activities and opportunities, learning how to appeal a decision, or filing a formal complaint or law suit. Example: Mary, a student with low vision, was late to class because she missed her stop. The driver calling out some of the stops failed to mention hers. Since the stop where she got off was unfamiliar, it took quite a bit longer than anticipated to get to school. John happened to be in her class and helped her file a complaint with the transit district. Systems Advocacy: Working to create change within a system, agency, jurisdiction, etc.; implementing broad-based strategies to increase availability and accessibility of services and resources; and creating equal opportunities for independent living for large numbers of people. Systems advocacy activities may include speaking out on policies, laws, benefits, and/or practices that affect many people with disabilities; community organizing; or making legislative contacts, lobbying, testimony, petitions, etc. Specific examples include ensuring one's jurisdiction has a responsive paratransit system and using courts to interpret and enforce laws and regulations. Example: John contacted the disability access coordinator at the local independent living center and learned that other people with disabilities had similar problems using the public transit system. It was clear that the problem was not simply with one driver but involved the transit district's policy and training of drivers. John wrote a letter to the city council and considered other strategies such as taking the transit district to small claims court for each incident. Public Information and Education: Providing the public with accurate information regarding disability and disability rights. Activities include: giving presentations; creating publications, brochures, newspaper articles, and letters to the editors; producing videos or films; and designing public service announcements. Example: As a result of John's contacting the city council, the transit district realized that they needed to train their drivers in making reasonable accommodations for riders with disabilities. John helped put together the training segment for riders with visual impairments. John also contacted the local independent living center and convinced them to do a column on accessible transit. Developed by June Isaacson Kailes. Transit examples adapted from Living Independently, July 1994, published by the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco, 70 Tenth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (415) 863-0581 (V) and 863-1367 (TTY). TELEPHONE ALERT SYSTEM What is a telephone alert? The telephone alert is a method of getting critical information about an issue to advocates in order to let elected officials know how advocates feel about the issue. When does a telephone alert work? A telephone alert is most effective when issues are so time sensitive that a mail alert would not allow sufficient time to take action. When used effectively, the telephone alert will also yield a larger number of responses from grassroots advocates, consumers, and others in the community. When doesn't a telephone alert work? Telephone alerts are not as effective when an issue is too complex to be addressed in a brief, concise message or when the number of elected officials to be contacted requires a large commitment of the advocate's time. How does a telephone alert system work? You create a telephone alert tree. Leaders identify issues, prepare the alert message, and put the alert into motion by calling the next person in line. Members of the alert system receive the message, write it down precisely, and then pass it on to the next member in line. The last person in line calls the leader who initiated the alert and passes the message back precisely as it was received. After each member passes the alert along, he or she calls the elected official with the alert message. What can I do to make sure my telephone alert system will work? Follow these few simple rules: Always make the message concise and to the point. Make sure the information is correct (title, name, phone number, bill number, etc.). Make sure key members of the tree have back-ups. If the alert tree member (or the back-up) isn't available, leave your phone number and call the next person in line. Give alerts a high priority! SAMPLE TELEPHONE ALERT FORM Date Time Received Caller's name For more information, contact Action required Call_______________ Letter______________ Other_______________ Deadline __________________ Issue: Contact information (name, title, phone number, address): Message (verbatim): Person returning report: Comments: TELEPHONE TREE THE BOOTSTRAP SOLUTION "Independent living" isn't a movement. It's a bunch of agencies. "Independent living" is a catchword for a new type of institution, funded with too few dollars, but nevertheless--by the government--to provide a palette of services no other agency is providing our people. It's naive to think that underfunded, understaffed agencies, trying to provide services far beyond their meager budgets, can, on top of it all, organize for social change. Providing services saps one's strength. Agencies that provide services do not organize the people. But we continue to believe we can, and should, do both. Perhaps we've been sold a bill of goods. In our rush to be credible, we've all but forgotten the issue. Which is: Why are public programs not providing us the services they provide the rest of society? We have long since gotten beyond segregated programs for the blacks. Why can't we get beyond them for ourselves? Why are we still running house registries for disabled people? Why are we not spending that energy making city and county public housing departments provide that service? Maybe some enterprising gimps will want to run a ramp building program. Fine. We need them. But our social change organizations should not be running them. They should be changing society. So why are we not working to stir up public sentiment to change our communities' building codes--so all housing becomes accessible? Why are we not fomenting a movement? Because it is hard to do. The establishment encourages independent living's bastard mix of services and advocacy. It knows that as long as we struggle to do both, we can do nothing of great social significance. Trying to hold all the strings, we simply do not have the time to concentrate on real social change. As long as we try to provide services--something we can never do adequately, even though our approach may be philosophically sound--we will be targets for our own groups' dissatisfaction. When our meager staffs, with little training and less money, fail to meet the need of all our would-be clients, the clients fight the centers. Great. Disabled people against disabled people. It's the old trick: to keep 'em disorganized and powerless, get them to fight themselves. Creating one's own parallel institutions to obtain what the oppressor society fails to provide: that solution has lured many oppressed groups throughout our country's history. And now independent living agencies have bought the bootstrap solution. It is the only solution that the rehabilitation establishment has ever understood. Little wonder independent living centers, now rehab's stepchildren, are buying into it, too. It's the ol' individual solution, putting the problem on the disability--rather than four square on the society, where it belongs. The rehab approach has no idea how to deal with attendant care problems, housing problems, transportation problems or employment problems, which are by nature, social problems, requiring social change to solve them. Organizations like ADAPT and the Access Institute are far better designed to deal with such things than the average client-centered (rather than group centered) independent living center, which must provide "services" or lose its funding. It seems we still accept the belief that special services to disabled people from special agencies are OK--maybe because now we are that special agency. As Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund head Bob Funk points out, we are not creating the organizations so essential to any movement's vitality. We have put most of our eggs in the independent living basket. Perhaps independent living was a necessary stage in the evolution of disability rights. But we must be aware of its limits. And we must move on. Editorial, originally published in the column "Ragtime" Disability Rag, September 1985. Reprinted with permission. OPPRESSION AND LIBERATION NOTE-TAKING OUTLINE Objectives You will be able to: Explain importance of acknowledging and discussing oppression experienced by people with disabilities. Explain how adopting a rights-bearing attitude and fighting for disability rights means people move away from being held back by internalized oppression to liberation; and Use exercises to help others explore disability-related oppression and liberation. Many of our ancestors had to organize for change. Native Americans fought against military power of U.S. government. Irish immigrants organized secret unions (the Molly McGuires) to fight for better working conditions in coal mines of Pennsylvania. Finnish immigrants organized unions and cooperative associations. Jewish, Italian, and Slavic immigrants organized early trade unions. Oppression Things that devalue, burden, obstruct, intimidate, or get in the way. Oppression is always present whether in background or foreground of the fight for civil rights. Oppression has to be continually acknowledged, discussed, and worked through. Types of oppression: List different types of oppression. Disability stereotypes: List various stereotypical images of people with disabilities. How have disability stereotypes affected you? Examine how disability-related stereotypes have influenced your self-image and feelings about your disability. See stereotypes for what they are--myths and misconceptions! EDITOR'S NOTE: A number of the exercises appearing in this section have been taken from the 1993 ILRU publication, Disability Pride: The Interrelationship of Self-Worth, Self-Empowerment, and Disability Culture. It was written by June Isaacson Kailes. The following is the table of contents from Disability Pride. The complete book is available from ILRU at an extraordinarily reasonable price. __________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION GENERAL OVERVIEW TO 'DISABILITY PRIDE' SESSION I: The Role Disability Stereotypes Play in the Development of Self-Worth OVERVIEW EXERCISE 1: Identification of Stereotypes Associated with Disability Handout: "List Of Common Stereotypes" EXERCISE 2: How Have Disability Stereotypes Affected You? EXERCISE 3: What To Do About Disability Stereotypes? Handout: "What Is Your Role?" EXERCISE 4: Strengths That Result From Living with Disability EXERCISE 5: The 'Built Environment' Often Causes the Real EXERCISE 6: Self-Worth and the Role of Stereotypes SESSION II: Language as an Element of Disability Pride and Culture OVERVIEW EXERCISE 1: Value Laden Language EXERCISE 2: Language Issues Handout: Language Quiz Handout: Answers to Language Quiz EXERCISE 3: Subculture Language EXERCISE 4: What Should People with Disabilities Call Themselves? EXERCISE 5: The Importance of Language SESSION III: What is Disability Culture? Handout: "Language Is More Than A Trivial Concern" OVERVIEW EXERCISE 1: Cultural Experiences EXERCISE 2: Our Subculture Can Make A Difference Handout: "Our Subculture Can Make A Difference" EXERCISE 3: High School Reunion Example and Symbols of Disability Culture EXERCISE 4: Disability Cultural Experiences on Video EXERCISE 5: The Bargain Handout: "The Bargain" Handout: "The Bargain" Discussion Questions EXERCISE 6: Is There A Disability Culture? EXERCISE 7: Majority Cultural Goals Handout: "Majority Cultural Goals" EXERCISE 8: The Activist Leap Handout: "The Activist Leap" EXERCISE 9: Disability Pride and Culture Summary Handout: Disability Pride Inventory Handout: Disability Culture and Pride: True/False Quiz Handout: Disability Culture and Pride: True/False Quiz Answers Handout: Disability Pride Summary ABOUT THE AUTHOR ABOUT ILRU QUESTIONNAIRE "The alienation, loss of dignity, feelings of incompetence of lack of self-worth . . . that are common among powerless people can only be overcome by those people themselves." Mike Miller, Christianity and Crisis, 1981. EXERCISE Identification of Stereotypes Associated with Disability ESTIMATED TIME: 5-30 minutes FORMAT: Small groups of five people or large group discussion. HANDOUT: List of Common Stereotypes (Optional) ACTIVITY: Have group members identify stereotypes associated with disability, list each stereotype on a flip chart paper, and then discuss items listed. Mention a few stereotypes (see List of Common Stereotypes) if group(s) have difficulty getting started, or mention at end of exercise those stereotypes that may have not have listed. Examine common stereotypes about disability and consider how these may have influenced self-image and feelings about disability. NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR: Use the attached List of Common Stereotypes as needed. Also, incorporate into the discussion the following ideas: These misconceptions are commonly accepted by society and adversely affect the feeling of self-worth that many people with disabilities have. Many people with disabilities are deeply affected by how our society views and devalues disabilities. Some people with disabilities have internalized these views which can contribute to self-hatred. PURPOSE: Illustrates the pervasiveness of negative myths and stereotypes surrounding disability. List of Common Stereotypes (Optional) In spite of significant changes in the world of disability, negative stereotypes and myths still exist. In general, our society still views disability as something to be ashamed of and sees disability as something biologically unacceptable and unnatural. Society views people with disabilities as: --biologically inferior --unfortunate cripples --burdens --victims --outcasts --menaces --asexual --subhuman --fragile --sick: to be treated and cured or cared for! --needing charity and welfare: having little value to society (telethons have perpetuated several of these images.) --deficient: without skills and talents --deviant: behavior or appearance that is outside the social norm. What is considered deviant varies from culture to culture. Often the real deviancy is in the eye of the beholder. This flawed perception has been shaped by standards of acceptable behavior, cultural values, and the way these values are interpreted. EXERCISE How Have Disability Stereotypes Affected You? ESTIMATED TIME: For Activity A: 20-30 minutes For Activity B: 60-90 minutes FORMAT: Small groups of 3-5 people or large group discussion. HANDOUT: None ACTIVITY: Choose activity "A" or "B" or both. Activity A: Conduct a group discussion, addressing the following questions: Do the stereotypes listed in Exercise 1 sound familiar? How have they affected feelings about yourself? Which of these do you think are not true? Which of these do you think are still true? Which of these are you still not sure about? How do these stereotypes compare to other group stereotypes? Activity B: Invite one or more insightful and articulate speakers with disabilities to address the following: 1. How have disability stereotypes affected their self-concepts? 2. How did they move beyond these stereotypes in terms of their own sense of self-worth? 3. Did they ever deny their disability existed or try to pass as a person without a disability? Why? What was this experience like? 4. How did they come to acknowledge their disability? 5. How have people with disabilities (friends, role models, mentors and heroes) influenced their lives? Group questions and discussion should follow the speaker(s)' presentation. NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR: In this exercise's summary discussion, incorporate the ideas in the following statements. People with disabilities, like society in general, have been exposed to and often influenced by negative stereotypes about disability. This did, and still does, affect the development or maintenance of a strong sense of self-worth and self-esteem for many people with disabilities. This is why it is so important to take time to examine these stereotypes and to think about how they may have influenced your own self-image and your own feelings about your disability. It is important to see these stereotypes for what they are: stereotypes and misconceptions! This examination process helps people to move beyond the oppressive effects of these stereotypes. PURPOSE: Fosters new insights related to what contributed to the personal development of, or lack of, a sense of self-worth and self-pride. Assists individuals in exploring how they view their disability and what contributed to this view. Helps people to get in touch with negative messages they receive about their disability and examine where these messages came from. EXERCISE MEDIA MESSAGES This is an exercise for small groups. Materials: One old magazine per one or two participants. Objective: To illustrate the messages people get from print media related to health, beauty, dress, social appropriateness, appearance, and behavior. Activity: Distribute magazines. Ask each person or pair to tear out examples of images depicting specific ideas of health, beauty, behavior, etc. Discussion Points: 1. Advertisers create images about beauty, health, and dress that are not only unattainable and oppressive for people with disabilities, but for everybody. 2. Images presented in the media create a norm that very few, if any, people can achieve. 3. The media tends to burden and ignore, or even degrade, people who do not meet this artificially created "norm." Developed by June Isaacson Kailes, 1993. EXERCISE What to Do About Disability Stereotypes? ESTIMATED TIME: 30 minutes per activity FORMAT: Large group. HANDOUT: What is Your Role ? ACTIVITY: Choose activity "A" or "B" or both. Activity A: Conduct a discussion addressing the following question: What can people with disabilities do to change disability stereotypes? Activity B: Hand out What Is Your Role? and read aloud as a way of starting (or continuing) a discussion on what people can do to change disability stereotypes. PURPOSE: Illustrates that people with disabilities can play key roles in challenging and changing society's stereotypes about disability. That is working toward changing society's image of people with disabilities from passive, helpless, objects of charity to that of vital, powerful, valuable, and productive people. What Is Your Role? Society reinforces the erroneous concept that people with disabilities are inherently inferior to people without disabilities by attempting to restrict or confine people with disabilities to roles which are considered socially inferior, such as sick person, weak person, non-contributing person. Society often seems comfortable with us only when we stay where society would like to put us, in these socially less-than roles. To the extent that we resist this social stereotyping and prove our competency by filling socially valued roles like wage-earner, taxpayer, time and talent contributor (volunteer), non-institutionalized person, active family member, and concerned and involved citizen, among others, we invalidate negative stereotyping and force society to deal with us where we are, not where society would like us to stay. By getting out there and showing your stuff in spite of the negative input of society, you can improve not only your level of acceptance, but the acceptance and integration of all disabled people. Every time a stereotype is challenged, a crack appears in the walls that confine us. YOU can be an agent of societal attitude adjustment just by being who you are and doing what you do best, openly and publicly. --from: Megan Turner, "Taking Charge," Metamorphosis, newsletter of the Atlanta Center for Independent Living, 1990. EXERCISE Strengths That Result from Living with Disability ESTIMATED TIME: 20 minutes FORMAT: Large group. HANDOUT: None ACTIVITY: Conduct a group discussion, addressing the following: A. Certain Strengths: There are certain strengths that come from living with disability. What are these strengths? Possible answers: --creativity, resourcefulness --perseverance --acceptance of differences and diversity --ability to plan, to train, and to delegate --assertiveness --flexibility --resilience --humor B. Changed Values: Individuals who have critically examined and discarded myths about people with disabilities view people in general with a different value system. They tend to view people's personalities as what is important, and they tend to devalue such treasured but pathological societal values as looking youthful and having physical perfection. Physical characteristics are seen as less important, somewhat superficial, and easily changed by uncontrollable conditions like aging. As Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: "It's no different for you and me. What's on the exterior has little to do with how successful we are. It's the spirit within us." PURPOSE: Illustrates that there are strengths that one acquires as a result of living and coping with disability. Emphasizes that common stereotypes and oppression do not have to suppress one's drive, spirit, and energy. OH, MONA LISA, I NEVER THOUGHT OF YOU AS BEING DISABLED by William G. Stothers On my office wall hangs a poster of the Mona Lisa. This incredible, mysterious, smiling lady has intrigued admirers for centuries. Her portrait has long been regarded as an artwork of perfection. But this poster, a gift from a good friend, shows more. Leonardo da Vinci's painting shows Mona Lisa from slightly above her head to waist level, her folded arms resting across the bottom on the picture. This poster pulls back, showing more. Mona Lisa is sitting in a wheelchair. Her folded arm lies along the chair's armrest. The bottom of the poster shows more of the wheelchair, one of those old-fashioned designs with the big wheel in front, although this one is constructed of metal and not wicker. The poster is entitled, Nobody is perfect. So how do we think about Mona Lisa now? Does her flashing chrome impair our appreciation of her wondrous smile? Does this poster say that Mona Lisa is perfect, but that in a wheelchair, as a person with a disability, she is not perfect? Disability therefore makes one less than perfect. Perhaps the poster suggests that Mona Lisa is Mona Lisa, whether disabled and in a wheelchair or not. Perfection is too heavy a burden for anyone, even Mona Lisa. What I like about this poster is the unsettling effect it produces in the viewer. I never thought of you as disabled. Mona Lisa doesn't fit our idea of disability. It is too difficult to frame her with our stereotypes. I've had people tell me they didn't think of me as being disabled. I always resent it, because the statement denies my reality. Disability is a large part of my life, it shapes who I am. To separate me from it, to deny my disability, is to deny me. A friend says that such people mean only that they don't think of me in the way that they think about "disabled people." Thus they can accept me on equal terms and still hold fast to stereotypical views of people with disabilities that I find repugnant. Whenever someone tells me they don't think of me as being disabled, I want to scream at them. Look at me! I want to shake them by the shoulders and make them see the truth. I am the man I am and I have a significant disability. It is okay. More important, millions of other people with disabilities are just the same as me, human beings with talents and troubles. Once in a while I try to talk people through this, but their eyes glaze over. Too often I just shake my head and keep my mouth shut. I never think of you as being disabled acknowledges the disability in a backhanded way. I never think of you as an African-American. But it makes it an individual matter and separates the person from his or her disability. In fact, while people often say they don't think of a disabled person as having a disability, the reality lurks in their minds. They might not want their son or daughter to marry you. (When I was in college many years ago, a non-disabled woman and I got seriously involved. I met her parents. They were wonderful. Later I learned they spoke well of me, but told their daughter, "He is very seriously disabled, isn't he.") They may not invite you to socialize with them. Such occasions can be awkward. Some people don't understand and might feel uncomfortable. The inclination to rant and scream is immense. But that would reinforce the myth of the angry, bitter cripple. Individuals can make a difference. But in numbers, I think, we can really make a lasting impact. You, and you, and you can struggle individually to change the perceptions and mindsets of non-disabled people in the workplace and elsewhere. When we are present in numbers, though, we have a greater chance to shatter myths. How do we get to that place? That's the great question for the disability community. We must organize ourselves. Like the historic labor organizing efforts of days gone by, we must spread across the land, finding people with disabilities, and bringing them into our community -- one by one. Mounting such a campaign is no simple task. It takes commitment, personal involvement, and money. This is the road to empowerment. That road won't be smooth or easy. But, hey, now we've got Mona Lisa with us. Nobody is perfect, but each of us can do something. What will you do? William G. Stothers is editor of MAINSTREAM Magazine. Copyright 1994, MAINSTREAM Magazine, 2973 Beech St., San Diego, CA 92102. SOCIETY'S VALUES Individuals who critically examine and discard myths about people with disabilities tend to view people in general from the perspective of a less biased, less judgmental value system. From this viewpoint, physical characteristics tend to be seen as less important, more superficial, and more easily changed by uncontrollable and common occurrences like aging and accidents. A person's personality tends to be seen as most important, and such treasured societal values and standards as looking youthful and physical perfection are not as highly valued. "It's no different for you and me. What's on the exterior has little to do with how successful we are. It's the spirit within us." --Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Disability-related Public Policy Transition: From segregation to rehabilitation, charity, and medical models to a civil rights and social justice model. NO PITY: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FORGING A NEW CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT by Joseph P. Shapiro Introduction You Just Don't Understand Nondisabled Americans do not understand disabled ones. That was clear at the memorial service for Timothy Cook, when longtime friends got up to pay him heartfelt tribute. "He never seemed disabled to me," said one. "He was the least disabled person I ever met," pronounced another. It was the highest praise these nondisabled friends could think to give a disabled attorney who, at thirty-eight years old, had won landmark disability rights cases, including one to force public transit systems to equip their buses with wheelchair lifts. But more than a few heads in the crowded chapel bowed with an uneasy embarrassment at the supposed compliment. It was as if someone had tried to compliment a black man by saying, "You're the least black person I ever met," as false as telling a Jew, "I never think of you as Jewish," as clumsy as seeking to flatter a woman with, "You don't act like a woman." Here in this memorial chapel was a small clash between the reality of disabled people and the understanding of their lives by others. It was the type of collision that disabled people experience daily. Yet any discordancy went unnoticed even to the well-meaning friends of a disability rights fighter like Cook. To be fair to the praise givers, their sincere words were among the highest accolade that Americans routinely give those with disabilities. In fairness, too, most disabled people gladly would have accepted the compliment some fifteen years before, the time when the speakers' friendships with Cook had begun. But most people with disabilities now think differently. It is not that disabled people are overly sensitive. But as a result of an ongoing revolution in self-perception, they (often along with their families) no longer see their physical or mental limitations as a source of shame or as something to overcome in order to inspire others. Today they proclaim that it is okay, even good, to be disabled. Cook's childhood polio forced him to wear heavy corrective shoes, and he walked with difficulty. But taking pride in his disability was for Cook a celebration of the differences among people and gave him a respectful understanding that all share the same basic desires to be full participants in society. From No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement by Joseph P. Shapiro. Copyright (c) 1993 by Joseph P. Shapiro. Reprinted by permission of Times Books, a division of Random House, Inc. EXERCISE The 'Built Environment' Often Causes the Real Disability ESTIMATED TIME: 15-20 minutes FORMAT: Large group. HANDOUT: None ACTIVITY: Conduct a group discussion, addressing the following: Many people with disabilities view their disability as problems with the environment rather than problems with their own body. It is the environment which frequently causes the real disability. Do you agree with this statement? If yes, give some examples to support this statement. NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR: In the closing discussion of this exercise, incorporate the ideas in the following statements: Disability does not have to be about self-hatred and self-blame. Often it is not the disability which limits activities as much as the architectural barriers. The built environment limits participation, productivity, integration, independence, and equality. If a person with a disability is offered a job that cannot be accepted because it is located on the second floor of a building without an elevator, the real problem is that there is no elevator. When a person cannot attend school or a training program because there are no ramps or curb cuts, no interpreters, brailled or taped material, the real problem is that there is no physical and communication access to education. The real problem is often the environment! PURPOSE: Presents the environment as the real cause of disability instead of seeing disability only in terms of problems with one's body. EXERCISE The Activist Leap ESTIMATED TIME: 20-40 minutes FORMAT: Large or small group. HANDOUT: The Activist Leap ACTIVITY: Distribute the handout, read it aloud, and discuss its meaning. NOTE TO THE FACILITATOR: In the closing discussion of this exercise, you may want to incorporate the ideas in the following statements: It takes thought and analysis about disability stereotypes, societal values, oppression, pride, and rights to change one's thinking from an "oppressed, poor undeserving me" self-concept to a self-concept which incorporates the perception of civil rights owed you as a human being. In spite of individual differences in people's disabilities, people with disabilities have much in common with each other. Together, through joint efforts and coalition building, a lot of positive change can occur. Basically, it is a bold transition in consciousness from depression, anger, and rage to action, oppression and passivity to activism, from being apolitical to being political, and from apologizing about who you are to asking for and demanding rights and services. PURPOSE: Explores the concept that disability pride and culture contributes to "the leap," a concept that people with disabilities must understand before they can comfortably become involved in community advocacy. The Activist Leap That attitude--one of seeing the disability as personal, the problems as rather embarrassing, and the solutions as forbearance or suffering through, what the jargon would have as "adjusting to it"--is a very, very common one among persons with disabilities. It does take a leap of logic to comprehend that society has obligations to you, that the issues are ones of civil and human rights. It takes a further stretch of the imagination to realize that people with other kinds of disabilities do in fact have much in common with you, that together you can make common cause. These things are not intuitive. But that leap, that stretch must be taken before one becomes a community activist, before one expresses self-determination at the community level. --from: Frank G. Bowe, "Self Determination at the Community Level," from the National Conference on Self-Determination, Arlington, Virginia, January, 1989. FROM OPPRESSION TO ACTIVISM People with a disabilities have been traditionally encouraged to consider elements of oppression as personal restrictions and obstacles rather problems with public policy. Therefore, there is a long history of such public policies and practices going unchallenged. Oppression and the struggle for liberation passes from generation to generation. It takes work and diligent effort to recognize and break out of old patterns, to have the patience necessary for a difficult and long-term process, to adopt a way of viewing disability that is different from how society tends to views disability, and to acknowledge that oppression leads to the understanding of and embracing of a rights-bearing attitude. Some of the most important tools for the move to activism are: peer support, strong and positive role models, and time. Getting People Involved Understanding and acknowledging oppression can get people in touch with anger--which can lead to involvement, action, and liberation! Sometimes the efforts of an activist is needed to agitate people to be angry enough to reject the unacceptable and do something about it! Developed by June Isaacson Kailes, 1995. YOU AND I by Elaine Popovich I am a resident. You reside. I am admitted. You move in. I am aggressive. You are assertive. I have behavior problems. You are rude. I am noncompliant. You don't like being told what to do. When I ask you out for dinner, it is an outing. When you ask someone out, it is a date. I made mistakes during my check-writing program. Some day I might get a bank account. You forgot to record some withdrawals from your account. The bank called to remind you. I wanted to talk with the nice-looking person behind us at the grocery store. I was told that it is inappropriate to talk to strangers. You met your spouse in the produce department. Neither of you could find the bean sprouts. I celebrated my birthday yesterday with five other residents and two staff members. I hope my family sends a card. Your family threw you a surprise party. Your brother couldn't make it from out of state. It sounded wonderful! My case manager sends a report every month to my guardian. It says everything I did wrong and some things I did right. You are still mad at your sister for calling your Mom after you got that speeding ticket. I am learning household skills. You hate housework. I am learning leisure skills. Your shirt says you are a "Couch Potato." After I do my budget program tonight, I might get to go to McDonald's if I have enough money. You were glad that the new French restaurant took your charge card. My case manager, psychologist, R. N., occupational and physical therapist, nutritionist and house staff set goals for me for the next year. You haven't decided what you want out of life. Someday I will be discharged . . . maybe. You will move onward and upward. Reprinted by permission of the Advocate; a publication of ARC of Massachusetts. A LITTLE HISTORY WORTH KNOWING In this century, democratically elected state legislatures have referred to people with disabilities as: "anti-social beings" (Pennsylvania) "unfit for companionship with other children" (Washington) a "blight on mankind" (Vermont) a "danger to the race" (Wisconsin) a "misfortune both to themselves and to the public" (Kansas) "required to be segregated from the world" (Indiana) a "defect...wounds our citizenry a thousand times more than any plague" (Utah) "do not have the right to liberties of normal people" (South Dakota) The United States Supreme Court upheld an opinion by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes upholding the constitutionality of a Virginia law authorizing the involuntary sterilization of disabled persons and ratified the view of a person with a disability as a "menace." Holmes went on to say that people with disabilities "sap the strength of the state" and to avoid "being swamped with incompetence," he ruled, "It is better for our world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind." By Timothy M. Cook, adapted by June Kailes, 1995. LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY PRE-TEST 1. There are three branches of the federal government. They are: a) House, Senate, and Congress b) President, Vice President, Secretary c) executive, legislative, judicial d) Mo, Larry, and Curley 2. Congress is made up of: a) the President and his cabinet b) the House of Representatives and the Senate c) the House of Representatives d) Democrats and Republicans 3. How many Senators are there in the U.S. Senate? a) one per state or 50 b) two per state or 100 c) 535 d) too many 4. What is the total number of representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives? a) five per state or 250 b) one for every 350,000 persons or 715 representatives c) not more than 435 d) three 5. "Gerrymandering" is: a) dividing an election district to cluster groups of voters to some advantage b) the first step in impeachment c) a Gaelic term used to describe persons who do not vote d) a tribute to Jerry Mathers for the work he did on "Leave It to Beaver" 6. The President is elected "at large." This means that the President is: a) overweight b) limited to two terms c) missing d) elected by members of the Senate e) chosen through a nationwide election 7. Representatives' and Senators' term lengths are: a) two years for both Senators and Representatives b) six years for Senators and four years for Representatives c) two years for Representatives and six years for Senators d) four years for Representatives and Senators e) five to ten years, with time off for good behavior 8. The Speaker of the House: a) is the leader of the majority party b) is, by tradition, the only person who may use a microphone in the House c) must be named after a lizard d) may never debate an issue or vote 9. The President of the Senate: a) is the leader of the majority party b) must give a brief presentation on each piece of legislation c) is always the Vice President or his/her designee d) lives in the Naval Observatory 10. "Sunshine Laws" are: a) laws which require open legislative meetings b) laws which are introduced during the spring session c) laws which deal with environmental issues d) laws which require review by the Ethics Committee 11. A "Joint Resolution" is: a) when an amendment is proposed to the Constitution requiring action by both Houses of Congress b) anti-marijuana legislation passed in 1968 c) an agreement signed by the leaders of the House and Senate at the beginning of each session d) a bill which is passed by both the House and the Senate and sent to the President for action 12. A "Conference Committee" is: a) a meeting of Senators or Representatives which is not held in Washington b) a private meeting between Senate and House leadership c) an honorary committee which arranges tours, junkets, etc. d) an appointed committee of House and Senate members who will meet to resolve differences between two similar pieces of legislation 13. A "Constitutional Majority" is: a) a committee dominated by either Democrats or Republicans b) always the House of Representatives c) 218 members of the House and 51 members of the Senate d) in the United States' case, white males 14. "Germaneness" of debate means that: a) speakers in the House and Senate must make short, succinct presentations b) the debate must be relevant to the matter under consideration c) only persons of German ancestry may speak d) nobody may speak for more than three hours POLITICAL CONTACT REPORT FORM Date of visit___________ Elected official_______________________________________ Prese nt? Yes____ No____ Staff name(s) _____________________________ Phone ______________________________ _____________________________ Phone ______________________________ U.S. Representative___________ U.S. Senate___________ City Council____________ State Assembly_______________ State Senate__________ Supervisor______________ Other_______________________ District ________________________________________________________ ______________ Reason for visit/contact: Outcome of visit/contact: Follow-up: Other information/comments: Staff/volunteer 12 TIPS FOR MEETING WITH YOUR LEGISLATOR 1. Set an appointment 2. Prepare 3. Arrive on time 4. Establish common ground 5. State your case succintly 6. Listen 7. Identify factors impinging on decision 8. Identify friends/foes 9. Share only accurate information 10. Offer assistance 11. Thank them 12. Follow through with promises LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY RESOURCES For more information on lobbying and legislative advocacy issues contact: National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Independent Sector 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 405 1828 L Street, NW Arlington, VA 22201 Washington, D.C. 20036 (703) 525-3406 (V) (202) 223-8100 (V) (703) 525-3407 (TTY) (202) 659-2729 (TTY) (703) 525-3409 (fax) (202) 416-0580 (fax) League of Women Voters US Congress Handbook 1730 M Street, NW Box 566 Washington, D.C. 20036 McLean, VA 22101 (202) 429-1965 (V) 1-800-229-3572 (202) 429-0854 (fax) (703) 356-3572 (V) (703) 760-0942 (fax) Materials related to legislative advocacy: Facts and Myths. Washington, D.C.: Independent Sector, 1994 (video). Willett, Edward F. How Our Laws Are Made. For sale by Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. (1990) Lobby? You? Washington, D.C.: Independent Sector, no date. Lobby Regulations (video), Washington D.C.: Independent Sector, 1991. Smucker, Bob. The Nonprofit Lobbying Guide, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1991. Kailes, June. Putting Advocacy Rhetoric into Practice, Houston: ILRU, 1988. Pullen, Dale. The US Congress Handbook, 104th Congress, McLean: Barbara Pullen, 1995. ORGANIZING STRATEGIES SKIT ONE 'Do-Gooder Dave's Dilemma' This skit requires two actors to play the following roles: Do-Gooder Dave, the social worker/advocate employed by the local center for independent living. Legislative Linda, a legislative aide to Sen. Stone, chair of the Public Welfare Committee in the state Senate. Setting: Dave has just entered Linda's office in the rear of Sen. Stone's suite. He had received a phone call at home from his center director asking him to go directly to the Senate to investigate a rumor that state personal assistance services funds are being re-directed to nursing facilities' budget. He is fortunate to have secured some of Linda's time this morning because the Public Welfare Committee is scheduled to meet in the afternoon. Sen. Stone has a reputation for supporting disability issues from an independent living perspective, but Dave has had only had one previous contact with Linda during the previous legislative session when a parking accessibility law was passing through the Senate. The directions Dave received from his center director were to find out as much as he could about the bill so that they could begin to develop a strategy for legislative action by the CILs in the state. Linda: Good morning. How can I help you? Dave: Let me get right to the point. I'm from a center for independent living, and we just heard a rumor that the Senate is considering diverting personal assistance services funds to nursing home care. Linda: You must be talking about Senate Bill 2001, sponsored by Sen. Foghorn. It was just assigned to the Public Welfare Committee last week by the majority leader, and we expect to be taking it up in committee next month. Do you have any feelings about it? Dave: Well, of course, we're very concerned. We already have a waiting list of over 200 persons in this state for personal assistance services, and the thought of taking funds out of the personal assistance pot is very frightening--not to mention that we strongly oppose funding "nursing care" institutions. Linda: Well, these are tough times. Our waiting list for nursing homes is also growing, and the money has to come from somewhere. Everyone always thinks it's somebody else's ox that needs to be gored. Dave: Well, I trust that you would take a look at the cost-effectiveness of placing persons in nursing homes versus providing funding to support personal assistance services. We think that personal assistance services make good sense. . . . and are cost-effective. Linda: Who's "we?" Dave: Centers for independent living--especially our consumers. Linda: We have organizations asking us to support the nursing facilities, of course. Some of them, like your organization, are service providers and others are consumer groups. If you want to participate in the debate, you need to have your organization develop something in writing, so I can share it with committee members. Dave: You'd do that? Linda: We could arrange for you to make a presentation at a Senate hearing, as well. Dave: Really? That's great! I'll make certain I take that information back to our center director, and we'll get right on it. You'll be sure to hear from us! Linda: Well, thank you for your input. ORGANIZING STRATEGIES SKIT TWO 'Advocate Dave' The setting is exactly the same, except that Dave has called ahead and scheduled time to meet with Linda and has researched the background issues. Dave: Good morning. My name is Dave Drake. I work at the Liberty Independent Living Center here in Capitol City and am responsible for overseeing legislative issues which may affect persons with disabilities. You may recall that you and I spoke last year regarding parking accessibility while that legislation was passing through the Senate. Linda: Oh, yes. I knew I had met you before, but I couldn't remember the specific piece of legislation. What does your agency do? Dave: We provide assistance to persons with disabilities who want to live more independently in their communities. This includes programs like skills training, peer counseling, help in securing assistive technology, and anything else that makes it possible for someone live more independently in the community. We believe that it makes good sense for people to be active and involved in their communities rather than being forced to live in institutional settings. Linda: That's certainly something that Sen. Stone supports, as well. Dave: Yes, I know. He has always been a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, and we appreciate that. I was especially impressed with the work that he did on the original personal assistance services legislation. Linda: We're very proud of that, too. Dave: That's really why I'm coming to you today. I understand that a bill has been sent the Public Welfare Committee which will redirect some of the personal assistance services funds to support the nursing home program. Linda: Oh, yes. You must be talking about Senate Bill 2001, sponsored by Sen. Foghorn. The Senate majority leader has referred it to the Public Welfare Committee, and we expect to deal with the bill next month. Dave: Do you think it'll happen early in the month? Linda: Not actually. We think we'll have hearings in the third week and the vote to send it to the Senate floor just before the end of the month. Dave: Then you expect it to pass? Linda: I don't think it'll pass in its present form, but we're receiving a lot of pressure to support the nursing home program and the money has to come from somewhere. Dave: As you can image, the 1,500 consumers in the state who are currently in the personal assistance program will want to see the program continued. And, of course, the other 200 on the waiting list will be extremely disappointed because this means their wait will be even longer. One of the other considerations, of course, is that personal assistance services are considerably less expensive and keep people active and involved in their communities, rather than shut away--our consumers would say incarcerated--in institutions. Linda: Well, everybody believes that their projects should be untouchable. We're getting a lot of pressure from different directions to support this program. Dave: Who would be in favor of Senate Bill 2001? Linda: Well, for a start, you would have the Nursing Home Association, the Action AIDS group, and several local chapters of the AARP. Dave: Is that right? I would think that the AIDS advocates and AARP would be in favor of developing home-based alternatives. Linda: I was surprised too. In fact, we've already been contacted by the lobbyist from the area Agencies on Aging, and Lacey Davenport of the Gray Panthers, both of whom are actively working against the bill. Dave: What are the people at the state Departments of Aging and Developmental Disabilities saying? Linda: Well, actually, I believe they agree more with your position than Sen. Foghorn's, but they'll wait to see where the Governor is going to come down before they express any opinion publicly. You may want to talk to Benjamin Bureausmith in the Department on Aging. He has been gathering statistics which will support your position. Dave: Is there anybody else we can talk to so that we can become more acquainted with Senate Bill 2001 issues? Linda: I can't think of any, except that you may want to work with Sen. Crane, the ranking minority member of the committee. Remember, he represents Seniorville, and not only is that a retirement community, but it also has literally dozens of nursing facilities that will have their funding jeopardized unless some financial support is given to them. Dave: Well, thank you very much. I really appreciate your advice. We would like an opportunity to participate in the public hearings. Linda: I'd like that. In fact, I'll tell Sen. Stone that there are a number of persons and organizations concerned about this legislation, and we might be able to schedule some extra time to get grassroots input. Dave: Thank you very much. Here's my card. Please feel free to contact me at any time on this or any other matter. Linda: I'll be in touch. THE LOBBYING TEST Identify whether or not the following activities would be defined as lobbying. LOBBYING 1. Communication with a legislator or public official. YES NO 2. Communication with a legislator or public official about personal assistance services. YES NO 3. Communication with a legislative aide about SB 144, The Personal Assistance Act of 1996. YES NO 4. A letter to a senator, encouraging her to reject a nominee for Secretary of Education. YES NO 5. Communication to members of your center encouraging them to contact legislators regarding specific legislation. YES NO 6. Putting a notice in the local newspaper expressing the view of your organization regarding specific legislation. YES NO 7. Inviting a legislator to your center to educate him about issues of importance to people with disabilities. YES NO 8. Publishing an objective analysis of your community's public transportation plan in your newsletter. YES NO 9. Contact with a legislator regarding legislation which will effectively terminate your organization. YES NO 10. Contact with a legislator regarding a 20% cut in funding for your organization. YES NO 11. Endorsing a candidate for office who has been consistently supportive of independent living. YES NO 12. Surveying all candidates for a particular office and publishing the results in your local newspaper. YES NO 13. Attending a public hearing regarding pending legislation which will affect your organization. YES NO 14. Testifying at a public hearing at the request of a legislative committee. YES NO LOBBYING 15. Sending an objective analysis of pending legislation to your members and five months later asking them to encourage legislators to vote against it. YES NO 16. Responding to a request for the state VR agency to encourage legislators to vote against a bill. YES NO 17. Providing transportation to the polls on election day. YES NO 18. Making postcards expressing support for pending legislation available on a table in the center's lobby. YES NO 19. Distributing a petition during skills training class that encourages your governor to look into housing needs in your state. YES NO 20. Putting a notice in the newspaper that your center is in favor of a referendum on the upcoming ballot. YES NO A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE IRS RULES ON LOBBYING BY CHARITIES by Gregory L. Colvin "What is the IRS definition of lobbying?" "How much lobbying are we allowed to do?" Sooner or later, every nonprofit organization involved in public policy issues, and concerned about maintaining its tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, will ask these questions. Today, the answers to these questions are clearer and more permissive than ever before. On August 31, 1990, the Internal Revenue Service finalized its regulations on lobbying by Section 501(c)(3) organizations. The regulations, which are more than fifty pages long, bring to an end sixty years of uncertainty about how a charity[1] can safely engage in lobbying. To comprehend the current federal tax law on lobbying by charities, it is necessary to understand three overlapping stages of historical development: I. The No Substantial Part Test (1934-the present) II. The 501(h) Election Before the New Regulations (1976-1990) III. The 501(h) Election After the New Regulations (August 31, 1990) I. The No Substantial Part Test (1934-the present) Before 1930, federal tax law contained no limitation on lobbying by charities. In that year, Slee v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue[2] was decided, denying charitable tax-exempt status to the American Birth Control League because it disseminated materials to legislators and to the public, advocating repeal of laws preventing birth control. In the court's view, the League's lobbying purposes prevented it from being exclusively charitable, educational or scientific. Following the Slee decision, Congress in 1934 placed a limitation on lobbying in the basic definition of a Section 501(c)(3) organization, "no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation." In the years since 1934, the reference to propaganda has become of lesser importance. Reworded a bit, the classic rule on lobbying became (and still is): A Section 501(c)(3) organization may attempt to influence legislation, but only as an insubstantial part of its activities.[3] This rule did make clear that only legislative lobbying was limited, not lobbying in general. A charity could, without any limitation, attempt to influence the actions of government officials, so long as it steered clear of legislative decisions. (Of course, the policy issue would have to be related to its exempt purposes.) So, for example, a charity could freely: * try to influence an administrative agency regarding its regulations and rulings * petition the President, or a governor or mayor, on executive decisions * attempt to influence legislators on nonlegislative matters, such as conducting investigative hearings or intervening with a government agency * engage in litigation to obtain favorable rulings from the judicial branch of government On the other hand, the definition of "substantial part" remained vague and unclear, despite several court decisions. In Seasongood v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, spending less than five percent of the organization's time and effort on lobbying was considered to be insubstantial.[4] However, later decisions[5] cast doubt on the usefulness of a percentage test and stated that all the facts and circumstances of an organization's legislative and other activities would have to be examined. One court suggested that a single official position statement could be substantial, depending upon its impact on the legislative process.[6] With federal tax law in this condition, most charities and their legal advisers preferred to avoid legislative advocacy entirely. The IRS, with a few notable exceptions,[7] was reluctant to challenge a charity's lobbying because its only weapon was a severe one -- revocation of the charity's Section 501(c)(3) exemption. Then, in 1976, Congress stepped in to provide an alternative approach with more predictability for both the IRS and the charitable sector. II. The 501(h) Election Before the New Regulations (1976-1990) The Congressional solution, contained in the Tax Reform Act of 1976, has been variously known as the "Conable option", the "expenditure test" and the "501(h) election." In this guide, we will call it the 501(h) election. Congress did not change the classic 1934 requirement that lobbying must be insubstantial. However, the new law allowed some eligible charities, by filing IRS Form 5768, to avoid the vague "substantiality" test and to elect instead an "expenditure" test, limiting their lobbying to certain percentages of their budgets. The limits were set at 20% for all lobbying expenditures, one-quarter of which (i.e. 5%) could be grass roots lobbying. The percentages were scaled down for large organizations. Some areas of advocacy were defined as not lobbying and thus were not limited. The key provisions are Internal Revenue Code Section 501(h), which sets forth the eligibility rules, and Section 4911, which defines direct and grass roots lobbying, lists some exceptions, and establishes the percentage limits. The 1976 law seems to reflect two policy shifts in Congress and in the courts. First, it is no longer considered uncharitable to lobby. Lobbying may be one of the best ways to accomplish a charitable purpose. Also, Congress does want to receive the views of the charitable sector on legislation. Secondly, there has been a shift away from restricting political expression and a focus instead on the use of money raised from tax-deductible charitable contributions.[8] The policy now seems to be that while this government subsidy should mainly be used for charitable programs other than lobbying, within the 20% and 5% limits lobbying is an appropriate use of tax-deductible dollars. Furthermore, charities should be free to use non-monetary methods of lobbying. It is important to remember that to take advantage of the 1976 law, a charity must both (1) be eligible to make the 501(h) election and (2) take the affirmative step of filing Form 5768. Otherwise, the charity remains subject to the classic 1934 law, and the definitions, exceptions and percentage limits of the 501(h) election cannot be used to meet the "no substantial part" test.[9] Don't let the 501(h) terminology confuse you. If you make the election, you still keep your 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. 501(h) simply allows you to have your lobbying measured on an expenditure basis, and does not change anything else. To demonstrate how the 1976 law works, we will go through the following steps: A. Charities eligible for the 501(h) election B. When and where to file Form 5768 C. The statutory definitions of lobbying, direct and grass roots D. Statutory exceptions to lobbying E. How to determine the base figure, upon which the percentage limits are computed F. How the percentage limits work G. How to keep records of lobbying expenditures H. Consequences of exceeding the percentage limits A. Charities eligible for the 501(h) election Whether a charity is eligible to make the 501(h) election depends on its foundation status classification issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Most charities will find this classification stated in the text of the organization's Section 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS. This chart summarizes the eligible classifications: Foundation Status Type Eligible 509(a)(1) group: 170(b)(1)(A)(i) Churches, etc. No 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) Educational institutions Yes 170(b)(1)(A)(iii) Hospitals, etc. Yes 170(b)(1)(A)(iv) Supporting government schools Yes 170(b)(1)(A)(v) Governmental units No 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) Publicly supported by grants and donations Yes 509(a)(2) Publicly supported by grants, donations, sales, etc. Yes 509(a)(3) Supporting organizations to public charities Yes 509(a)(4) Testing for public safety No Not classified Private foundations No B. When and where to file Form 5768 IRS Form 5768 is a simple, one page form that is self-explanatory at least as to where to file the form and other details of the filing process. The most important question is when to file the form. An eligible charity can file Form 5768 anytime during the first fiscal year that it wishes to have the 501(h) election apply. So, you can wait until the last day of the fiscal year, look back and review the year's activities and expenditures, and decide whether to file. However, if you think you might file, it is a good idea to make sure, earlier in the year, that your system for tracking lobbying expenditures is adequate. Once the charity files Form 5768, the 501(h) election continues in effect until the charity revokes it, also using Form 5768. However, you do not have the ability to look back at the end of the fiscal year to decide whether to take the year out of 501(h). When you file a revocation, the 501(h) election is removed beginning with the subsequent fiscal year. A charity can switch the 501(h) election on and off as often as it pleases. Keep a copy of the Form 5768 that you file, because the IRS ordinarily will not write back to you. If you file Form 5768, remind your accountant to complete Part VI, Schedule A, of your Form 990 tax return, to report your lobbying expenditures each year that the 501(h) election applies. C. The statutory definitions of lobbying, direct and grass roots The 1976 law recognized two forms of lobbying: direct and grass roots. This distinction is critical, because the direct lobbying limit for a charity under 501(h) is four times as high (20%) as the grass roots limit (5%). The definitions stated in the 1976 law used very general terminology. The 1990 IRS regulations, fortunately, removed the most serious ambiguities and sharpened the definitions. We recommend using the new regulations as the best guide to what is direct lobbying, what is grass roots, and what is neither. Nevertheless, it is important to know the statutory sub-structure upon which the regulations were built. Section 4911 contains the following definitions: Lobbying expenditures: Expenditures for the purpose of influencing legislation. Legislation: Action with respect to Acts, bills, resolutions, or similar items by the Congress, any State legislature, any local council, or similar governing body, or by the public in a referendum, initiative, constitutional amendment, or similar procedure. Legislative bodies in foreign countries are included. Action: Introduction, amendment, enactment, defeat, or repeal of Acts, bills, resolutions, or similar items. Direct lobbying: Any attempt to influence any legislation through communication with any member or employee of a legislative body, or with any government official or employee who may participate in the formulation of the legislation. Grass roots lobbying: Any attempt to influence any legislation through an attempt to affect the opinions of the general public or any segment thereof. D. Statutory exceptions to lobbying In the 1976 law, Congress sketched out five exceptions to the lobbying definitions, allowing charities to engage in certain kinds of communications beyond the percentage limitations. Again, the new IRS regulations have refined these exceptions and made some of them less significant, but it is hard to understand the regulations without first becoming acquainted with these exceptions, which are: 1. Making available the results of nonpartisan analysis, study or research. 2. Providing technical advice to a governmental body or committee in response to a written request by such body. 3. Appearances before, or communications to, any legislative body with respect to a possible decision of such body which might affect the existence of the organization, its powers and duties, tax-exempt status, or the deduction of contributions to the organization (the so-called "self-defense" exception). 4. Communications between the organization and its bona fide members with respect to legislation or proposed legislation of direct interest to the organization and such members, so long as members are not directly encouraged to lobby. 5. Communications with government officials or employees where the charity is not attempting to influence legislation. The 1976 law makes a major distinction affecting communications with members where the charity does directly encourage members to lobby. If members only are urged to contact government officials on legislation, it is direct lobbying by the charity. If members are asked to go outside the organization and urge nonmembers to lobby, it is grass roots lobbying by the charity. In other words, members are encompassed within the organization, and communications with them are simply internal messages related to whatever external lobbying, direct or grass roots, the charity is conducting. Figure 1 is a graphic presentation showing how direct and grass roots lobbying are defined. E. How to determine the base figure, upon which the percentage limits are computed Earlier, we said that the limits established for lobbying expenditures were percentages of the charity's budget. To be precise, the 1976 law states that the percentages are to be computed upon the charity's "exempt purpose expenditures." This base figure includes everything spent by the charity to accomplish its exempt purposes -- program service expenses, administration, and lobbying expenses as well. For capital expenditures, like the purchase of computers, straight-line depreciation may be included in the base. Expenses related to managing investments or generating unrelated business income, though, may not be included. The costs of charitable fundraising, if paid to an outside vendor primarily for fundraising, and costs incurred by a separate fundraising unit within the organization, are excluded from the base. The statutory treatment of fundraising expenses is important. If such costs were not excluded, the base figure for groups that engage in extensive direct mail, telemarketing or door-to-door solicitation would be swollen and distorted by the gross expenditures related to solicitation. The result would be that the lobbying percentages could be as large as, or larger than the organization's entire program budget. F. How the percentage limits work Each year that the 501(h) election applies, a charity must compute two expenditure limits -- its total lobbying limit and its grass roots lobbying limit. For an organization with exempt purpose expenditures of not more than $500,000 annually, the calculation is easy -- 20% for all lobbying and, within that, one-quarter (5%) for grass roots lobbying. For larger organizations, the limits are stepped down. Each year, the total lobbying limit is 20% of the first $500,000, plus 15% of the next $500,000, plus 10% of the next $500,000, plus 5% of the remainder, with an absolute cap of $1 million for all lobbying. Whatever the total lobbying limit is, the grass roots limit is one-fourth of that figure.[10] To prevent large charities from circumventing the stepped-down limits by the use of multiple organizations, the 1976 statute contains rules treating closely affiliated charities as one unit.[11] Why the law allows 20% of a charity's expenditures to go for direct lobbying and only 5% for grass roots lobbying, especially since direct lobbying aimed at a few legislators is less expensive than activating the public, remains a bit of a mystery. The rational explanation is that Congress wanted to encourage direct input from charities. The legalistic explanation is that some rough parity with the tax treatment of businesses was desired; businesses can deduct direct lobbying expenses but not grass roots lobbying expenditures. The cynical explanation is that Congress found grass roots lobbying to be too bothersome -- and too effective. G. How to keep records of lobbying expenditures The 1976 law does not specify how a charity should track its lobbying expenditures, and the new regulations supply only broad guidance. Really, with common sense and a good accountant, you should have no problems complying. All out-of-pocket expenses of lobbying, such as payments to lobbyists, travel to meet with legislators, costs of producing and sending materials, and telephone calls, are obviously to be reported. Payments for the preparation and dissemination of materials to the public, which mix lobbying messages with fundraising, educational and other messages, need to be reasonably allocated, an issue which the regulations do address. Internal expenses, such as staff salaries and benefits, rent, and other overhead items also need to be allocated partially to lobbying. We advise that all paid staff keep time records, showing the hours devoted each week to direct lobbying, grass roots lobbying, and other activities. This way, the charity is able to determine how much of its payroll and benefits can be attributed to lobbying. Also, the aggregate percentage of total staff time devoted to the two forms of lobbying can be used to allocate rent and other overhead costs. H. Consequences of exceeding the percentage limits If in any year the charity electing 501(h) exceeds the total lobbying limit or the grass roots lobbying limit, it must pay a 25% tax on the excess. If the charity exceeds both limits, the 25% tax is imposed only on the greater excess amount. This tax is automatically due to the IRS with the filing of the Form 990 reporting the excess lobbying expenditures made that year.[12] If, over any four year period, the charity's lobbying expenditures exceed either limit by more than 50%, the charity will automatically lose its Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. For example, a small (under $500,000/year budget) organization will lose its exempt status if its total lobbying expenditures exceed 30%, or its grass roots lobbying expenses exceed 7.5%, of its exempt purpose expenditures, when four successive years are added together. Furthermore, the charity is prohibited from converting to a Section 501(c)(4) organization. The logic of the penalty provisions is that the 25% tax is an intermediate remedy. If a charity goes over the limit in one year, it pays the tax but has time to adjust its expenditures in future years to avoid the tax and to avoid loss of exempt status. Figure 2 demonstrates how the percentage limits work and the consequences of exceeding them. With the passage of the 1976 law, Congress established a workable, if somewhat complex, framework for charities desiring an alternative to the classic "no substantial part" test, and willing to measure their lobbying activities on an expenditure basis. However, in the ensuing 14 years, only a small percentage of eligible charities made the 501(h) election. Why not more? For one thing, so many concepts were left undefined by the statute -- grass roots lobbying, nonpartisan analysis, bona fide member -- that charities could not tell whether they would be better or worse off under the 501(h) election. The task of refining those concepts was left to the IRS to accomplish through the process of drafting, proposing, redrafting and finally issuing regulations. III. The 501(h) Election After the New Regulations (August 31, 1990) In 1986, ten years after the 501(h) election was enacted by Congress, the IRS released a proposed set of regulations to implement the statute. The 1986 version met with a huge protest from the charitable sector, since it made many restrictive interpretations of the 1976 law that would have discouraged charities from lobbying, contrary to Congressional intent. The IRS went back to the drawing board and produced a much more favorable version in 1988, which was finalized in 1990. The goal of the drafters, in their words,[13] was to strike "a very difficult balance between implementing a statutory scheme that expressly limits charities' lobbying expenditures and the desire of charities to participate in the public policymaking process to the greatest extent possible." They went on to say: To accomplish this, the Service crafted a number of bright-line, objective rules. Like all bright-line, objective rules, these rules are imperfect; in certain cases, the rules will inevitably permit expenditures to be treated as nonlobbying even though the public would probably consider those expenditures to be clear examples of lobbying. We will summarize the most important of these rules in four categories: direct lobbying, grass roots lobbying, nonlobbying advocacy, and some special rules to prevent abuse. A. Direct (20%) lobbying Definition of direct lobbying: A communication with a legislator or government official will be treated as direct lobbying if, but only if, the communication (1) refers to specific legislation, and (2) reflects a view on such legislation. Definition of specific legislation: Includes both legislation that has already been introduced in a legislative body, and a specific legislative proposal (though it may not have been introduced) that the organization either supports or opposes. Votes to confirm or reject executive branch nominees (e.g.,judges) are considered legislation.[14] Legislation includes a proposed treaty required to be submitted to the Senate for advice and consent, from the time the President's representative begins to negotiate with the prospective parties to the treaty. Ballot measures: Where a communication refers to and reflects a view on a measure that is the subject of a referendum, ballot initiative or similar procedure, the general public in the state or locality where the vote will take place constitutes the legislative body. Accordingly, if such a communication is made to one or more members of the general public in that state or locality, it is direct lobbying. In the case of a measure that is placed on the ballot by voter petitions, an item becomes "specific legislation" when the petition is first circulated among voters for signature.[15] Communications with members: A person is a member of a charity if the person pays dues or makes a contribution of more than a nominal amount, makes a contribution of more than a nominal amount of time, or is one of a limited number of honorary or life members. Bona fide members need not have voting rights in the organization. Communications to members on legislation, directly encouraging them to contact legislators, are treated as direct lobbying. If communications sent only or primarily (50%+) to members contain both lobbying and nonlobbying messages, the charity may make a reasonable allocation of costs between the messages. B. Grass roots (5%) lobbying Definition of grass roots lobbying: A communication (with the general public or any segment thereof) will be treated as grass roots lobbying if, and only if, the communication (1) refers to specific legislation, (2) reflects a view on such legislation, and (3) encourages the recipient to take action with respect to such legislation (a "call to action") in one of the four ways stated below. Encouraging recipient to take action: Means that the communication: (A) States that the recipient should contact a legislator or an employee of a legislative body, or should contact any other government official or employee who may participate in the formulation of legislation, or (B) States the address, telephone number, or similar information of a legislator or an employee of a legislative body, or (C) Provides a petition, tear-off postcard or similar material for the recipient to communicate with a legislator or an employee of a legislative body (or other government official involved in the legislation), or (D) Specifically identifies one or more legislators who will vote on the legislation as: opposing the charity's view on the legislation, being undecided, being the recipient's representative in the legislature, or being on the committee or subcommittee that will consider the legislation. (A), (B) and (C) are considered direct encouragement to take action; (D) is considered nondirect encouragement. C. Nonlobbying (unlimited) advocacy Any form of advocacy that falls outside of the 2-part direct lobbying definition, or the 3-part grass roots lobbying definition, is generally not lobbying at all and is unlimited. In addition, the regulations provide that the following exceptions, even if they fall within the direct or grass roots definitions, shall not be treated as lobbying: Nonpartisan analysis, study, or research: Means an independent and objective exposition of a particular subject matter. A particular position or viewpoint may be advocated so long as there is a sufficiently full and fair exposition of the pertinent facts to enable the public or an individual to form an independent opinion or conclusion. The mere presentation of unsupported opinion, however, does not qualify. Distribution of such communications may not be limited to, or be directed toward, persons who are interested solely in one side of a particular issue. If a communication falls within the 3-part test for grass roots lobbying, it cannot qualify as "nonpartisan," unless it contains only the nondirect call to action described in part (D), above. Examinations and discussions of broad social, economic, and similar problems: This exception covers public discussions, or communications with members of legislative bodies or governmental employees, the general subject of which is also the subject of legislation, so long as such discussion does not address itself to the merits of a specific legislative proposal and so long as no direct call to action is made. Requests for technical advice: This exception is basically the same as stated in the 1976 statute. Providing technical advice to a governmental body or committee in response to a written request by such body is not lobbying. The request must be made in the name of the committee or agency, rather than an individual member of the body. Self-defense lobbying: Appearances before, or communications to, any legislative body with respect to a possible decision of such body which might affect the existence of the organization, its powers and duties, tax-exempt status, or the deduction of contributions to the organization are not reportable lobbying activities, as the 1976 statute provides. This exception does not cover legislation, such as an appropriations bill, which (in the eyes of the IRS) merely affects the scope of the organization's future activities. D. Special rules to prevent abuse Much of the detail in the 1990 regulations consists of various presumptions, allocation principles, and other special rules to prevent the understatement of lobbying costs, especially where grass roots lobbying messages are mixed with nonlobbying material. Here, we review only three of the most important anti-abuse rules. Mass media advertisements: The IRS thought that some mass media ads, even if they don't contain all three elements of the 3-part test, should be considered grass roots lobbying anyway. So, the new regulations presume that a paid mass media ad is grass roots lobbying if it: (1) is made within two weeks before a vote by a legislative body or committee, on highly publicized legislation, (2) reflects a view on the general subject of that legislation, and (3) either refers to the legislation or encourages the public to contact legislators on the general subject of the legislation. The presumption may be overcome by showing that the timing of the ad was unrelated to the upcoming vote. The subsequent use rule: Generally, the costs devoted to researching and preparing lobbying materials are lobbying expenditures. However, a charity could try to avoid this rule by producing literature for or against certain legislation, without a call to action, and then send it out with a separate letter that encourages people to contact their legislators. To prevent this abuse, the IRS will consider that such legislative commentaries are in fact grass roots lobbying if they are used to lobby within six months after they were paid for, and if the primary purpose of the organization in preparing them was for use in lobbying. But if the charity, prior to or contemporaneously with the lobbying distribution, makes a substantial nonlobbying distribution of the materials, the costs of producing the commentary are deemed to be nonlobbying. The "same specific subject" allocation rule: This rule applies where a grass roots lobbying message is combined with nonlobbying material in a communication sent to the public, such as a newsletter or a direct mail fundraising solicitation. In addition to the cost of the lobbying message, all parts of the communication on the same specific subject must be treated as lobbying expenditures. The same specific subject includes discussion of activities or issues directly affected by the legislation, as well as the background or consequences of the legislation, or of those activities or issues. In many instances where the communication is focused on a narrow issue, this rule would make the entire cost of the communication a lobbying expense, except for the space devoted to the fundraising message, general information about the organization, or other subjects. As noted above, where the communication is only or primarily to bona fide members of the organization, the charity may make a more reasonable allocation of the costs. Figure 3 is a flow chart which condenses, on one page, the basic principles established by the IRS under the new rules for classifying activities as nonlobbying, direct or grass roots lobbying. The flow chart is linked to a staff timesheet shown as Figure 4. Conclusion: Deciding whether to make the 501(h) election For almost every organization, the benefits of making the 501(h) election will outweigh any perceived disadvantages. Under the 1976 statute and the 1990 regulations, many safe harbors for advocacy have been created. To name just a few -- using volunteers to lobby, endorsing legislation without spending money to promote the endorsement, criticizing or praising legislation without a call to action, self-defense lobbying -- none of these are reportable under the 501(h) election, yet any one of them could cause loss of tax-exempt status under the classic 1934 "no substantial part" test. The expenditure of 20% of a charity's budget on direct lobbying, including ballot measures, which the 501(h) election allows, would probably never pass the "no substantial part" test. Even an organization that does no lobbying would be well-advised to make the 501(h) election, and report zero lobbying expenditures on its Form 990, in order to take advantage of the safe harbors and to establish a base of nonlobbying expenditures for future years when it may decide to lobby. For charities that have a companion 501(c)(4) lobbying organization, the 501(h) election provides the opportunity, each year, to transfer (by grant or contract) the maximum amounts permitted for direct and grass roots lobbying on issues of concern to the charity. Two concerns are frequently raised about the 501(h) election: Will electing 501(h) increase the chances of an IRS audit? No. The IRS has assured the charitable sector that this will not occur. Will electing 501(h) require a more elaborate accounting system? No. If you are doing any lobbying, you are required by Form 990, Schedule A, Part III, to report your charity's lobbying expenditures anyway, even if you remain under the "no substantial part" test. Furthermore, organizations that don't elect 501(h) must attach a statement to Schedule A giving a detailed description of their legislative activities and a classified schedule of the expenses involved. So far, we have encountered only two situations where the charity might benefit by not making the 501(h) election. The first situation occurs where a charity inadvertently spends in excess of the grass roots lobbying limit during a particular year. If it files Form 5768 and reports the amount as an excess expenditure on Form 990, it is forced to pay the 25% tax. By not filing Form 5768, the tax is avoided. This would only be done where the charity had a reasonable chance of passing the "no substantial part" test by showing that the expenditure was isolated and atypical, or that by other measures of its activity, such as the time expended or the effort of volunteers, its lobbying was truly insubstantial. The second situation arises where the charity is very large (e.g., a budget of $10 million) and it spends over $250,000 on grass roots lobbying. Mass media ads costing $300,000 would expose the organization to the 25% tax, even though the expenditure was only 3% of its total budget. Again, if the charity wants to avoid the tax and claim that 3% is not substantial, it should not elect 501(h) that year. If you find yourself in either situation, consult an attorney. A charity that does not make the 501(h) election, if it fails the "no substantial part" test, will lose its Section 501(c)(3) status. In addition, for each year that it failed the test due to its lobbying expenditures, the charity is subject to a 5% tax on the entire amount that it spent for lobbying that year. A 5% tax can also be imposed on organization managers who knowingly, willfully and without reasonable cause agreed to the expenditures.[16] The IRS is hoping that many more charities that do lobby will file the 501(h) election, because compliance is easier to monitor. It should come as no surprise if one day soon the IRS decided to challenge the exempt status of a nonfiling charity that lobbied "substantially" but would have been safe under the 501(h) election. Filing the 501(h) election, both to protect the organization and to take advantage of the superb opportunity now available to influence public policy more aggressively, is an important decision for every Section 501(c)(3) organization to consider. Unless you have already filed, this decision deserves your careful attention between now and the end of your organization's current fiscal year. FLOW CHART ON PUBLIC POLICY ACTIVITIES This is a general guide to the logic of the IRS rules on lobbying by public charities that elect the expenditure test under IRC 501(h). Refer to the IRS regulations for precise definitions of the concepts indicated in this flow chart. The "key" number connects this chart to categories used on the Staff Timesheet for recording employee hours spent on lobbying and nonlobbying activities. Type of Activity (Key) Does the activity involve expressing the organization's views? No Research and Study (1) Yes On a specific legislative or administrative proposal? No General Education Yes and Advocacy (2) Does it only involve action by an administrative body? Yes Administrative No, it is legislative. Advocacy (3) Is it a full and fair exposition of the facts, with no direct call to action? Yes Nonpartisan Analysis (4a) No Is it a communication to the public on a ballot measure? Unlimited Yes No Is it a response to a written request from a legislative committee or government body? Yes Technical Advice (4b) No Does the issue affect the legal existence, powers, duties, or tax-exempt status of the organization, or the deductibility of contributions to it? Yes Self-Defense (4c) No Is it a communication to the public or to members without a specified call to action? Yes Legislative Comment (4d) No - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Is it a communication to a legislative or other government official? Yes Direct Lobbying (5a) No Is it a communication to members directly encouraging them to contact legislative or other government officials? 20% Limit* Yes Direct Lobbying (5b) No Yes Direct Lobbying (5c) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Does it contain a call to action to activate the public, or does it come under the mass media or subsequent use rules? Yes 5% Limit* Grass Roots Lobbying (6) *For organizations with annual budgets up to $500,000. Limits are stepped down for larger organizations. The 5% limit is within the overall 20% limit. copyright 1991 silk, adler & colvin 7/17/91 STAFF TIMESHEET Employee Name___________________________________ Week of: ______________________________________ I. Program Services Public MON TUE WED THUR FRI TOTAL Policy Key: A. Public Policy 1. Research and Study 1 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 2. General Education/Advocacy (No Specific Proposal) 2 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 3. Administrative Advocacy 3 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 4. Legislative Advocacy: Nonlobbying a. Nonpartisan Analysis 4a ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ b. Response to Technical Advice Requests 4b ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ c. Self-Defense Lobbying 4c ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ d. Legislative Comment (No Call to Action) 4d ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 5. Legislative Advocacy: Direct Lobbying a. Communications to Legislators, Etc. 5a ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ b. Member Communications to Encourage Lobbying 5b ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ c. Ballot Measure Activities 5c ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 6. Legislative Advocacy: Grass Roots Lobbying 6 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ B. Other Program Services (Not Public Policy Oriented ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ II. Management and General ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ III. Fundraising ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ IV. Leave (Vacation, Illness, Etc.) ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ TOTALS ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ Signature______________________________________ SYSTEMS ADVOCACY--SCENARIO ONE 'They Just Aren't Motivated' The Mid-Cities ILC, a medium-sized, urban-based center, is committed to involving more people in systems change activities. Part of the plan is to offer advocacy skills building workshops to people with disabilities in the community. Jerry and Fred, center staff, planned the center's first advocacy skills workshop to occur over two weekends in March. They worked hard to create a program involving many in interactive activities, interesting speakers, and an inspiring set of handouts. Jerry and Fred recruited people by sending out a flier to everyone on the center's mailing list and putting an article in the center's newsletter. The response was dismal. Four people responded with questions and only two actually signed up for the workshop. Jerry and Fred come to you, the executive director, and say, "Well, they just aren't motivated. I don't know why we are trying to do this--it's the same response we get when we plan a demonstration or try to get people out for a hearing: no one comes." Your first question to the staffers is, "So, what went wrong?" Discussion Points 1. Are people really not motivated? 2. What would the consumers have done? 3. Is there anything else Jerry and Fred could have done? 4. Could oppression be playing any role in what is going on here? SYSTEMS ADVOCACY--SCENARIO TWO 'Who Gets Credit?' Lack of curb cuts in Stagnant City's central business district continues to be a major barrier. The problem is widely recognized and often bitterly discussed by local residents with disabilities. There is no continuous path of travel in the business district; people unable to negotiate curbs have been forced to use the streets. There have been many near accidents, several accidents, and even one death! Yet, nothing has been done. Even though ADA has now been law for several years, there have been no new curb cuts constructed in over nine years. Although the disability community disagrees on many issues, there is has been consensus for years that this is a major problem and huge barrier. Recently, the newly formed local ADAPT chapter organized an action bringing out over a hundred people to protest lack of curb cuts at the business district's busiest intersection. There was an array of protest signs, "street theater" involving protesters pounding on curbs with hammers, and excellent newspaper, radio, and television coverage. Four people were arrested for using sledge hammers to actually break down curbs. The independent living center did not participate as an organization. Four months later, the entire business district had newly constructed curb ramps. At a board meeting, Terry, executive director of the local independent living center, boasted, "We finally got those curb cuts and had a real advocacy win!" Jerry, a well-respected board member serving her fourth year on the board confronted the executive director exclaiming, "What's this 'we' stuff? The center can't take credit for any of this! What did the center do?" Terry's response was that he had, ". . . been serving on the mayor's committee on disability issues. I belong to and attend meetings of the chamber of commerce and the Rotary Club, and I have always talked about the need for these curb ramps." Not satisfied with this response, Jerry insisted, "You may have talked about it, but talk is cheap. I have never seen this stated as an advocacy goal for the center, even though the board has asked that it be done several times. Furthermore, you constantly complain to us about how worthless the mayor's committee is. The center can't take credit for any of this." Discussion Points 1. Should the center take credit? Why? 2. What evidence would indicate that the center could take credit for this advocacy win? 3. What is missing regarding the executive director's role on the mayor's committee, chamber of commerce, and Rotary? SYSTEMS ADVOCACY SCENARIO THREE 'John's Dilemma' John is the executive director of a large urban center for independent living and, as such, a member of the state center for independent living association (SCILA). At a recent meeting of the SCILA, the legislative committee which John chairs gave an update on recent cutbacks to the state's personal assistance services program. It has become apparent that cutbacks in funding to the program will result in the reduction of services to persons already living in the community, forcing entry into nursing homes for many of the participants. It is recommended by the legislative committee that action must be directed specifically toward Senate and House leadership in the state. John's committee proposes that centers located in legislative leaders' districts conduct concurrent demonstrations in front of the legislator's local office. Bill, the director of a rural center, immediately raises his hand to object to the suggestion. "We don't do that in our community. That's just not the way to get things done," he argues. He goes on to explain that Sen. Smith, the majority leader, is from a prominent local family and his brother is mayor of the small rural town. "You don't understand the implications of what you're asking. We're all friends in Hillville, and if I embarrass him in front of the community our center will be ruined," he said. Bill goes on, "Why, the mayor, Jim Anderson (the VR district administrator), and I even belong to the same Kiwanis Club." John, irritated that he does not have the full support of SCILA members, blurts out that Bill seems more interested in maintaining his friendships than in disability rights. Ellen, who also runs a small rural CIL adds, "You just don't know what it's like to run a CIL in a rural community." 1. Is there, in fact, a difference between how you do advocacy in rural versus urban communities? 2. Should status or friendships be a concern for CIL advocates? 3. How do you, as a member of a CIL association, deal with CIL directors who avoid hard-hitting advocacy? SYSTEMS ADVOCACY SCENARIO FOUR 'Jane's Dilemma' Jane has been the director of a center for independent living in a southwestern city for over eight years. Although recognized as a hard-hitting independent living advocate, she is well-respected by bureaucrats in the state vocational rehabilitation program because of her superior management skills. Her center is universally recognized as a strong, stable organization and leader in the disability community. Mike Winston, the director of the state vocational rehabilitation program, has invited Jane to attend a meeting with the regional commissioner, Betty Hopkins, regarding the development of a satellite center. Jane agrees to attend and is intrigued because, although there is great need in her state, she is unaware of any funding through the statewide independent living council. Upon arrival at director Winston's office, Jane is informed that the Rehabilitation Services Administration is making some additional Innovative Services funds available for the development of CILs on Native American reservations. "Jane," asks Commissioner Hopkins, "have you had any luck working with the Rio River Indians?" Jane just shakes her head and tells the commissioner that, although she has made several attempts to work with the Rio River Indians, she has had little success. "I've tried several times. At first they seem interested, but then never follow through," she says. "Once, I found some extra funding which could be used on the reservation and I presented it to a member of the social service staff at their hospital. Nothing came of it." "We've had troubles, too," confirms the commissioner. "We make programs available but they just don't seem to care enough to take advantage of them." Director Winston chimes in that he visits the reservation at least once a year and also has had no luck in working with the tribe. After several more minutes of commiserating about the fruitlessness of their efforts, the commissioner informs Jane that each region has been given $100,000 to start a center to specifically address the needs of Native Americans. He makes it clear that he will facilitate the funding of a project if Jane can find some way to "get the Indians involved." As Jane drives back to her office, she stops by the American Indian Hospital located in her city to speak with Sam Whitehorse, a social worker and Native American, regarding her dilemma. After hearing Jane's description of the situation, Sam just smiles and suggests, "First, why don't you take time to understand the Rio River Indian tribe?" 1. What are Jane, Mike, and Betty doing wrong? 2. What might be a better approach when trying to open CIL doors to members of other cultures? 3. What are some principles for achieving cultural diversity, and are they the same for all cultures? SYSTEMS ADVOCACY READINGS Alinsky, Sol. Rules for Radicals. New York: Random House, 1971. Caplan, Marc. Ralph Nader Presents A Citizen's Guide to Lobbying. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1983. An excellent reference book for people wanting to participate fully in the legislative process. Helpful in detailing the entire legislative process. Important for people with a desire to get bills passed and influence the legislature. Areas of focus include: understanding the legislature, laying groundwork, doing the background research and homework, organizing support for your issues, dealing with press, fundraising, legislative committees, public hearings, negotiations, lobbying the floor, floor debate, and beyond the legislative session. For information on obtaining a copy, contact W.W. Norton & Co. at 500 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10110. Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988. French, Marilyn. Beyond Power. New York: Ballantine Books, 1985. Kahn, Si. Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982. Morris, Jenny. Pride Against Prejudice: Transforming Attitudes to Disability. Pennsylvania: New Society Publishers, 1991. Available from ILRU Kailes, June Isaacson. Putting Advocacy Rhetoric Into Practice: The Role of the Independent Living Center. Houston: ILRU, 1988. Few subjects facing the independent living field are more important than advocacy. This monograph challenges people involved in managing centers for independent living to ensure that advocacy has a priority prominent position. Topics covered in detail include: why advocacy is so important; advocacy and service; the dual commitment; establishing an effective systems advocacy approach; advocacy's place in direct services; independent living networks; lobbying; need to determine advocacy priorities; development of new disability leadership; preventing or reducing the impact of burn-out; cloning; devoting significant time and resources to systems advocacy; what constitutes representative community input; who is responsible for systems advocacy; threat of co-optation; and much more. Important reading for board members, advocacy skills trainers, staff and volunteers of centers for independent living or disability-related organization by, for, or of people with disabilities. Available from the National Training and Information Center (NTIC) Trapp, Shel. Basics of Organizing. Chicago: National Training and Information Center, 1986. Good information regarding leadership development, organizing small groups, public meetings and demonstrations. Also, shares tips regarding negotiating, presenting facts and organizing staff meetings, retreats, newsletters, and working the media. Trapp, Shel. Dynamics of Organizing. Chicago: National Training and Information Center, 1986. A look at power analysis, strategy and tactics, developing an issue group, organizing a coalition, building power and victories, and the values that organizers subscribe to. For information about obtaining the above books, contact the National Training and Information Center at 810 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622; (312) 243-3035 (V). Available on DIMENET Location: "Documents" file area File Name: special.txt Size: 2,878 bytes Date Uploaded: 9/93 Content: "It's Time to Get Rid of Special!" A short piece which discusses the inappropriate use of the word "special" to mean "accessible," and suggests that "special" may be as bad for us as the annual ritual humiliation of the Jerry Lewis Telethon. From the Center for Independent Living of North Florida. Location: "Documents" file area File Name: map.exe Size: 60,268 bytes Date Uploaded: 11/93 Content: "The Movement Action Plan: A Strategic Framework Describing the Eight Stages of Successful Social Movements," by Bill Moyer, Spring 1987. A long but outstanding article on the phases and stages of social movements. It is well worth the reading time. This article is in a self-unpacking zipped archive file. Download the file and then from the DOS prompt, type "map" and press to unpack the document "map.doc." Location: "IL_NETWORK" file area File Name: partb.wp (WP 5.1); partb.asc (ASCII) Date Uploaded: 7/95 Content: "State IL Plans--Use of Part B Funds" An informative look at possible uses of Part B funds for support of advocacy activities designed to assure authorization of a state IL plan appropriate to independent living goals and philosophy. Originally published in the manual, Independent Living and the Rehab Act by the IL NETWORK: National Training and Technical Project, 1994. Location: "IL_NETWORK" file area File Name: power.wp (WP 5.1); power.asc (ASCII) Date Uploaded: 7/95 Content: "The Power of One Person." Written by Mary Johnson and published in The Disability Rag, January/February 1992. This paper tracks the efforts and amazing successes of individuals to push the envelope for accessibility in their communities by using existing legislation (section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the ADA, the Fair Housing Act) and pursuing complaints with the Department of Justice. Location: "IL_NETWORK" file area File Name: stemtid.wp (WP 5.1); stemtid.asc (ASCII) Date Uploaded: 7/95 Content: "To Stem the Tide." Written by Laura Younkin and published in The Disability Rag, September/October 1989. A convincing look at the powerful influence letters to the editor can have to advocate for appropriate and nondiscriminatory representations of disability in print media. Includes recommendations for creating effective letters. Location: "IL_NETWORK" file area File Name: rdream.wp (WP 5.1); rdream.asc (ASCII) Date Uploaded: 7/95 Content: "Our Dream: Equality." Written by Duane French and published by the Alaska Center for Independent Living, 1994. A long-time advocate for disability rights (and recently appointed director of the state VR agency in Alaska), French addresses the question of appropriate roles for people without disabilities in independent living and the importance of the need for promoting integration and equality in the movement. SYSTEMS ADVOCACY EVALUATION 1. Describe your basic understanding of these workshop topics BEFORE and AFTER this workshop by circling the appropriate numbers below (a 7 being "high, detailed knowledge" and a 1 being "none"). BEFORE AFTER Different types of advocacy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Oppression and power 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Creating and maintaining systems advocacy in CILs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Difference between goals and activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Organizing strategies 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lobbying rules 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Legislative advocacy training 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Funding systems advocacy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Monitoring and evaluating systems advocacy efforts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2. What parts of the workshop/training did you find MOST helpful? Why? 3. What parts of the workshop/training did you find LEAST helpful? Why? 4. What topics would you like to see covered in future workshops? Name/phone (optional): NEEDS ASSESSMENTS & CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS NEEDS ASSESSMENTS & CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS TABLE OF CONTENTS Agenda 3 Learning Objectives 5 Methods of Assessing Consumer Needs 7 Methods of Assessing Community Needs--Strengths and Weaknesses 9 Two Intertwined Ideas 13 Seven Steps for Developing a Consumer Responsive CIL 15 Some Tools for Measuring Quality Internally 17 Tips for Consumer Surveys, Questionnaires, or Interviews 19 Tips for Telephone Survey 21 Sample Consumer Satisfaction Survey Questions 23 Tips for Focus Groups 25 Focus Group Questions for Evaluating IL Network Five-Day Training 27 Conducting Needs Assessments and Consumer Satisfaction Surveys Toolbox 29 Example One: Interest Survey for Independent Living Systems Design 31 Example Two: Community Needs and Solutions Survey for People with Disabilities 35 Example Three: What Should Your CIL Be Doing? 47 Conducting Successful Focus Groups 55 Quality Circles 59 Additional Resources for Needs Assessments on DIMENET 61 Evaluation 63 NEEDS ASSESSMENTS & CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS Presenters: Gina McDonald & Henrietta Jordan AGENDA 8:30 Continental Breakfast 9:00 Introductions 9:10 Methods of Collecting Needs Assessments 10:30 Break 10:50 Large Group Discussion 11:15 Putting Data into Practice 12:00 Lunch 1:55 Consumer Satisfaction Survey Overview 2:25 Results of the Telephone Survey 3:45 Break 4:00 Review of Other Survey Techniques 4:50 Evaluation NEEDS ASSESSMENTS LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Purposes for assessing community needs and measuring consumer satisfaction. 2. Relating the assessment of community needs and consumer satisfaction to the philosophy of independent living. 3. Understanding strengths and weaknesses of different methods for assessing community needs and measuring consumer satisfaction. 4. Relating the assessment of community needs and consumer satisfaction to the focus of centers in the community. METHODS OF ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS Mail and newsletter surveys Census data and other existing demographic information Telephone and in-person interviews with consumers Information from previous needs assessments Town meetings Focus groups Information from computer user groups Toll-free call-in lines National and community networking Statewide caucuses METHODS OF ASSESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS-- STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Note: Some of the methods described are also useful for measuring consumer satisfaction. 1. Empirical Data: quantitative information on large segments of the population. Examples: census reports, other demographic data, social indicators. Strengths Easily available. Available statistical data may give comprehensive picture of large population over relatively long period of time. High credibility with potential funding sources. Establishes need without "case study" details. Is comparative--allows comparisons between communities, regions, or states. Weaknesses Validity may be questionable (who counted whom, and why?). Data may be outdated. Definition of "disability" may be unclear or may vary between surveyors. Data may be difficult to interpret. Data may contain duplicate counting of same groups. Data may exclude large and significant populations of people with disabilities, e.g. people living in institutions, homeless people. 2. "Paper" Surveys: for example--mail surveys, questions regarding unmet community needs in other surveys, "ballots" on specific issues, consumer feedback questionnaires, or information posted on computer bulletin boards. Strengths Easily quantifiable. Can reach large number of people. Relatively inexpensive. Relatively little labor required. With repeated use of standardized format, can provide "snapshots" over period of years to give longitudinal picture of community needs. Replicable examples are readily available. Easily understood. Potentially has high credibility. Weaknesses Inaccessibility of format (printed, English) may exclude significant groups of consumers and community members. Difficult to reach "unserved" or "underserved" populations because they're not already on the mailing list. Can be too simplistic--answers may not be particularly informative. Not interactive; surveyor cannot probe responses or get clarification. May be biased towards a particular group of respondents who are not truly representative of the community. Difficult to assure anonymity of responses; respondents may fear losing confidentiality. Can promote unrealistic expectations. Does not "connect" respondent to CIL in meaningful way; does not promote empowerment. 3. Facilitated Groups: large and small groups of individuals led by unbiased, neutral facilitators. Examples: town meetings, focus groups, key informant groups (including groups of board and/or staff), future search methodologies. Strengths Allows exploration of respondents' comments; doesn't limit responses. Open-ended formats. Empowers groups and individuals. Promotes cross-fertilization of ideas and perspectives. Increases investment of individuals in group. Tends to be more visionary than reactive. Creates relationships (networks) that can support implementation of plans. Allows self-correcting explanations; avoids misinterpretations. Interpersonal; respondents tend to enjoy it more. Usually more issue-oriented and task-oriented. Information gathered tends to be more useful. Can accommodate and overcome language barriers. Process consistent with IL philosophy (inclusive, self-directed, consumer controlled). More inclusive; method can involve many different approaches. High response rate; typically, all respondents participate. Can be more truly representative of the community. Has high credibility in private sector. Excellent format for disseminating information and encouraging learning. Helps develops new leadership. Easily replicable. Quality and depth of information gathered is catalytic and accumulative. Respondents can prioritize issues and problems. Provides "intuitive" information (i.e., opinions and feelings, not just facts). Weaknesses Can be culturally biased or replicate barriers if group isn't diverse and facilitated with sensitivity to diversity issues. May not reach as many people. Takes more planning and marketing. More time intensive. Requires skills, facilities, and resources that might not be readily available to a center. Outcome dependent on skill of facilitators; can lead to public relations disasters if done poorly. Participants tend to expect follow-up which may be difficult to provide. Requires careful planning to assure good mix of participants (shouldn't be composed of folks who are all happy or all unhappy). Requires skill in dealing with disruptive or destructive group dynamics. May be harder to cover large geographical areas. Potential participants may not understand what is expected of them. 4. Personal surveys of individuals: interactive and interpersonal information gathered from individual consumers and community members. Examples: telephone surveys; door-to-door canvassing; face-to-face interviews, information from I & R consumers about what community lacks; personal histories; consumer narratives. Strengths Produces detailed information about individual situations. Flexible--methods can be adapted easily to diverse situations and consumer needs. Provides readily usable, immediate feedback. Personal stories can "sell" an issue. Documents unmet needs and gaps in community options and their cumulative impacts. Surveyor can ask probing questions for clarity and understanding. If done continuously, may be more comprehensive than other methods. Respondents may feel they matter more. Weaknesses Because number of respondents may be lower, methods may have less breadth and survey results may be less comprehensive. Highly labor intensive. Untrained surveyors may fall into traps of "charity" or "medical model" approaches. Can be intimidating to consumers. May be difficult to maintain consistency among surveyors. Sample may be skewed depending on when survey is conducted and circumstances of individual consumers. TWO INTERTWINED IDEAS "Independent living does not mean doing things by yourself. It means being in charge of how things are done." - Judy Heumann Systems change does not mean that CILs offer the services consumers need in order to live independently. It means fundamentally changing the system so that the system does what needs to be done. SEVEN STEPS FOR DEVELOPING A CONSUMER-RESPONSIVE CIL 1. TOTAL management commitment. 2. Knowing your consumers. 3. Hiring, training, and compensating qualified, responsive, and effective staff. 4. Developing STANDARDS for quality performance. 5. REWARDING quality efforts and accomplishments. 6. Empowering consumers and listening to them. The Most Important 7. Continually working towards improvement. SOME TOOLS FOR MEASURING QUALITY INTERNALLY Checklists, charts, graphs. Program evaluation (analytical data). Staff evaluations. Management evaluations. ALWAYS REMEMBER: FEEDBACK IS A GIFT!!! TIPS FOR CONSUMER SURVEYS, QUESTIONNAIRES, OR INTERVIEWS Make the survey user friendly. Don't make the survey too long. Keep questions simple and direct. Ask only one question at a time. Scales should always have an odd number (the neutral point). Allow room for comments. Be able to provide the survey in alternative formats. Thank the consumer. TIPS FOR TELEPHONE SURVEYS Keep questions simple. Have a script or outline. Make the response form easy to work with. TRAIN your surveyors. Don't call at dinner time. Thank the consumer. SAMPLE CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY QUESTIONS Was it easy to communicate with center staff? Were center staff helpful? Did you receive services in a timely manner? If you developed an independent living plan, were you satisfied with it? Did you accomplish your goals? Were there any problems with the center's services? Were problems resolved with program staff? Did you find it necessary to contact the Client Assistance Program (CAP)? How would you rate your overall experience with the center? What was best about it? What does the center need to do to improve? TIPS FOR FOCUS GROUPS Gather at least 5-10 consumers. Record the focus group's input. Use standardized questions to launch discussions. Beware of the "beneficent respondent." Don't call it a "focus group." FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS FOR EVALUATING THE IL NETWORK FIVE-DAY TRAINING 1. Why did you want to come to this weeklong training session? (What were your expectations?) 2. Were your expectations met? Why or why not? 3. What was the best part of the training? 4. What could be improved? 5. Any suggestions, advice, or feedback for the trainers in planning the next one? CONDUCTING NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS TOOLBOX This section contains several examples of needs assessments tools that were developed by the Vermont Center for Independent Living to be used by centers for independent living and others in gauging community needs and preferences. Each tool is unique and was developed to answer a particular set of questions asked by center boards, managers, or public policy makers. Your community's needs will undoubtedly be very different from those of other communities, and the questions you'll want to ask will need to be specifically designed. You might start by asking your board, "What do we need to know in order to develop a long-range plan that truly meets the needs of people with disabilities in the community we serve?" Then you can proceed to identify which consumers (and others) you need to hear from and which method(s) will best meet your informational needs. Also included is a guide to conducting focus groups as one method of obtaining a measurement of consumer satisfaction. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT THESE SAMPLE TOOLS UNDERGO THOUGHTFUL MODIFICATION ACCORDING TO YOUR CENTER'S NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES BEFORE USE. EXAMPLE ONE: INTEREST SURVEY FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING SYSTEMS DESIGN This survey is designed to determine interests and priorities for services among consumers in the community, and to generate and record interest in community participation in the center's "Design for Independent Living Systems" project. Please be aware that your agreement or not to answer these questions will in no way affect your eligibility to receive continuing support and assistance from this center. NAME ____________________________________________________________ __________ ADDRESS _________________________________________________________ __________ CITY, STATE, AND ZIP ____________________________________________ ___________ DAYTIME PHONE ___________________________________________________ _________ EVENING PHONE ___________________________________________________ _________ DISABILITY (Optional) ___________________________________________ _____________ 1. The services I am most interested in or have the greatest need for are (check as many as apply): ____ Housing ____ Transportation ____ Health care ____ Assistive technology (adaptive equipment) ____ Communications ____ Help with personal care or household chores ____ Home modifications _____ Other (describe): 2. In my opinion, the three most important issues facing disabled persons in this community are (check only 3): ____ Housing ____ Personal assistance (attendant care) ____ Communication ____ Nutrition ____ Transportation ____ Recreation ____ Health care ____ Making communities more accessible ____ Employment ____ Making homes more accessible ____ Education ____ Assistive technology (adaptive equipment) ____ Financial security ____ Other (describe): 3. I would like to participate in the "Design for Independent Living Systems" Project in the following ways (check as many as apply): ____ Responding to a survey about my needs for housing and/or community services. ____ Receiving information on issues and advocacy efforts. ____ Sharing stories and experiences with others who are dealing with similar issues. ____ Going to meetings to discuss regional planning and advocacy efforts. ____ Writing or talking to legislators about my experiences and concerns relating to disability. ____ Talking to groups and/or the news media about my experiences and concerns related to disability. ____ Learning how to advocate more effectively by reading, participating in trainings, and working with other advocates. ____ Helping with phone calls to alert people about what is happening in the state and national legislatures and telling them about upcoming hearings and meetings. ____ Learning about my rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 4. To attend meetings, trainings, or focus groups, I need the following assistance: ____ Help with transportation ____ Child care reimbursement ____ ASL interpreter ____ Someone to go over materials with me ____ Attendant care ____ Printed materials in alternative format Preferred format: ____ Other (describe): 5. Other comments: EXAMPLE TWO: COMMUNITY NEEDS AND SOLUTIONS SURVEY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES This survey tool was developed by the Vermont Center for Independent Living as the basis and record of a one-on-one interview, conducted either by phone or in person. Each interviewee should be advised that agreement or not to answer any of the questions below will not affect his or her eligibility to receive continuing support and assistance from the center. I. Personal information of survey respondent Interviewer's Initials _________________ First Name ____________________________________________________ _____________ Middle Name ___________________________________________________ ____________ Last Name _____________________________________________________ ____________ Town/city of residence ________________________________________ _______________ Date of birth ________________ How old are you? ________ years State or country of birth _____________________________________ ________________ Sex _______ female ________ male II. Information on disability or health condition 1. List the disabilities and/or health conditions you feel are the most significant in your life. Primary: Secondary: 2. Does your health condition or disability affect any of the following (check as many as apply). _____ a. Working or earning a living _____ b. Choosing a living situation _____ c. Participating in school or college activities _____ d. Carrying out or participating in social and community activities (shopping, going to the library, parties, or meetings) _____ e. Doing household chores _____ f. Taking care of daily needs (bathing or meals) 3. In what other ways does this health condition or disability affect you? (Check all that apply.) _____ a. pain _____ b. fatigue/loss of energy _____ c. mobility/getting around _____ d. sight _____ e. hearing _____ f. speech/communication _____ g. mood swings _____ h. reading _____ i. writing _____ j. sense of well being _____ k. concentration or focus _____ l. interacting/dealing with others _____ m. memory/learning _____ n. performing manual tasks _____ o. other: 4. a. Do you regularly use prescription medication? _____ Yes _____ No b. Does any medication you use have negative side effects? _____ Yes _____ No _____NA III. Mobility and communication services (check as many as apply.) Do you use: _____ a. Adaptive equipment to help with communication? (TTY, communication board, adapted computer, cane, or hearing aid) _____ b. Sign language interpreters, facilitated communication, or someone to help you communicate with others? _____ c. Braille, tape, or computer disc for reading and writing? _____ d. Adaptive equipment or aids to help with mobility (wheelchair, cane, scooter) IV. Emergencies (check all that apply): 1. Do you have someone you turn to in an emergency? _____ Yes _____ No 2. If no, is this a concern for you? _____ a. Not a problem (skip to finances) _____ b. Somewhat a problem _____ c. A significant problem 3. If it is a problem, what would help? _____ a. Someone who can help me with household emergencies. _____ b. Someone who can help me get health services or disability-related assistance quickly. _____ c. Someone who will represent my needs and interests to agencies. _____ d. Someone to check in with me on a regular basis. _____ e. A personal emergency alert system. _____ f. A safe place to go. _____ g. Other/comments: V. Finances 1. Monthly household income: $ _______ 2. Monthly personal income if different than household income: a. $620 or under c. $1,000-$1,500 b. $621-$999 d. $2,000 or over VI. Living situation/household information 1. Type of residence _____ a. a rented house or apartment _____ b. a house or apartment I own _____ c. a shared residence run by an agency _____ d. a trailer I own or rent _____ e. a nursing home _____ f. a hospital or institution _____ g. a developmental home _____ h. staying with friends _____ i. don't have a place to stay _____ j. a homeless shelter _____ k. other: If you share a house or apartment with others, how many people (including you) live in your household? ______________________ How many children under 18? ___________________ 2. Satisfaction with housing and living situation. (Check all that apply.) _____ a. Very much want to remain where I am now. _____ b. Like housing situation, but need some help to be able to stay here. _____ c. My housing/living situation is a serious problem for me at times. _____ d. My living situation works for me now, but I am afraid that it won't in the next few years. _____ e. Cannot continue to live here. Comments: 3. If your housing/living situation is difficult, please check the key problem areas. (Check all that apply. If not applicable, skip this section.) _____ a. Hard to find and keep stable housing or living situation. _____ b. Isolation and loneliness. _____ c. Housing and utility costs are more than I can afford. _____ d. My housing needs significant repairs and maintenance. _____ e. It is difficult for me to get around my house and do things for myself. _____ f. Location makes it difficult for me to get places. _____ g. Lack of privacy. _____ h. Would like to move, but don't feel I can. Explain: _____ i. Other: 4. Does the place you live need repairs or modifications for safety or accessibility reasons? (Check all that apply.) _____ a. No (skip the next section). _____ b. Accessibility modifications needed. _____ c. Safety repairs needed. 5. If yes, what services would make it possible for you to make repairs, install kitchen or bathroom adaptations, ramps, or other structural changes? (Check all that are needed.) _____ a. Information about options _____ b. Help planning and doing the modifications or getting the right equipment _____ c. Financial assistance _____ d. Other: 6. Here are some ideas which others have used to improve their housing/living situations. (Check all that would interest you.) _____ a. People who could come to help me with daily activities and chores. _____ b. Sharing my house or apartment with someone who is willing to help with daily activities and chores. _____ c. Living in my own house or apartment and sharing personal care and chore providers with a group of people with similar or compatible needs. _____ d. Sharing a new place with others as long as I had a room of my own. _____ e. Living in my own house or apartment and sharing meals and services with others who live near me. _____ f. Other: VII. Help with daily activities 1. Do you need any of the following services or help as a result of your health or disability. If not, do you expect to need it in the future? (Check all that apply.) _____ a. I do not need help now, but I am concerned that I will need help during the next few years. Specify: _____ b. I need assistance with daily physical care such as eating, bathing, transferring in and out of bed. _____ c. I occasionally need help with household and personal care. _____ d. I need a driver and/or reading assistance. _____ e. I need help managing money/finances. _____ f. I need help with memory-related tasks, such as keeping appointments. _____ g. I need someone nearby whom I can call on when I need some help. _____ h. I need someone who can help me learn to cook and do other household tasks safely . _____ i. Other: 2. If you need help with daily activities and chores, who provides this help? _____ a. No one. _____ b. Family/friends assist me; other help is not needed at this time. _____ c. Family and friends provide most of my support and use agencies for backup. _____ d. Community agencies provide most of these services. _____ e. Staff of the institution or facility where I live provide these services. _____ f. Other: 3. Do you expect to need more help with daily activities (bathing, meals, chores, finances, or transportation) in the next few years? Yes _____ No _____ 4. If getting the help you need is a problem, why? (Please check the appropriate letter if any of the following that are causing problems for you in getting or maintaining consistent services.) It is difficult to: _____ a. Keep paid or unpaid workers who provide daily help or back up. _____ b. Find and keep enough people to give the help I need. _____ c. Find regular help for nights, early in the mornings, and on weekends. _____ d. Find emergency help quickly. _____ e. Provide adequate salary and benefits for workers. _____ f. Find funding for the amount of hours of help I need. _____ g. Find people who know how to provide the assistance I need correctly and respectfully. _____ h. Other: 5. Heavy home chores (yard work, snow shoveling, repairs, etc.). _____ a. I am able to take care of these kinds of things myself. _____ b. I am not able to do them, but I have the help I need. _____ c. Getting heavy chores done is a problem for me. 6. Food preparation and nutrition 1. Which is true for you? _____ a. I have no problem preparing meals. (If so, skip to the next section.) _____ b. I do have trouble with meal preparation, but I have the help or adaptations I need. _____ c. Planning and dealing with meals is difficult for me. 2. What would make it easier for you? (Check all that apply and put a star by the two services you would choose first.) _____ a. Adaptive equipment to help me eat and/or prepare food. _____ b. Adaptations and aids for my kitchen so it is more usable. _____ c. Prepared meals brought to my home. _____ d. Someone to help with shopping and food preparation. _____ e. More money for food. _____ f. Information on diet and nutrition, especially as it relates to my health or disability. _____ g. Opportunities to have free or affordable meals at community centers. _____ i. Other: VIII. Transportation 1. Do you need help getting in and out of a car, bus, train, or other vehicle? ___ Yes ____No 2. Do you need wheelchair-accessible or lift-equipped transportation? ___ Yes ___ No 3. Circle the statements that best reflect your situation. _____ a. While I depend on friends or families for transportation I can usually get where I need to go. _____ b. I use buses, taxis, or community transportation to get around. _____ c. I have to find and hire drivers to get where I want to go. _____ d. I don't get out much, but it isn't a problem. _____ e. Lack of transportation is a big problem for me. _____ f. Transportation is not a problem. (If transportation is not a problem, skip to employment section, below) 4. If transportation is a problem, why? (Check all that apply.) _____ a. I live in an area with poor transportation services. _____ b. I cannot afford to pay for the cost of transportation services, drivers, or owning and running a car. _____ c. I can't drive due to my disability, health condition, or side effects of medication. _____ d. I have trouble finding drivers in my area. _____ e. Finding accessible transportation is difficult. _____ f. It is hard to travel due to my health or disability. _____ g. Finding transportation when I need it is difficult. _____ h. Other: 5. For what activities do you currently have difficulty getting transportation? (Check all that apply) _____ a. Household shopping _____ d. Meetings _____ g. School _____ b. School _____ e. Work _____ h. Worship _____ c. Recreation/fun _____ f. Medical _____ i. Other: IX. WORK AND EDUCATION 1. Is having either a paid or volunteer job important to you? ____ Yes ____ No 2. Are you currently working for pay/or as a volunteer? _____ Not working _____ Paid _____ Volunteer 3. If you are not yet employed, identify the following factors that keep you from being employed. _____ a. Employment issues are not a concern (skip this section). _____ b. Loss of disability benefits. _____ c. Lack of adequate insurance and job benefits. _____ d. Need part time work or flexible work schedule to become or to stay employed. _____ e. Lack of reasonable accommodations or assistance in the workplace. _____ f. Help getting up and ready for work. _____ g. Fear of negative attitudes by employers or fellow workers. _____ h. Other: 4. Educational and employment resources: Which, if any, of the following services or opportunities would you like to have available to you at this point in your life? (Check all that apply.) _____ a. Education _____ b. Job skill training _____ c. Job accessibility or adaptations relating to health condition or disability _____ d. A better job _____ e. More volunteer opportunities _____ f. Job-related advocacy assistance relating to health or disability issues _____ g. Information about rights of older workers and workers with disabilities _____ h. Help exploring job and career options _____ i. Other: X. OTHER ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO YOU 1. Are any of the following important issues for you? (Check all that apply.) _____ a. Improved accessibility of community events and services (meetings, parties, shopping, etc.). _____ b. Easier access to disability-related equipment such as hearing aids, mobility aids, or other devices to increase my independence. _____ c. Improved access to communication services such as sign language interpreters, educational aids, facilitated communication, or other help with communication. _____ d. User-friendly information and support on how to deal with my disability or health condition. _____ e. Educational support services and help. _____ f. Information on aging- or disability-related services and assistance. _____ j. Information on civil rights laws and related advocacy assistance. _____ k. Protection from forced treatment and access to alternative treatment methods. _____ l. Opportunities to develop self advocacy skills. _____ m. Access to loans, credit unions, or other financial resources. _____ n. Peer support opportunities. _____ o. Other: XI. CONTROL OF LIVING SITUATION AND ACCESS TO SERVICES 1. Do you feel that your health or disability puts you at risk of being institutionalized now or in the future? (Check all that apply.) _____ a. This is not a concern (skip this section and the next). _____ b. I periodically move temporarily into an hospital/institution because of health or disability. _____ c. I have had to move into a nursing home in the past. _____ d. I feel very much at risk of having to go into a nursing home or other institution in the near future. 2. What would solve this problem? _____ a. Not sure. _____ b. Help with household or personal care for myself or may family. _____ c. Improved access to medical or health care services. _____ d. Preventive support services. _____ e. Help exploring and protecting my choice of treatment and or living situation. _____ f. Other: 3. Are any of the following medical, mental health, health, or disability-related services needed but not available? If you have problems getting any of these services, list the top one or two reasons why they are not available (by letter) in the "Reasons" boxes. Reasons not available Services Needed 1st 2nd Dentures Prescriptions Medical supplies Physical therapy Occupational Therapy Skilled nursing Respite with professional services back-up Peer counseling or group support Mental health services Physician, primary Physician, specialty Dental services Assistive technology (hearing aids, mobility aids) Home modifications (kitchen or bathroom adaptations, ramps) Exercise and recreational opportunities Someone to help me address problems with health providers Help with problems with mental health care or providers Information and support about sexuality, relationships Parenting resources for adults with disabilities Other: 4. What role would you prefer to have in designing, directing, and taking care of the services you use? (Check any that most accurately reflect your preferences.) _____ a. I prefer to have an agency take responsibility for providing and managing the services I receive as long as I can get reliable services when I need them. _____ b. I prefer to have an agency coordinate my services, but I want to be actively involved in directing how the services are provided. _____ c. I prefer to be able to direct the services I receive and would like to have a significant role in planning and scheduling these services. _____ d. I am not able (or prefer not) to direct my services myself, but I want to be able to choose someone to make sure that services are provided in a way that meets my needs and respects my preferences. _____ e. Don't have a preference. XII. Ethnic and Racial Background 1. Are you are a member of an ethnic or racial minority? _____ Yes Please specify: _____ No (If no, skip this section) 2. Which language do you use most in daily life? 3. Have you immigrated to the United States from another country? 4. If so, how long have you lived in the United States? 5. Do you believe that your racial, ethnic, or immigrant background affects your ability to get services you need or want? _____ Yes _____ No 6. Do any of the following affect your ability to get services you need or would like for yourself or your family? (Check all that apply): _____ a. Lack of spoken language interpreters. _____ b. Lack of information on services in my native language. _____ c. Differences in communication, lifestyle, or beliefs. _____ d. Racism or prejudice. _____ e. Services do not seem to be available. _____ f. Other: XIII. Other comments and suggestions: Are there any issues we did not address that you want to comment on, or do you have additional comments about an issue we did cover? Use as much space as you like. Thank you for your help!! EXAMPLE THREE: WHAT SHOULD YOUR CIL BE DOING? Like many social-change organizations, your center for independent living has an ambitious mission and finite resources with which to carry it out. Your responses to the questions on this survey will help your center board and management staff plan for the future. Please be aware that your agreement or not to answer these questions will in no way affect your eligibility to receive continuing support and assistance from this center. Name (Optional) _________________________________________________ _______________ Title ___________________________________________________________ ______________ Address _________________________________________________________ _____________ City/State/Zip __________________________________________________ ________________ Telephone ______________________ TTY _____________________ Fax________________ CENTER ROLES AND PRIORITIES Center Roles Independent living centers play many roles in their communities. Think about your center in terms of the roles listed below. Please rank each from one (1) to six (6), with one being the most important and six least important. Please use each number only once for this question. _____ Provide services directly to individuals such as peer counseling, information and referral, independent living services and other independent living services, and independent living skills training. _____ Refer individuals to services provided by others. _____ Coordinate services provided by others. _____ Advocate for individuals. _____ Advocate for systems change. _____ Generate revenues to increase capacity of the center. Is there any other role that you consider important for your IL center? Please specify below: Program Priorities Listed below are a number of possible areas of involvement for centers. Of the items on this list, identify four (4) areas which you think your center should devote the most resources (staff and money) and attention over the next two years. Please number only your top four areas of involvement in order of priority. 1 = Most important priority for the center 2 = Second most important priority 3 = Third most important priority 4 = Fourth most important priority ____ Assistive technology (adaptive devices, computers) ____ Barrier reduction (architectural) ____ Disability awareness and education ____ Employment ____ Housing ____ Income assistance (SSI, SSDI, etc.) ____ Legal services ____ Medical and health care ____ Mental health, including substance abuse/chemical dependency ____ Personal assistance services (PAS) ____ Revenue generation for the IL center ____ Service coordination/access to services ____ Transportation ____ Other (specify) How Service Systems Are Working Now In general, how would you rate your state as a whole in terms of responsiveness to the needs of people with disabilities? ____ Very unresponsive ____ Somewhat unresponsive ____ Neither responsive nor unresponsive ____ Somewhat responsive ____ Very responsive ____ Don't know In general, how would you rate your community in terms of responsiveness to the needs of people with disabilities? ____ Very unresponsive ____ Somewhat unresponsive ____ Neither responsive nor unresponsive ____ Somewhat responsive ____ Very responsive ____ Don't know To what extent do you believe services for people with disabilities are well coordinated in your region of the state? ____ Very poorly coordinated ____ Somewhat poorly coordinated ____ Neither well coordinated nor poorly coordinated ____ Somewhat well coordinated ____ Very well coordinated ____ Don't know Medical and Health Care Concerns What are the three most pressing concerns for persons with significant disabilities in your community. Use each number only once and mark only three items. 1 = Most pressing concern 2 = Second most pressing concern 3 = Third most pressing concern ____ Cost of private insurance ____ Benefit limits of private insurance ____ Shortage of physicians who accept Medicaid ____ Shortage of other health providers who accept Medicaid ____ Benefit limits of public programs ____ Inability to obtain or to keep medical insurance ____ Dominance of the medical model ____ Inadequate training of providers about disabilities ____ Physical inaccessibility of health providers' offices ____ Lack of attention to prevention of secondary disabilities ____ Lack of preventive health care and education in general ____ Lack of attention to mental health needs of consumers, including substance abuse ____ Other (specify) HOW THE CIL SHOULD FOCUS ITS ACTIVITIES Health Care Activities Use each number only once and mark only five items. 1 = most important 2 = quite important 3 = of moderate importance 4 = slightly important 5 = not important ____ Refer consumers to health care providers ____ Develop health education materials for consumers ____ Conduct a medical or health care needs assessment ____ Provide health care training to consumers ____ Monitor health status of consumers ____ Advocate for individuals within the health care system ____ Advocate for systems change in health care ____ Provide curriculum or health education materials for health care professionals ____ Provide training/continuing education for health care professionals ____ Work with faculty of schools for health providers to improve professional education ____ Provide service coordination or case management services ____ Other health care related activity (specify) Housing Activities How important is it that the CIL perform each of the following advocacy activities related to improving access to housing? Use each number only once and mark only five items. 1 = most important 2 = quite important 3 = of moderate importance 4 = slightly important 5 = not important ____ Maintain accessible housing directory for consumers ____ Assist consumers in finding housing ____ Advocate for individuals on personal housing issues (e.g., tenants rights, legal assistance) ____ Advocate for affordable, accessible housing ____ Facilitate home-ownership opportunities through loan programs, etc. ____ Provide technical assistance on housing to consumers (e.g., design consulting about ramps, other accessibility issues ____ Consult with housing developers ____ Renovate existing housing to make it accessible ____ Operate or manage accessible housing ____ Construct new accessible housing ____ Other housing-related activities (specify) Personal Assistance Services (PAS) How important is it that the CIL perform each of the following advocacy activities related to improving access to personal assistance services? Use each number only once and mark only five items. 1 = most important 2 = quite important 3 = of moderate importance 4 = slightly important 5 = not important ____ Provide PAS referrals to consumers ____ Advocate for individuals to obtain PAS ____ Advocate for systems change in PAS ____ Train consumers on how to hire or manage PAS ____ Train personal assistants ____ Serve as the employer for PAS ____ Provide PAS under a Medicaid contract ____ Provide PAS under contract with non-Medicaid state agency ____ Provide PAS under contract with private insurers ____ Other PAS related services (specify) Other Service Needs Please feel free to use this space for any additional comments you may have related to center service priorities or needs. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT-RELATED ACTIVITIES How important is it that the CIL perform each of the following advocacy activities related to improving implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act? Use each number only once and mark only five items. 1 = most important 2 = quite important 3 = of moderate importance 4 = slightly important 5 = not important ADA-related activities to assist or involve consumers ____ Provide information to consumers about their ADA rights ____ Provide ADA-related technical assistance to consumers (e.g., assistive devices, building modification) ____ Develop training materials for consumers ____ Educate consumers about working positively with employers ____ Educate consumers about filing complaints ____ Provide advocacy in individual ADA-related actions ADA-related activities aimed at employers or public agencies ____ Conduct information seminars about their responsibilities for compliance with ADA ____ Provide ADA-related technical assistance (e.g., consultation, design, modification) ____ Train employers/businesses/public agencies about ADA ____ Provide publicity about ADA ____ Establish an employee referral service ____ Reward positive efforts at compliance ____ Gather information to file complaints ____ Monitor local government's enforcement of ADA, (e.g., compliance with building codes) ____ Promote legislation to address perceived gaps in ADA ____ Other ADA-related activities (specify) Other Activities How important is it that the CIL perform each of the following advocacy activities. Use each number only once and mark only five items. 1 = most important 2 = quite important 3 = of moderate importance 4 = slightly important 5 = not important ____ Publish a newsletter ____ Run a public speakers' bureau ____ Sponsor disability awareness workshops ____ Provide barrier removal assistance ____ Participate in formal community network of social service agencies to improve services for people with disabilities ____ Meet with local, state, or national legislative representatives to advocate for people with disabilities ____ Propose or support legislation on behalf of people with disabilities ____ Provide legislative testimony ____ Actively participate in NCIL (National Council on Independent Living) ____ Actively participate in regional or local network of independent living centers ____ Call a news conference to draw attention to a problem facing people with disabilities ____ Actively participate in lawsuit with "systems level" intent (e.g., a "test case") ____ Organize a public demonstration of people with disabilities focusing on a particular issue ____ Other (specify): Other Services How important is it that the CIL perform each of the following miscellaneous activities? Use each number only once and mark only five items. 1 = most important 2 = quite important 3 = of moderate importance 4 = slightly important 5 = not important ____ Coordinating medical, rehabilitation, and/or community resources ____ Providing independent living functional assessments ____ Conducting return-to-work explorations ____ Arranging personal assistance services ____ Providing personal adjustment counseling ____ Operating durable medical equipment or medical supply business (e.g., wheelchair sales or repair) ____ Providing communication services (e.g., Braille, ASL interpreter, etc.) ____ Selling, renting, and/or repairing other assistive equipment or technology (e.g., rehabilitation engineering) ____ Providing ADA and/or 504 consulting ____ Providing legal services ____ Providing mental health services This survey was adapted by the Vermont Center for Independent Living from a model developed by the University of California, San Francisco, and InfoUse, Inc. of Berkeley, California. Support for these programs was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. CONDUCTING SUCCESSFUL FOCUS GROUPS Step 1: Understanding What a Focus Group Does (And Doesn't) Do What Is A Focus Group And Why Have One? Holding focus groups is a way to gather qualitative information about particular issues from specific types of people. The purpose of qualitative research activities, such as focus groups, is to explore attitudes, behavior, knowledge and interests of a group and to gather representative information about the opinions and experiences the group members have about the issues being discussed. Focus groups are led by a moderator who directs questions to the group. Group participants are usually chosen as individual representative members of some larger group. What Focus Groups Don't Do Focus groups are not designed to develop quantitative information or gather definitive information about a specific social group. Focus groups will not tell you how many of a certain group of people finish school, use certain services, or behave a certain way so that you can draw some conclusions about the characteristics of a group of people. Instead, they will give you the individual perspectives of members of a particular group. Focus groups are not brainstorming sessions. The idea is not to uncover new ideas but to hear and understand existing concerns or opinions of members of the group. The group is not supposed to come to consensus, but instead to make sure that each person's opinion is heard and recorded. The purpose of the meeting and the responsibility of the moderator is to collect the opinions of all participants in the focus group. The intent is to hold several focus groups with people representing the target population; explore people's opinions, positions, and experiences relating to the issue being studied; and then to take the information from the different meetings and identify what one writer calls the "universe of information, experiences, behaviors, and attitudes" occurring among the target groups. Other methods will then be used to determine prevalence or consensus. Focus groups are not planning sessions. However, the information on opinions and experiences will be valuable in subsequent planning activities. Step 2: Setting Goals What issues do you want to explore in more depth? Identify the broad area(s) you are concerned with and the specific sub-issues about which you want more information. For example, VR focus groups have brought small groups of people with disabilities together to explore their opinions and experiences regarding the barriers to, and successful supports for, employment. The broad goal was to identify both helping factors as well as barriers that affected employment success; the sub-goals included getting more information about peoples' perceptions about specific barriers or resources, such as transportation, attitudes, funding issues, counselors' roles, etc. If people in the focus group represent more than one constituency or position (such as providers, family members, people with disabilities), it is important to explore the issue from each perspective. In setting goals, you need to think of the types of questions or guidance the moderator can give to help "draw out" diverse perspectives and experiences. The focus group will be richer as a result of careful interviewing and documentation of diverse points of view. Also, similarities and differences based on gender, race, economic status, or other characteristics will be more fully explored. Step 3: Composition of Focus Groups After defining a clear focus and the different issues you want to cover, you need to decide who you want the "respondents" or participants to be. Who do you want to have in the room to respond to your questions? Remember: most studies that use focus groups do more than one focus group, and you can choose to limit a specific focus group meeting to one particular group or constituency. However, you need to plan so that in the outcome of the process all key groups are included in the focus group. The intent is to include representation from all the groups that have relevant information about the issue you are trying to explore. Often planners schedule separate focus groups with people who represent different points of view or experience with the issues being reviewed. For example, providers of a service and users of that service might be in different groups. This is not always necessary, but it can make the moderator's job easier. Even with this separation, each of the two groups--users and providers--may include people with a lot of differences as well as the shared need for a service. Planners of focus groups sometimes recommend that members be selected who do not know each other in order to avoid possible bias. They also recommend that group members be chosen to be as similar as possible. For example, the authors of a monograph on doing focus groups with people with developmental disabilities felt that "the more homogenous the group, the better the quality of information you will receive. If you feel you need to include people with several different disabilities in one group, you can do it, but the results of your probes will not be as thorough" (Lisi-Baker, 1989). Whether group members should know each other, and how to allow for differences in the composition of the group may or may not be a problem. The advantages and disadvantages of different approaches should be considered when planning focus groups. Knowing the preferences, politics, and perspectives of specific disability groups will help you predict which approach will work best; so will an understanding of the experience particular groups have had with the issues you are hoping to explore, and a clear sense of the goals you have for specific focus groups. Whether or not trust will be an issue should be taken into consideration when deciding on the composition of a group. Consumers may not speak openly and honestly if they are afraid of offending a provider they depend on. Similar problems can happen with consumer groups if one person feels threatened by another. The planners and the moderator need to take these issues seriously. You may also want to have focus groups whose members are key leaders or voices for particular groups. In choosing participants for such groups, you are looking for people with experience or expertise you need. For example, if a marketing group wants to find out more about community opinions about using computers in schools they might first conduct focus groups with students, parents, teachers, and administrators. They might then analyze this information and review certain policy issues with school board members and the superintendent of schools and the Department of Education. What you don't want to do is let the opinions and experiences of policy makers or so-called leaders exclude or preempt the opinions and experiences of ordinary citizens or skew the process. The experiences and expertise of consumers are as important and essential to the process as the opinions of policy makers and community leaders. The richer and more complete the information gathered, the more useful it will be. Step 4: Logistics Building a sense of trust and equality is critical to successful focus groups. For this reason, everyone in the room should be active participants, either as respondents or as moderators/note takers. If people who want to come to just observe, let them know that the results of the meeting will be shared, and that the people who are coming expect to be actively involved. One advantage to not allowing observers is that people are more likely to perform if they know that everyone is there to participate. It is helpful to have a note-taker and also to tape the meeting so that you can accurately capture the input you have received. Co-moderators can share these tasks. If you have to choose between notes and tapes, notes are more valuable than a transcript. The note-taker should try to get the key phrases and words of the moderator and the participants. If you are taping the meeting, it is very important to say so at the outset and to explain that the tape is only going to be used to check the accuracy of the notes. People should also be told that no names will be used and that confidentiality will be protected. Choose a facility that is accessible, and make sure people's support service needs have been identified and responded to ahead of time. The person responsible for this may want to have a checklist that they can use in talking to each person who plans to participate. Make sure you are making the materials and presentation process and discussion accessible to all participants. If you are helping to moderate a group you should also know how all the key tasks are being done. These include: designing the research goals, the focus group process, the goals of the different focus groups that are convened, and the composition and process for recruiting each group; moderating the meeting, developing the moderator's guide, conducting groups alone or with a partner, and writing the report; recruiting individuals to attend, confirming attendance, making sure you're getting the desired group composition; making sure that food, transportation, interpreters and other support service needs are planned for and taken care of, that materials are accessible, and that any equipment needed is in place; and note taking and taping. Step 5: Incentives Many focus groups pay individuals for participating. In other groups, people feel they are contributing to something important and are excited enough to participate in the activity for free. If possible, you should offer assistance with transportation and child care. These are issues that should be planned for before and while recruiting individuals. The Moderator's role The moderator has a difficult job. There are some things you can do as moderator to make people feel comfortable and to help the focus group process work for everyone--including you! It is important to let people know what your role is and what it is not. The moderator is there to gather information, not to shape it. The moderator must be neutral, able to communicate and listen well, and able to facilitate the meeting so that the key questions are addressed and everyone in the group has a change to participate. Setting ground rules first helps. It also helps to explain clearly and simply that you are not there to control the discussion but to make sure that everyone is able to participate and as much information as possible can be gathered. CILs are rarely viewed as "neutral," and it is important that as moderator in focus group meetings about independent living needs, you clearly explain that you are there to listen and learn, and to make sure everyone in the group contributes information. Be sure to explain that CILs need to learn from people in order to plan appropriate services and that it is important to appreciate the value of actively involving people in designing the future. If lack of trust is a concern, a team approach using a moderator/partner from another group may help people feel comfortable; or you can plan to use an outside facilitator. REFERENCES A Monograph on How to Plan and Conduct Focus Groups. Washington, D.C.: National Association of Developmental Disabilities Councils, 1989. QUALITY CIRCLES Quality circles can be used to elicit ideas from a group of people in a nonjudgmental approach to thinking "outside the lines." It uses many of the principles of "brainstorming," as you will see, but it adds a further dimension. This method expects that everyone has ideas, sometimes even when they don't think they do. It requires everyone in the group to participate equally and separates the ideas from the person so that it is "safe" to share ideas that a participant might fear are considered either too radical or conservative. STEPS: 1. Break into groups with a topic to discuss. Circular seatings recommended. 2. Select a recorder who will also serve as the reporter. (Some groups have elected to select a different individual as the reporter. This is acceptable.) 3. The recorder will elicit responses from each member of the group in order. Only the person who has the floor may speak. The recorder may only speak to affirm that what he or she has heard is accurate and is not an interpretation. All responses will be recorded. 4. Each member will be given one "pass" card, which they may turn in at any time instead of taking a turn. The recorder will go around the group for a specified number of turns. Each participant MUST give an answer or a pass card until the cycle is completed. 5. All answers are correct at this point. 6. There should be no comments, negative or positive, at this point. 7. There is no clarification at this point, except by the recorder, and then only to assure that the response was heard and written correctly. 8. Have fun with this part. Think outside the lines of "regular" or expected responses. 9. Record all possible responses on the flip chart. 10. As a group, eliminate duplicates and summarize where appropriate. 11. Eliminate the responses that the group generally disagrees with and develop a list of priorities. 12. The "most favorable" responses are the ones to be reported. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR NEEDS ASSESSMENTS ON DIMENET In addition to the materials available in this manual, there are two other resources relevant to conducting community needs assessments posted in the IL_NETWORK file area on DIMENET. The title, file name, and a brief description of each resource are listed below. Prospectus and Welcome: The Kansas Disability Caucus. From a project sponsored jointly by the State Independent Living Council of Kansas, Inc. (SILCK) and Kansas Rehabilitation Services, 1995. File name: kansas. Two pieces related to Kansas Disability Caucus efforts to convene annual meetings of Kansans with disabilities to establish and promote a statewide legislative advocacy agenda. This is a unique way of assessing needs and concerns of the community toward disability-related issues while generating community involvement in systems advocacy activities. Maine Opinion Poll and Findings. Commissioned by the Maine State Council on Independent Living and conducted by Command Research, 1994. File name: maine. Sample of an opinion poll, with findings, commissioned by a SILC from a professional research firm. This is one possible use for Title VII, Part B funds in support of community needs assessment at the state level. If you have questions about alternate formats, contact ILRU at (713) 520-0232 (V) or 520-5136 (TTY). For a copy of the complete manual on using DIMENET, or for technical assistance on downloading files, call: Taunton (508) 880-5325 (V/TTY), Dayton (513) 439-0071 (V), 439-0072 (TTY), or Tulsa (918) 592-1235 (V/TTY). NEEDS ASSESSMENTS & CONSUMER SATISFACTION SURVEY EVALUATION 1. Describe your basic understanding of these workshop topics BEFORE and AFTER this workshop by circling the appropriate numbers below (a 7 being "high, detailed knowledge" and a 1 being "none"). BEFORE AFTER 1. Consumer Needs Assessment (CNAs) Purpose of collecting information 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Methods for collecting CNAs 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 How to put data in practice 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Resources in manual 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2. Consumer Satisfaction Survey Focus group information 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Surveys 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Other techniques 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 3. What parts of the workshop/training did you find MOST helpful? Why? 4. What parts of the workshop/training did you find LEAST helpful? Why? 5. What (if any) ideas did you gain today that you will use? Name/phone (optional): In this article, the term "charity" is used as shorthand for an organization exempt from tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which covers religious, charitable, educational, scientific and literary organizations, as well as those that test for public safety, foster national or international amateur sports competition, and prevent cruelty to children or animals. (Note: The treatment of private foundations under the lobbying rules is beyond the scope of this guide.) Copyright 1993 Silk, Adler & Colvin 42 F.2d 184 (2nd Cir. 1930). In contrast, activities to support or oppose political candidates are completely prohibited for 501(c)(3) organizations. 227 F.2d 907 (6th Cir. 1955). The organization had expended no money on lobbying, just the time and effort of volunteers. E.g., Christian Echoes National Ministry, Inc. v. United States, 470 F.2d 849 (10th Cir. 1972), cert. den. 414 U.S. 864 (1973). Kuper v. Commissioner, 332 F.2d 562 (3d Cir. 1964), cert. den. 379 U.S. 920 (1964). E.g., the Sierra Club. Organizations exempt under 501(c)(4) (social welfare), 501(c)(5) (labor unions) and 501(c)(6) (trade and professional associations), which cannot receive tax-deductible charitable donations, may lobby in furtherance of their exempt purposes without any limitation. Internal Revenue Code 501(h)(7). For example, a larger charity with a $2 million budget would have an overall lobbying limit at an effective rate of 12.5%, and its grass roots limit would be 3.125%. IRC 4911(f). Use IRS Form 4720 to report and pay the excess lobbying tax. McGovern, Accettura and Walsh Skelly, "The Final Lobbying Regulations: A Challenge for Both the IRS and Charities," Tax Notes, September 3, 1990, pages 1305-06. Charities lobbying on these confirmation votes may be subject to the tax on political organizations under IRC 527. Until the final 1990 version of the regulations, the position of the IRS had been that ballot measure activity should be treated as grass roots lobbying, subject to the 5% limit. However, the IRS was persuaded to give charities the benefit of the higher 20% direct lobbying limit, since ballot measures could fit under either definition in the 1976 law. See Colvin, "A Suggested Approach to Ballot Measure Lobbying by Public Charities," Tax Notes, March 12, 1990, page 1307. IRC 4912. This penalty tax scheme, which is effective beginning in 1988, does not apply to churches and church-related organizations. ---------- End of Document