Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/articles/anr9307.zip/9307NEWS.ANR

Text File | 1993-08-19 | 109KB | 2,294 lines

ABLEnews Review, July 1993: ABLEnews & Views

(6)     Sat 3 Jul 93  8:19p
By: John Covici
To: All
Re: Cell implants...

CELL IMPLANTS WILL ELIMINATE CRIPPLING IMPACT OF DIABETES

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
by Carol Hugunin

Cell implant technology, which will reach the market in the next
decade, is a great example of the fact that only basic and applied
research can successfully cut the costs of health care.

Other schemes to cut health costs suffer from the ``cure is worse than
the disease'' syndrome. For example, proposed federal review boards to
police medical technology will destroy the incentive to do research,
since the new technologies may not be approved, and therefore the cost
of research may be unrecoverable. As another example, cost-cutting
schemes based on depriving people with certain medical problems of
treatment, basically do save money--by killing the patient.

              As an Example: Diabetes

Take the case of the management of diabetes. The June 13 release, by
the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases, of the
preliminary results of a 10-year study of 1,441 diabetics, documented
something doctors had long suspected. The huge swings in blood sugar
in diabetes cause the degenerative side effects associated with this
diease--blindness, kidney failure, circulatory failure, heart disease,
gangrene, and consequent amputations. If blood sugar levels could be
more tightly controlled, not only would the patient be more
comfortable and much more productive, but the cost of diabetic health
care would drop dramatically.

``Diabetes is one of the major public health problems of the United
States, and this provides a dramatic and clear message about the
treatment of that disease, '' said Dr. Phillip Gordon, director of the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases. Diabetes is the
fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., and costs at least $40
billion a year in health care and missed work.

The full results of the study will be printed in an August issue of
the New England Journal of Medicine.

              The Technology of the Future

For now, this study shows, tighter monitoring (checking blood-sugar
levels four times a day, rather than once) and more tightly regulated
insulin (four shots a day, rather than one) are the best diabetics and
their doctors can do to drastically lower the side effects of the
disease.

But a new technology is in the offing.

The medical world has long dreamed that somehow, research would find a
way to transplant live islet cells from the pancreas of some animal,
into the human diabetic, without immune rejection. If that were
possible, the islet cells would constantly respond to changes in the
blood-sugar level by producing exactly the amount of insulin needed.
Thereupon, an end to degenerative side effects, productivity losses,
and early death!

Till now, this has been only a dream. But recently, various biotech
companies (BioHybrid Technologies, WR Grace & Company,
CytoTherapeutics, and Baxter) have developed methods for encapsulating
islet cells in a membrane which prevents the immune system from
recognizing the islet cells as foreign.

The membranes are quite thin, smooth, and semipermeable. They let
small molecules diffuse in and out with ease, like insulin, sugar, and
gases.  But they prevent larger molecules, including the immune system
chemicals that cause the rejection of foreign tissues, from reaching
the islet cells.  So far, companies have experimented with islet cells
encapsulated in membranes in tiny microcapsules; larger hollow
cylinders, like tiny short straws; and credit-card-sized sheets.

Human trials using such cell implant technology are expected to begin
this year. Ten years from now, cell implant technology will probably
be widely available for diabetics.

The first devices will probably last about a year, but will be
replaced by better models which last longer. The first sheet-type
islet cell implants in diabetics will probably be very thin
(comparable to the thickest part of a bandaid), and cover an area
roughly the size of a dollar bill. Such a device, or more numerous and
smaller short-straw devices, would be implanted in the body cavity
near the liver, or maybe just under the skin.

With genetic engineering, later devices will be smaller, because the
islet cells will have been engineered to produce more insulin per
cell, and also engineered to produce human insulin, although the islet
cells will still come from animals.

              AIDS and Alzheimer's, Too?

Diabetics will not be the only ones to benefit from cell implant
technology. Those with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Lou
Gehrig's disease, or hemophilia, and those in chronic pain, will also
benefit from a technology which is expected to be cheaper than organ
transplants or introduction of drug-delivering pumps.

This technology will, eventually, dramatically decrease the
degenerative problems associated with these diseases, by mimicking the
normal physiological delivery of the necessary chemical(s) with a
precision and responsiveness that the best-engineered pumps cannot
approximate.

Decades from now, genetically engineered cell transplant technology
may also be used to deliver specific chemicals to a localized cancer
site, avoiding the horrible side effects of current cancer
chemotherapies. It may even be used to treat diseases like AIDS in its
early phase, when the HIV virus is concentrated in the thymus and
other immune-system areas, sufficiently localized to be hit with the
kind of large concentrations of drugs which cell implant technology
can deliver.

The potential of this technology has tremendously excited the medical
community. And perhaps even medical ``financial managers'' would
prefer to see Granny treated for Parkinson's or Alzheimer's with a
cell implant costing, let's say, $15,000-20,000, rather than sitting
in a nursing home which costs $30,000 a year. Most important of all,
Granny would be far happier to remain a productive human being.

From New Federalist V7, #25.

[posted on The Lincoln Legacy  703-777-5987 (1:109/909)]


(17)    Mon 5 Jul 93  6:43p
By: Earl Appleby
To: All
Re: Boys Score Big

ABLEnews

                    Boys Score Big in Game of Life
                                                   --Earl Appleby, Jr.

As a toddler, little David Potter decided to explore an unlocked
electrical junction box. The accident burned off both arms below the
elbow.

The Texas boy may have lost his arms but not his true grit. He taught
himself to swing a baseball bat, holding the handle in his left armpit
and resting the shaft on the crook of his right arm. He could even
catch the ball in the glove on his left stub, though he hadn't quite
figured out how to throw it.

One day the president of the Spring Branch Little League approached
Ken Parsons, the League director. "Something came up to day," he
confided.  "We had a kid try out today, and he has no hands."

"What do you mean?" Parsons retorted. "He's got rock hands? He can't
field the ball? What?"

"No, I mean he has no hands."

That boy was David Potter, now 11.

Parson was moved by the boy's determination and that evening he said
to his son, Josh, 10, "You know we've got to do something for this
kid."

And, here's where the story gets real unique, they did just that.

Josh designed a device patterned after a jai alai scoop that fits over
David's right stub. The invention allows David to whip the ball
overhand.

"When we first put it on him, it was like a religious experience," Ken
confesses. Indeed, it was since it was an act of selfless love. Just
how selfless we shall soon see.

David now plays right field for the first-place Spring Branch
Mustangs.

And Josh? Well, the fourth-grader won first prize at the Houston
Inventor's Association Showcase.

Well, almost, that is. It seems the judges ruled him ineligible and
gave his prize to older students who invented a pen with a built-in
roll of note paper. They said Josh had to be at the Showcase to win.

Where was our young hero (Josh) who had helped our other young hero
(David)? Why he was putting Old Glory on the grave of his grandpappy,
Jack Parsons, at the Houston National Cemetery.

For the past three years the lad had placed a Memorial Day flag on the
grave of the Korean war vet. Keeping that tradition was more important
than winning the competition, Josh said simply, betraying a wisdom
that had somehow escaped the judges. "Besides," he said, with a boyish
grin, "we did it for David anyway."

[posted on ABLEnews...beyond the headlines. (1:262/4)]

(25)    Tue 6 Jul 93 12:51p
By: Earl Appleby
To: All
Re: Mental Health PSA

ABLEnews PSA

                   Can We Afford Not to Help?

One out of seven people who suffer from depression may commit suicide.
Can we afford not to help?

Depression, alcoholism, and drug dependency cost American businesses
billions of dollars a year. And the human cost of inadequate or
nonexistent mental health care is even higher. This is why
appropriate, cost-effective mental health care coverage must be part
of any health care reform. As a leading provider of mental health care
in the United States, Charter Medical is ready to play an active role
in helping to find solutions. Now is the time to recognize that mental
health care is a vitally important issue that needs to be addressed.
Millions for the body. Pennies for the mind? Something's wrong here.

With a tip of our ABLEnews hat to Charter Medical Corporation.

Editor's Note: According to a study by researchers at the Institute
               for Behavior and Health, anxiety disorders alone cost
               the United States $46.6 billion in 1990.

[This Public Service Announcement is provided by ABLEnews for your
information and does not constitute an endorsement of any service,
product, or corporation.]

[posted on ABLEnews...Public Service Always. (1:262/4)


(31)    Fri 2 Jul 93  5:12p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: UNITED NATIONS AGENDA - VI

            UNITED NATIONS SETS WORLD AGENDA ON DISABILITIES
                 SIXTH AND FINAL PART OF MONTHLY SERIES

In an August 1992 publication, World Program of Action Concerning
Persons with Disabilities, the United Nations General Assembly
outlined some of the following recommendations relating to the
creation of equal opportunities for the estimated half billion persons
with disabilities throughout the world:

                               Recreation

Member States should ensure that persons with disabilities have the
same opportunities for recreational activities as other citizens.
This involves possible use of restaurants, cinemas, theaters,
libraries, as well as holiday resorts, sports arenas, hotels, beaches,
and other places for recreation.  Services must be offered to all and
not discriminate against persons with disabilities.  This involves,
for instance, incorporating information on accessibility into their
regular information to the public.

                                Culture

Ensure that persons with disabilities have the opportunity to utilize
their creative, artistic and intellectual potential to the fullest,
not only for their own benefit but also for the enrichment of the
community. This includes access to cultural activities and making
special arrangements to meet the needs of individuals with mental or
sensory impairments, such as communication aids for people who are
deaf, literature in Braille and/or cassettes for people with visual
impairments, and reading material adapted to the individual's mental
capacity. During the past few months, the United Nations has been
drafting a long-term plan, "Towards a Society for All--From Awareness
to Action," to assist governments in making action plans extending to
2003- -encompassing priorities to equalize opportunities and support
independent living.

For more information, contact: Disability-Related Programs, Department
of Public Information, Room S-1040, United Nations, New York, New York
10017. 212/963-0353.

This article is from FUTURITY Newsletter and may be reprinted with
attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For more
information or to submit material for publication, please contact:

                              Roger Strand
        Governor's Planning Council on Develomental Disabilities
                 Minnesota Department of Administration
                        300 Centennial Building
                            658 Cedar Street
                          St. Paul, MN  55155
                              612/296-9963

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943 (1:282/1007)]

(37)    Sat 3 Jul 93  4:54p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: ARC GETS U STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

                U STUDENTS VOLUNTEER FOR ARC, GET CREDIT

Thirty-two students from the University of Minnesota in the Community
Leisure Services for Persons with Disabilities class, fulfilled a
portion of their class requirement with Arc of Hennepin County.
Students volunteered for Leisure Connections, an Arc program which
matches volunteers with a participant with developmental disabilities.

The students volunteered in a limited time frame spending 2-4 hours
per week with their new leisure connection friend.  Together, the
volunteer and participant enjoyed activities such as going to movies,
going out to eat, bowling, shopping, walking around the lakes, writing
poetry, visiting parks, baseball and basketball games, visiting nature
centers, picnics and baking cookies.  One leisure connection pair even
tried rock climbing!

The students in the class came from a variety of backgrounds including
therapeutic recreation, community recreation and special education.
The class focused on the service of leisure and recreation for people
with disabilities in the community.  This experience will help prepare
the students for their careers, including the integration of people
with developmental disabilities into their programs.

Seven additional graduate level students in the class are taking part
in Arc of Hennepin County's Community Advocate program. These students
are paving the way for individuals moving from Fairbault Regional
Treatment Center to Hennepin County by completing several
environmental leisure assessments. Two successes of the Community
Advocate project include; a park in Plymouth adapting trails for
people who use wheelchairs and the training of group home staff in the
access and availability of local recreational resources.

This article is from Access Press Newspaper and may be reprinted with
attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For more
information or to submit material for publication, please contact:

                              ACCESS PRESS
                      3338 University Avenue S.E.
                     Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414.
                          612/379-0989 (voice)
                          612/379-2730 (FAX)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943 (1:282/1007)]

(39)    Sat 3 Jul 93  5:03p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: HOCKENBERRY GETS COURAGE AWARD

                            JOHN HOCKENBERRY
                          GIVEN COURAGE AWARD

The 1993 National Courage Award winner is John Hockenberry, ABC News
correspondent who for over a deecade was the voice of National Public
Radio (NPR).

Courage Center will presented the Courage Award on Friday, May 7th, in
public ceremonies at the rehabilitation center's headquarters Golden
Valley, MN.  As the winner of the Courage Award, Hockenberry joins a
prestigious group of former recipients who exemplify leadership on
behalf of people with disabilities and who are symbols of courage.
This annual award was previously presented to Los Angeles television
news anchor Bree Walker, Gallaudet president I. King Jordan and
physicist Stephen Hawking.

Hockenberry, a paraplegic, has achieved significant career
accomplishments in broadcast journalism.  His advocacy role as related
to disability is one of helping society recognize the value of people
with disabilities for "who we are and what we know." Hockenberry,  who
uses a wheelchair, has traveled all over the world as a news reporter
-- through Beirut, the mountains of Iraq and into the New York subway
system.  His reporting has focused on public affairs, the arts and
international issues.

For NPR, Hockenberry was a general assignment reporter, Middle East
correspondent and host of a number of programs including "Talk of the
Nation" and "Heat." During the Persian Gulf crisis, he was assigned to
the Middle East, where he filed reports from Israel, Tunisia, Morocco,
Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Iran.  He was also one of the first Western
broadcast journalists to file from the Kurdish refugee camps in
Northern Iraq and Southern Turkey.

Earlier, Hockenberry spent two years as an NPR correspondent in
Jerusalem during the most intensive conflict of the Palestinian
uprising.  He helped create, host and produce NPR's "Heat," a daily
two hour arts, music and Public affairs program.  His first assignment
for NPR was as a reporter for "All Things Considered.

In August 1992, he joined ABC News as a correspondent for "Day One,"
the prime-time news magazine show that premiered in March.
Hockenberry is the winner of many broadcasting awards including two
Peabody Awards for outstanding journalism.

The National Courage Award, made possible through the generosity of
Rose and the late Jay Phillips, is presented by Courage Center, a
regional nonprofit organization providing rehabilitation and
independent living services for people with physical disabil-ities and
sensory impairments.

This article is from Access Press Newspaper and may be reprinted with
attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For more
information or to submit material for publication, please contact:

                              ACCESS PRESS
                      3338 University Avenue S.E.
                     Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414.
                          612/379-0989 (voice)
                          612/379-2730 (FAX)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943 (1:282/1007)]

(40)    Sat 3 Jul 93  5:30p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: MEDICAL REHABILITATION

           MEDICAL REHABILITATION: A REVOLUTIONARY EVOLUTION

While the rehabilitation industry is young, it has grown tremendously
in the last 20 years, as medical professionals increasingly include
medical rehabilitation as part of the continuum of care.  Although
patients are saved and stabilized in the acute care hospital, the
treatment they receive through rehabilitation allows them to achieve
the highest functional level possible.

Early efforts, mainly in veterans administration and military
hospitals, focused on rehabilitating veterans retuning first from the
Korean War and then from Vietnam.  In the 1950s, rehabilitation units
began to appear in acute care hospitals.  By the '70s, rehabilitation
professionals entered the private sector; their focus was on the
chronically ill, persons with disabilities and accident victims saved
by emergency rescue efforts.  By the early '80s, many acute care
hospitals offered rehabilitative services, and private rehabilitation
facilities owned the growing network of specialty hospitals.

The demand for quality of life also has motivated the growth of
rehabilitation facilities as patients and their families seek new
treatment services and retraining to help them live with disabilities.

Due to advances in medical technology, the specialization of emergency
medicine and the increase in our elderly population, more patients
than ever before are candidates for rehabilitation treatment, making
it one of the fastest growing areas of medical specialization.

As more trauma victims, stroke patients and others are successfully
rehabilitated, the level of public awareness of the benefits of
rehabilitation is growing.  Today there is a high level of interest in
disability issues as evidenced in the mandates of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1992.  As a result, medical rehabilitation has
assumed a stronger role in the continuum of medical care and the
industry has evolved into a comprehensive network providing care for a
broad spectrum of patients.

To meet changing patient needs, the list of medical rehabilitation
programs is increasing.  Major areas for which treatment is available
include:

                Head injuries            Coma management
                Strokes                  Swallowing disorders
                Spinal cord injuries     Multiple sclerosis
                Orthopedic problems      Parldnson's disease
                Amputations              Arthritis
                Chronic pain management  Neurological disorders
                Burns

Many medical rehabilitation programs also are geared to help cancer
patients, AIDS victims, ventilator-dependent patients, Alzheimer's
patients, severe burn victims, patients with rare disorders such as
Guillain-Barre-syndrome and others with specific needs.

                   The Medical Rehabilitation Program

One of the key elements of the medical rehabilitation process is the
team approach.  Along with the physician, a team of health
professionals also helps determine specific needs.  This
inter-disciplinary team of professionals always includes a case
manager, physical therapist, and occupational therapist.  Other
experts often on the team are a speech- language pathologist,
registered rehabilitation nurse, therapeutic recreation specialist,
respiratory therapist, rehabilitation counselor, clinical
neuro-psychologist, certified prosthetic/orthotist, clinical
dietitian, behavioral medical specialist and social worker.  This team
approach is a key to comprehensive rehabilitative services.

Medical rehabilitation is by its nature labor intensive.  Programs
revolve around daily schedules of therapy and treatment, with a
programmed mixture of rest periods.  Most therapy sessions occur on an
individual basis with a licensed therapist working with the patient on
physical, occupational, speech or other skills.  Along with these one-
on-one sessions, patients also may receive co-treatment sessions and
group therapy.  In co-treatment, two therapists work with a patient on
a single problem that calls for skills in both areas sometimes
accomplishing what individuals alone cannot, such as offering support
from others who have similar problems, creating empathy and sympathy,
and facilitating awareness of problems peers are having.

                  Cost Effectiveness of Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation improves lives and saves dollars.  Generally, most
insurance companies now cover inpatient and outpatient costs of
rehabilitation because it saves money in the long run.  Savings are
estimated to be between $7 and $10 for every one dollar spent in
rehabilitation centers; one study showed that as much as $30 could be
saved for every dollar spent in rehabilitation.  As acceptance of
rehabilitation treatment has increased, better and earlier
identification of candidates has been a strong factor in the growth in
the number of rehabilitation beds.  More than 80 percent of
rehabilitation patients go home, according to a study conducted by the
National Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (NARF)...

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943 (1:282/1007)]

(44)    Sat 3 Jul 93  5:41p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: SQUEAKY WHEEL

                         BECOME A SQUEAKY WHEEL
                          by Deborah Peterson

On Saturday, May 22nd, members of Voices for Disability Rights joined
together to celebrate the success and the learning experiences of our
first year.  After sharing memories of "the year in review" and
holding elections for open Board positions, we were treated to an
informal discussion session with Paul Ogren regarding the philosophy
of government and how to make it work FOR us.

Now it is time to start identifying and prioritizing our issues for
the next session and to establish an agenda that will assist us in
reaching our goals.  Working to get the "Motor Voter" bill passed was
just the tip of the iceberg.  With the sweet taste of victory on our
palates we will forge ahead to new conquests, ever mindful to exercise
the rights that we have already fought for and won.  Don't forfeit
your political power to apathy and indifference, your voice CAN make a
difference, but only if you choose to use it.  The old adage "silence
speaks louder than words"has its time and place, but it is definitely
not applicable to the political arena where "the squeaky wheel gets
the grease" is more appropriate.  Let YOUR squeak be heard at the
State Capitol next spring, along with those of other members of Voices
for Disability Rights.  In other words: lets all squeak together and
create a cacophony of noise that can't be ignored by the legislature
OR the governor!

This article is from Access Press Newspaper and may be reprinted with
attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For more
information or to submit material for publication, please contact:

                              ACCESS PRESS
                      3338 University Avenue S.E.
                     Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414.
                          612/379-0989 (voice)
                          612/379-2730 (FAX)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943 (1:282/1007)]

(123)   Thu 15 Jul 93  2:47p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: COURT UPHOLDS INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS

                U.S. Court Upholds Inclusive Classrooms

On May 28, 1993, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third
Circuit upheld the right of children with disabilities to be included
in regular classes with non-disabled children.  In the case of Rafael
Oberti v. Board of Education of Clementon, New Jersey, the Appeals
Court affirmed a federal district court ruling that eight year old
Rafael Oberti, a child with Down Syndrome, be provided an inclusive
education in regular class in his home school.

U.S. Circuit Court Judge Edward R. Becker, wrote, "We construe the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), P.L. 101-476,
mainstream requirement to prohibit a school from placing a child with
disabilities outside of a regular classroom if educating the child in
the regular classroom, with supplementary aids and support services,
can be achieved satisfactorily.  In addition, if placement outside of
a regular classroom is necessary for the child to receive educational
benefit, the school may still be violating IDEA if it has not made
sufficient efforts to include the child in school programs with non-
disabled children whenever possible."

The Court of Appeals made it clear that the presumption in favor of
inclusion in regular classes means that the burden of proving
compliance with IDEA's mainstreaming requirement is on the school
district, not the parents.  As Judge Becker wrote:  "The Act's strong
presumption in favor of mainstreaming . . . would be turned on its
head if parents had to prove that their child was worthy of being
included, rather than the school district having to justify a decision
to exclude the child from the regular classroom."  In all cases, the
Court ruled, children with disabilities must be included in school
programs with non-disabled children whenever possible.

Copies of the full opinion are available for $5.00 to cover the cost
of copying. Contact:  Rosemary Lavin, Public Interest Law Center of
Philadelphia, 125 South 9th Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
215/627-7100.

This article is from FUTURITY Newsletter and may be reprinted with
attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For more
information or to submit material for publication, please contact:

                              Roger Strand
        Governor's Planning Council on Develomental Disabilities
                 Minnesota Department of Administration
                        300 Centennial Building
                            658 Cedar Street
                          St. Paul, MN  55155
                              612/296-9963

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943 (1:282/1007)]

(180)   Wed 21 Jul 93 10:17p
By: Arlette Lefebvre
To: All
Re: Which sunscreen ???

   SOME SUNSCREEN INGREDIENTS LINKED TO SKIN CANCER IN STUDY:

The Toronto STAR, Tuesday, July 20th, p. A2. From: Canadian Press.

A report by a team of British researchers has added to concerns that
some ingredients found in sunscreens may be linked to cancer.

One of the ingredients, known as Padimate-O or Octyl Dimethyl PABA,
was a popular ingredient in Canadian sunscreens until a few years ago.
Its use has declined- mainly because it causes allergic reactions in
people- but some manyfacturers continue to include it in their
products.

The other substance, PARSOL 1789, is one of the most common NEW
ingredients in sunscreens. The team didn't test Parsol directly, but
tested the compound from which it is derived and say the compound has
the potential to damage the skin.

"Our results suggest that SOME sunscreens could, while preventing
sunburn, contribute to sunlight-related cancers," the researchers say
in an article published in June in the Journal of the Federation of
European Biochemical Societies.

The research shows that Padimate-O can be absorbed into the skin, said
John Knowland, one of the biochemists who worked on the study.  When
triggered by sunlight, the substance can cause damage at the cellular
level.

Although the research does not prove a DIRECT LINK between Cancer and
Padimate-O, it does suggest that this substance creates cell mutations
and attacks DNA molecules.

"It obviously makes you wonder whether you want to be using a compound
like that on your skin., " Knowland said in a telephone interview
yesterday from his Oxford office. "I personally will go for things
that are PABA-free this summer."

[posted on ADAnet: Ability OnLine - Toronto Canada - 416/650-5411]

(186)   Mon 26 Jul 93 12:17a
By: Earl Appleby
To: All
Re: Helen's Vision

ABLEnews PSA

                  Helen Keller's Vision at Work

A young adult like Bradley Cupit, who is deaf-blind, brings more
than just good work to the business that hires him. His presence
promotes better understanding, cooperation, and good will among
all employees.

Corporations such as Avis have discovered this while working with
the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults.

Find out how even a small company can help contribute to a world
of better understanding. Call our placement specialists at 1-800-
255-0411.

Now we can all Share Helen Keller's Vision.

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults
111 Middle Neck Road
Sands Point, NY 11050

[This Public Service Announcement provided by ABLEnews for your
information does not constitute an endorsement of any service,
product, or corporation.]

...For further information, contact CURE, 812 Stephen Street,
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia 25411 (304-258-LIFE/258-5433).

[posted on ABLEnews...Public Service Always. (1:262/4)]

(187)   Tue 27 Jul 93 10:51p
By: Earl Appleby
To: All
Re: Kudos for Carlos!

ABLEnews

As your computer's window on the world, ABLEnews works to provide you
with news from a variety of sources on a broad array of topics and
issues of concern to persons with disabilities and others. Here are
some messages we thought you might find of interest:

                        Kudos for Carlos!

[with thanks to Bill Burgess on Abled]

Today, at just after 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Carlos Costa set two
records when he reached the Toronto shoreline after swimming nearly 30
miles in 35 hours.  He is now the youngest male swimmer to complete
the crossing, and also the first disabled person to ever finish.
Carlos had both legs amputated just below the knee, and must have very
powerful arms and shoulders.  Press reports say that he still had lots
of energy when pulled from the water, which is more than many abled
swimmers have had in the past.  So please join with me in
congratulating him, as he truly deserves it.  Linda Cummings will get
press reports mailed to her by me, and if anybody can call Linda to
tell her, please do so.  Carlos began his swim from Niagara on the
Lake, Ontario which is 30 miles north of Buffalo, New York for those
interested in geography.  TTYL Bill

P.S. - Stu, please bridge to the Amputee echo and any other
applicable.

Correction: I made two errors in posting about Carlos, namely the time
which was 32.5 hours and not 35 as earlier mentioned, and the distance
which was 32 miles, not under 30.  Carlos swam almost double the time
anticipated in order to reach his goal due to swells and currents
taking him off course, but he stuck with it where others before him
have quit, who had full mobility unlike Carlos.  Excellent press
coverage has been given to this in todays papers as well as on
television.  The Toronto Sun has a full front page color photo plus
many articles and photos within, and the Toronto Star has a quarter
front page color photo plus articles and photos within.

Well done, Carlos.  TTYL
Bill

[and thanks as well to Patricia Bregman also in Abled]

        CARLOS DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        CARLOS COSTA BECAME THE YOUNGEST MAN AND THE FIRST PERSON WITH
A DISABILITY TO SWIM ACROSS LAKE ONTARIO TODAY!!

        For those who have been following this, Carlos, who moderates
the Role models Conference on Ability OnLine in Toronto, has
been planning to swim Lake Ontario for more than a year. Last
year he started to swim, but had to stop because of lightening
and dangerously cold water.

        Yesterday, he stepped into the water at 7:00am at Niagara on
the Lake and arrived today at 4:00 in the afternoon in Toronto,
a swim of more than 52 kilometres (more than 32 miles).  (With
the high waves and currents he had to face, the swim was
probably even even longer than that)

        Carlos had both legs amputated below the knee when he was a
child so his achievement is even more remarkable given the
extra pressure placed on his arms and shoulders over that long a time!

        The scene at Queen's Quay at 4:30 this afternoon was
electrifying - almost 35 hours after he started swimming from
Niagara on the Lake, Carlos arrived at Queen's Quay to cheers
from Ability OnLine supporters (even a special cheer written
and performed by Wendy, Meredith, Andrew and Derek Hepburn with
some added props from Dr. Froggie)!

        There were lots of media, supporters and even tourists who knew
that something special was happening and got caught up in the
excitement.  Carlos handled it all like a pro - answering
questions coming at him from all directions with lots of TV
cameras and microphones thrust in his face.

        Since Carlos was originally expected early in the morning people
started arriving at 8:30am (with Max showing up at 11:00 the
night before!).  Gary Sandler, Harvy Glasner and Brian Hillis
came along as well as the Hepburn family.  We spent the day
painting pictures, eating and talking to friends of Carlos from
Variety Village who also showed up.

        Since Dr. Froggie and I (along with some others I think) ended
up staying up all last night to make sure we didn't miss his
arrival, I hope this message makes some sense - well...off to
rest, but I did want everyone to know what a wonderful feeling
it was to see Carlos walk on to dry land after all that time in
the water having achieved his goal!!

               Patti

ABLEnews' Editor's Note:  Congratulations, Carlos!!!  And, I say, good
show Docteur!!!

...For further information, contact CURE, 812 Stephen Street, Berkeley
Springs, West Virginia 25411 (304-258-LIFE/258-5433).

[posted on ABLEnews...beyond the headlines. (1:262/4)]

(197)   Sun 25 Jul 93  9:36a
By: Susan Harold
To: All
Re: ADA

      Taken from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Sunday, July 25, 1993

Three years ago Monday, the Americans With Disabilties Act was signed
into law.  In Knoxville, we are slowly, but surely, ACTING ON THE ACT.

by Linda Lange, News-Sentinel staff writer

How easy is it to get around Knoxville if you are a person with a
disability?

Not very easy, unless you have a companion to open heavy doors or
heave wheelchairs over curbs.  A companion to see, hear or speak for
you.

This runs against the grain of many in the community of the disabled.
They want to live their lives independently; they don't want to stay
home simply because a curb has not been cut or a printed menu is of
little use to them.

The Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law July 26, 1990,
and with it accessibility was guaranteed to all, whether they were
individuals with or without disabilites.

While the act encompasses many important issues, such as employment
discrimination against people with disabilities, one of its main
purposes was to remove architectural barriers.  Hence the emergence of
the blue wheelchair sign which signifies accessibility and
accommodations for people with disabilities.

The wheelchair symbol has become part of our environment.  We see it at
fast food restaurants, shopping malls, airports, post offices,
libraries, and grocery stores.  After all, these are places people go
throughout their day.

It has opened a world of opportunity to the largest minority in America,
the 43 million persons with disabilities, and to their families.  A
restaurant that affirmatively accommodates people with disabilities
opens itself up to the 15 percent of the population with disabilities as
well as the accompanying family or friends while a non-complying
restaurant shuts the door on a tremendous amount of business.

Churches, among the few entities exempt from the ADA, are forerunners in
accommodating persons with disabilties.  Even congregations of small to
medium size go to great lengths to install wheelchair lifts and make
other architectural changes in order to serve the community.

Rocky Hill Baptist Church, a congregation of 75 families, added an
elevator, modified restrooms, altered the parking lot and constructed
ramps so that present and future members could participate fully in
church activities.  "The church family chipped in and paid for it,"
notes the Rev. Phillip Young.

This is not unusual, notes Sharon Hazard, a woman who faces the
challenges of wheelchair mobility day to day.  She believes that
"church members reach not only into their pockets, but they reach into
their hearts."  Hazard is a state ADA coordinator for the Coalition for
Tennesseans with Disabilities and also a project coordinator for the
East Tennessee Special Technology Access Center.

Losing her independence was her greatest fear, says Linda Miller, a
Knoxvillian disabled by multiple sclerosis.  She goes shopping at East
Towne Mall in her three-wheeled scooter and says, "Being able to get out
makes it all worthwhile.  We take mobility for granted.  It is wonderful
to be with people.  It is mental therapy."

Able-bodied people take many things for granted.  People may climb a
step or two and not realize what a hardship steps can be to people like
Miller.  "I don't do steps.  Period.  I don't have the strength to do
it."

William F. Winzurk, an advocate for persons with hearing impairments
says, "Accessibility is still not what it should be.  You and I could go
to a hundred pay phones before we would find one that had a TDD (Tele-
communications Device for the Deaf) attached to it.  Maybe 500."

Kim Bryant, an occupational therapist at St. Mary's Medical Center who
takes patients in rehabilitation out into the community, sasy "The big
issue is can you go to the bathroom?"  Members of the community of the
disabled are quick to refer to the pain, degradation and frustration
associated with the search for accessible restrooms in public places.

Even though contractors and builders have to follow architectural
specifications drawn from the North Carolina building code and adopted
locally, the best measure of accessibility is to ask the question, "Does
it work for a disabled person?"  Often the best intentions are foiled
because common sense did not dictate.  Examples abound:

   A suburban business has designated parking and a ramp, yet the
   entrance doors must both be opened simultaneously to allow a person
   in a wheelchair to enter.  This is very difficult to do, especially
   if upper body strength is weak.

   A bank on Kingston Pike has its handicapped ramp located in the main
   entrance driveway, thus a person in a wheelchair would endanger
   himself because of incoming traffic.

   A business may put in parking, ramps and wide doorways, but then
   inadvertently put planters, garbage cans, or signage in the pathway.
   Or perhaps the ramp and sidewalk have more than a half-inch lip,
   requiring a "wheelie" to propel the wheelchair onto the sidewalk.
   "You can't get there from here," a familiar East Tennessee adage
   comes to mind.

   Persons with disabilties are often barred from polling locations
   because they simply cannot get to the voting machines.  Perhaps a
   back entrance is accessible, but signs are not in place to guide one
   to voting booths, says Beryl Evans, a registered nurse and two-term
   member of the Knoxville Advisory Council for the Handicapped (KACH).

On the positive side many changes have come about because people feel a
commitment to assist someone else.  Public Parks, such as Ijams Nature
Center, now have asphalted trails.  Some public schools have been fitted
with elevators and ramps.

The Knox County Public Library circulates its books and other materials
in many ways, whether it be through "talking books," large print
editions, videos or audio-visual equipment.  Many restaurants offer
designated parking, braille and picture menus for persons with visual,
speech or cognitive impairment, restrooms with stalls to fit the
dimensions of wheechairs.  A few self-service gasoline stations, such as
BP stations, now mark pumps with wheelchair emblems so customers may
honk the car horns and draw attendants outside to provide fill-up
service.

Grocery stores have motorized shopping carts with seats.  Department
stores outfit entrances with automatic doors activated by electronic
eyes.  Wider aisles at checkout, easily accessed telephones and water
fountains, larger fiting rooms, braille elevator signage and lower
counters are becoming more commonplace.

J.C. Penney stores offer through their catalog clothing designed to
serve people with disabilties.  Velvro fasteners are used instead of
buttons, and the styling allows for easy dressing.

Sears East Towne hair styling salon has easy access to shampoo sinks.
Proffitt's East Towne has a text telephone in the lounge area for use by
those with hearing disabilities.

Target Department Store hosts a special morning in December for senior
citizens and people with disabilities when store clerks volunteer their
time to treat guests - as customers are called -  to refreshments,
personal shopping assistance, gift wrapping and other courtesy services.
The store opens to the general public later in the day.  Wayne Burkett,
assistant store manager of Target near West Town, notes the proximity of
several retirement homes, and says elderly residents, some of whom are
persons with mobility difficulties, like the easy accessibility within
the store, as well as the many designated parking spaces near the
entrance.  "We take an interest in people and try to help them."

The sign of a good hotel is the double peephole.  Rooms fitted for
persons with disabilities will have a security peephole at regular
height, and one lower for a person seated in a wheelchair.

Hotels and motels have gone to great lengths to make these reserved
rooms comfortable and serviceable.  Handlebars in the toilet and shower
areas are main safety features, along with shower seats, visual fire
alarms (flashing lights), text telephones, vibrating alarm clock (for
under the pillow), television decoders, light flickers (to announce
telephone calls), and door strobes (to tell of visitors).

Inventories of assistive gadgets are kept on hand.  Doorways are wider,
and the rooms themselves are larger so wheelchairs can be manuvered more
easily.  Elevators have braille coding, and sometimes numbers on guest
rooms are also in braille.  Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Knoxville have
braille information packets telling guests with visual disabilites all
the information that a typical guest would need to know.

Notes Greg Hurst, executive assistant manager of Hyatt Regency
Knoxville, "Each department has gone through extensive training on how
to meet specific guest requests."  This sensitivity training helps
personnel to anticipate guests' needs, and to conduct themselves with
professionalism.  Asking, "How may I help?" ensures many more successes
than failures.

Several years ago members of the Knoxville Advisory Council for the
Handicapped (KACH) published an "Access to Knoxville" guidebook to
survey localities in the area.  WHen its update is published, it will
show the many improvements.  KACH was created by a resolution of the
Knoxville City COuncil in 1984 and is composed of 21 members, half of
which are persons with disabilities, the remainder are persons who are
linked with disability issues through their professions or other
endeavors.

"I think changes are coming about.  The big impetus is the Americans
With Disabilities Act.  It has made people more aware.  The change is a
slow and long process, but I think there ahve been many improvements,"
says Bob Sexton, executive director of The Cerebral Palsy Center for
Handicapped Adults.  The center plans many field trips in the area to
provide learning and recreational experiences for its patrons.

"We are determined to get our folks out so we pick up and move and
finagle," says day services director Sherry Moore, expressing her
determination to manuver in Knoxville.

Notes Andy Smith, a physical therapist who treats many persons with work
realated injuries, "It takes everybody working together.  You have to
show common courtesy and use common sense."

Next:  ADA: An Act of Empowerment.

[posted on TN Deafness Info.Net. [phone] (1:3615/27)]

(207)   Mon 26 Jul 93  1:56a
By: Sheila Fava
To: Paul Meyer
Re: 'pet peeves' reply

Here are two replies received from RIMEnet -- PostLink(tm):

Date: 07-18-93 (11:53)
  To: SHEILA FAVA
  From: JEAN DANNELLEY
  Subj: RE-POST:  PEEVES...
  Conf: DISABLED _RI

SF> InRe:  Pet Peeves

People who will talk to =me= rather than my friend, an  adult  who is
blind, when we are out together.  Waitresses ask =me= what she wants
to eat!  These same people, were I with a (sighted) six year old,
would address that 6 year old directly!  What offends me even more
are people who get "huffy" when I reply, "I don't know, ask her."

Take care,
Jean

Originally posted on:
The Main ShopD, West Coast SuperRegional Hub [phone]

07-24-93 (21:04)
  To: SHEILA FAVA
  From: JIM BREENE
  Subj: RE-POST:  PEEVES...
  Conf: DISABLED

Sheila, I have traveled with a number of people who are disabled,
primarily people who are blind.  The most irritating thing we
experienced is people, adults more than children, who want to pet a
guide-dog that is under harness. We were at the Vietnam Memorial in
Washington several years ago and we finally had to put someone on each
side of the dog to keep people from petting the dog.

I have even seen harnesses with a sign that says, "Do not pet the dog"
and people ignore the sign and pet the dog anyway.

Jim Breene, Atlanta
SysOp, Atlanta IBM BBS [phone]

---Sheila

[posted on HelpNet For the Impaired - (216)-356-1872  (1:157/2)]

(210)   Sun 25 Jul 93  6:49p
By: Travis Beard
To: All
Re: Involuntary commitments

A new law just went into effect here in Washington state. The
commitment law now in effect for the mentally il is expanded to
chemically dependent adults who are a danger to themsleves or others.

This seems like a traversty to me

Comments?

Should this law be challenged? It appears to m they are trying to
equate chemical dependence to mental illness.

[posted on Information Laboratories 206-525-7863 Seattle, WA.
(1:343/96.0)]

(212)   Mon 26 Jul 93  9:00a
By: Susan Harold
To: All
Re: More ADA

From the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Sunday, July 25, 1993

                      ADA: An Act of Empowerment
                           by Linda Lange

Consider the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) a law of
opportunity rather than a law of compliance.

Knoxville's community of disabled persons is experiencing the
empowerment the ADA brings.

The law mandates that persons with disabilities cannot be
discriminated against in the employment sector, nor can they be denied
access because of a disability to public accommodations,
transportation, state and local government services and
telecommunications.  Most deadlines for compliance have passed.  A
deadline of July 26, 1994, affects all employers with 15 or more
employees.

The legislation seeks to channel the 43 million Americans with
disabilities into the mainstream of American life.  This has been a
long-time goal of millions of people who are capable and qualified,
yet thwarted by architectural or attitudinal barriers.

"It is sometimes said that it's the 'Anybody's Disability Act' because
you or I, tomorrow, God forbid, may have something that makes us
temporarily or permanently disabled," says Dr Craig Colvin, University
of Tennessee associate professor in rehabilitation.  "It is a win-win
situation."

Robert C. Dreyer of Martin Marietta Energy Systems speaks from the
view- point of American business.  "We are convinced that for American
industry to survive and compete nationally and internationally, we
must utilize all resources and build a diversified work force that
includes those with disabilities."

He says, "We cannot afford to waste the talents of persons with
disabilities.  For the most part, people want to develop to the
fullest."  Dreyer represents Martin Marietta on both the U.S.
President's Committee and the Tennessee Committee on the Employment of
People with Disabilities.

"I see areas of excellence throughout East Tennessee.  I see a greater
sensitivity within the community regarding accessibility and
smoother transition from the business standpoint.  It is a necessary
thing to do for survival in the business world.

"I don't think we are up to speed yet.  If you are selling goods or a
service, people have to be able to have access to your place of
business."

Dr. S. Wayne Mulkey says the ADA addresses "a very complex problem
with no simple answers."  He focuses on society's attitudinal
barriers, saying, "Many people through this country don't understand
that people with disabilities can be productive, and they don't
udnerstand why these people even want to work."  He is director of the
Region IV Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program and is
research associate professor in the UT College of Education.

"Almost without exception, everyone is aware of what the needs are,
and with the spirit of the law, it (change) is coming about.
Complaints are much less than originally projected out of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission.  The number of litigations is
almost negligible," says Colvin.

"A lot of the charges are not drastic.  Most are attitude changes.
Doorways literally as well as figuratively are being opened.  People
have access to things they so rightly deserve," Colvin says.

"It (ADA) is still not totally in place.  It's not going to happen
overnight.  And with the good attitude and the willingness to work
and talk, and take appropriate action, there is no doubt in my mind
that we are going to have very effective legislation," Colvin
observes.

Knox County ADA Coordinator Rick Wingate says the county has undergone
a self-evaluation process and has begun to make changes or schedule
future changes once budgeting is determined.  The Knox County ADA
Advisory Committee investigates on behalf of persons with
disabilities.

Cynthia Attaway Jones, advocate for the handicapped and elderly, City
of Knoxville, says response to the ADA has been very positive.  "The
best way to put it:  It is getting better every day."  Her office gets
many calls from architects and contractors who seek to fill
handicapped building codes.  The codes were adopted from North
Carolina, and are said to be among the best in the nation.  The office
also receives calls for housing, employment, and legal services, as
they relate to the pop- ulation of the disabled.

"We can advise and give information, but we cannot enforce," she says.
The enforcement of the ADA is left up to the Department of Justice,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or other governemtn agencies.
The person with the disability can file suit if he feels he is subject
to discrimination.

Dreyer notes, "The community of disabled now feels empowered and they
are going to insist upon places of business meeting the requirements
of ADA." He fears that challenge and litigation are going to destroy
much of the effort that people have done to push the ADA, and says it
will become a "feast for the legal community."

Dr. Greg Thomsen, administrator of the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation
Center, observes, "I have seen a greater sensitivity among city
leaders to respond to didsabled persons' issues.  I think Mayor
(Victor) Ashe's handicapped advisory council has done a good job in
responding to problems we have. Attitudinal awareness in the city has
increased, but we have a ways to go, I believe."

"I think we have to measure ourselves against the best cities in the
nation. We don't want to be middle of the road, but open to all
citizens.  The disabled are a very important part of this community,"
says Thomsen.

[posted on TN Deafness Info.Net. [phone] (1:3615/27)]

(219)   Tue 27 Jul 93 10:21a
By: Susan Harold
To: All
Re: ADA

Another article from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Sunday, July 25, 1993

Who's Parking in the Handicapped Spaces?
by Linda Lange, News-Sentinel staff writer

The complaint spoken with the most anger and spoken most often among
Knoxvillians with disabiities is the lack of sufficient designated
parking spaces and the failure to enforce their use.

"It does infuriate me to see a handicapped space occupied by a
non-handicapped person," says Anne Lambert.  She vents her frustration
by leaving cards on the windshield printed with the message "I had no
respect for the handicapped, so I parked in their space."

Dr. Greg Thomsen, administrator of the Patrica Neal Rehabilitation
Center, says, "Knoxville has terrible problems with parking.  There is
not really good enforcement of disability parking in Knoxville.  Other
cities are vrey cautious and very protective of the handicapped
parking."

"Most of the calls I get are about handicapped parking complaints," says
Cynthia Attaway, advocate for the handicapped and elderly in the Depart-
ment of Resource Development for the City of Knoxville.  "Non-enforce-
ment continues to be a big problem."  SHe continually petitions the city
engineering department to increase the number of designated spaces and
goes by specifications dictated by law.  Spaces should be at least 14
feet, 5 inches wide for cars, and 16 feet wide for vans with lifts.
Signage must be prominently displayed.

The fine for parking in a space for disabled persons without proper
identification is $50 at present, but will go up to $100 in the near
future, says Mary Maples, city clerk assistant in the parking ticket
office, Knoxville Police Department.  Police officers ticket cars on
public streets and in private parking lots.

Though many spaces have been added in recent years, handicapped
designated parkling is sparse downtown particularly at the south end.
Criticism is also directed at private parking lots.  Surprisingly, many
do not have any labeled handicapped parking, ramps or curb cuts, a
violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.  Designated
spaces often are too far from entrance ways, complain those on crutches
and those with disabilities that sap physical strength.

Debbie Millikan, president of the Knoxville Arthritis Club, notes that
places may be marked off but, "so many other people park in them anyway.
It you say anything, they get terribly upset.  Maybe they think 'Nobody
is going to come right at this moment.'"

She realizes that spaces sometimes need to be away from the entranceways
because of their size and because of their size and because "people
might feel they are in the way of persons going in and out of
facilities."

Much to the chagrin of persons with disabilities, unlawful motorists
park not only in their coveted spots, but also in the striped area
needed for lifts to lower wheelchairs from vans, and in front of ramps
leading to sidewalks.

"It really gets ya!" says Linda Miller, facilitator of a self-help group
for the East Tennessee Branch of the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society.  She hates it when someone without an obvious disability parks
in a handicapped space.  She says, "I know there are disabilities that
you can't see, but if they don't have a handicapped sticker or license
plate, one must contact the Knox County Clerk's Office for an
application to be filed out by a physician.  Cost for a placard to be
displayed in the windshield of a car is $20.50.  Cost of a permanent
license is $23, the same as a regular plate.  (For a plate, the name of
the person with a disability must be on the title of the car.)

"Some people prefer license plates because they think people don't
acknowledge placards as well," says Charlotte Hodge, deputy clerk.  A
placard is supplied with a permanent plate which enables persons with
disabilities to use it should they ride in another car.  People with
temporary disabilities can apply for a six-month placard for $10.

The handicapped emblem allows motorists to park at designated spaces
and to park for free at city-operated garages and metered sites.

[posted on TN Deafness Info.Net. [phone] (1:3615/27)]

(220)   Tue 27 Jul 93 12:18p
By: Susan Harold
To: All
Re: ADA and buses
From the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Sunday, July 25, 1993

                 Seven city buses now have lift systems
               by Linda Lange, News-Sentinel staff writer

"By being able to provide people with transportation, it helps them
become more self-sufficient and more productive members of society.

We all benefit from that," says Richard Matthews, transit planner for
K-Trans.  To people with disabilities, transportation has always been
a major problem.

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) cleared the hurdles
by dictating equal access to public transportation by January 26,
1997. "There is essentially no choice in doing it.  The law says the
city must provide paratransit comparable to the fixed route system,"
says Matthews, referring to the door-to-door pick-up and delivery
service used by many persons with disabilities.  Six vans are
outfitted to lift wheelchairs to the interior and then secure them.

Seven new buses with a lift system are now operating on regular routes
throughout the city.  They have places where wheelchairs can be
secured that revert back into regular seating when not in use.  The
front steps can be lowered at loading when necessary.

The buses are also outfitted with audible recordings that play when
the doors open and state the destination of the bus.  The fixed routes
operate Monday through Saturday, and with the implementation of the
ADA the paratransit system will operate on these days also.

Currently the paratransit vans run Monday through Friday and begin
5:30 a.m. appointments, often for persons seeking treatment at kidney
dialysis centers.  Appointments are scheduled according to a system of
priorities with medical reasons heading the list.  Employment, school,
and social services follow suit; social and recreational trips are low
priority.  In the next year or so this prioritization will be removed,
says Matthews.  "It would open up the system for trips for any
purpose."

The paratransit service is available to city residents with a
disability, certified by their physician.  This can include persons
with heart conditions, persons with weather sensitivity who cannot
stand in the heat or cold, or persons with any sort of mobility
problems.  Cost is $1.25 per ride.

More than 1,000 persons are enrolled in the paratransit service; an
average of 540 pickups a week are scheduled.

Funding levels are key factors because more buses will be required.
Matthews says already the city has come up with additional funds to
allow the lift service to operate later in the evening, thus providing
for more social or recreational trips.  K-Trans receives funding from
the federal, state and city government sources, and is owned by the
city.

The number of requests for paratransit pick-up increases every year
says Paulette Lay, lift director.  "It is easy to understand their
needs.  I can't wait until we will help them with more things."

Lee Willard, Muscular Dystrophy Association patient services
coordinator, emphasizes the need for more lift vans and longer service
hours, saying, "One has to call ahead and set up appointments.
Sometimes the availability is not always what is needed."

He says there are still many families and individuals who do not have
transportation.  "probably the biggest accessibility problem is
transportation."

[posted on TN Deafness Info.Net. [phone] (1:3615/27)]

(233)   Tue 27 Jul 93  3:13p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: SAFELY TRANSPORTING KIDS

               Keeping Sarah Safe; A Parent's Perspective
                  on Transporting Kids in Wheelchairs
                           by Mindy Williams

Safely transporting your family becomes extra challenging when one of
your passengers uses a wheelchair.  The vast array of lifts and ramps
are mind-boggling enough, but when various tie-downs and occupant
restraints are added, the issue becomes even more confusing.

I have always been the sort of mom who made sure that all four of my
children were in secure, crash-tested car seats, and then in seat
belts when the time was right.  But I didn't give much thought to
whether or not my youngest daughter would be safe, when at age two she
went from a car seat to a wheelchair.  The entire concept of a
wheelchair was overwhelming to our family.  We were not ready to put
Sarah, our tiny two-year-old with big brown eyes, into a large, ugly
wheelchair.  I should have been concerned about her safety, but I
didn't give it a thought.  Apparently, neither did the professionals
that we worked with, because no one mentioned how or how not to
transport her.  So, I simply took her and the box insert out of the
chair, put her in the car, fastened a lap belt around her and the
seat, and put the folded wheelchair in the trunk.  Looking back, I
realize that the velcro straps for positioning her in the chair would
however have held up in a crash.

A few years later, Sarah graduated to a travel chair.  This was a
nifty little chair that works like a car seat.  The chair part could
safely go into the front of my car while the back snapped off and went
to the rear of the car.  This chair did have a lap and chest restraint
that had been crash-tested so that it was safe when used
appropriately. The problem was that no one ever explained how it
should be used.  Nor did anyone bother to mention the fact that it was
only crash-tested with existing equipment.  It was no longer safe when
we added an I.V. pole that the manufacturer put on the back of the
chair.  When I think back on the many miles that we traveled with a
metal pole behind Sarah's head and 20 lbs. of metal in the hatchback
of my little Honda Civic, I am so thankful that we were never involved
in an accident.

When Sarah was seven years old, she weighed about forty-five pounds
and was more difficult to lift in and out of our car.  She had
outgrown her travel chair and was now in a Carrie Rover, which
consisted of a stroller base with a detachable seat.  The base folded
flat for storage in the back of our car and the seat was tethered down
by a special strap and our regular seat belts.  This was a
crash-tested system and she was definitely safe.

About this time I attended my first Special Needs Transportation
Conference in Ames.  The crash-test films I saw at the conference
convinced me of the importance of both wheelchair and occupant
restraints.  I saw the horrifying results when a wheelchair was tied
down but the occupant was not restrained.

With those thoughts fresh in my mind we began looking for tie-down and
restraint systems for our newly purchased mini-van.  I quickly became
frustrated.  The car dealer that we bought our van from suggested that
we contact the dealership where we bought the wheelchair.  The dealer
suggested that we contact Sarah's occupational and/or physical
therapists.  They didn't have any information, either, so we were on
our own.  After many long distance phone calls we finally decided upon
a system.  We purchased a four-point tie-down system and occupant
restraint vest for Sarah to wear.  In order to get the products that
we wanted, we ordered from three different companies.  A one-unit
system which safely restrained the wheelchair and occupant separately
was available, but cost three times more; our insurance would not
contribute a penny to the cost.

In the future, it would be extremely helpful to parents if
professional were better informed about what guidelines to use to
obtain safe transportation.

Parents need to take responsibility for their child's safe
transportation, but they need good information and assistance to do
this.  Our kids in wheelchairs have the right to be just as safe as
our kids who use seat belts.  We all deserve to have Sarah safe: if
her wheelchair is not properly tied down it is a deadly threat to
other passengers in our van if we are in an accident.  Take the time
and effort to properly secure your child and his or her wheelchair.

InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and
professionals by providing information on the availability of both new
and used adaptive devices.  No endorsement of products or services is
intended.   This article is from InfoTech Newsletter and may be
reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For
more information or to submit material for publication, please
contact:

                                INFOTECH
                 Iowa Program for Assistive Technology
                   Iowa University Affiliated Program
                       University Hospital School
                         The University of Iowa
                      Iowa City, Iowa  52242-1011
                       1-800-331-3027 (voice/TTY)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943
(1:282/1007.0)]

(235)   Tue 27 Jul 93  3:15p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: TECHNOLOGY HITS THE ROAD

                        Technology Hits the Road
                            by Dan Peterson

One of the most valued freedoms enjoyed by Americans isn't even in the
Bill of Rights!  It's the freedom to get in our own car and go where
we want to when we want to.

Until very recently, this freedom was not shared by people with severe
mobility disabilities.  A high level spinal cord injury with paralysis
affecting the arms and hands as well as the lower body, for example,
meant an end to independent driving.

Assistive technology is changing that!

Microprocessors, pneumatics, and electronics have been combined with
mechanical systems to reduce the level of strength and dexterity
required to operated a vehicle.  In other words, technology has raised
the degree of disability at which driving is still possible.  This is
not to say that any disability can be overcome by assistive
technology, only that the horizons keep expanding because we now have
a much larger menu of assistive technology from which to choose than
ever before. Hypothetical Charlie will illustrate this point.

Charlie recently suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle
accident, which left him with C5-6 quadriplegia; he is able to make
larger movements with his shoulders and to grip with his hands, but he
does not have fine control of his hands.  With his power chair and
highly modified van, he goes where and when he wants.  He has regained
his freedom, thanks to skillful application of assistive technology.
The rehab center's driver training specialist determined what
modifications were needed and a qualified company installed the
assistive devices and made the needed modifications.

Charlie steers the van and operates the brake and throttle with a
pistol grip or "joystick" control that is precisely positioned for
him. A panel board with round touch switches allow him to operate
everything from shifting and headlights to the air conditioner and
stereo. Microprocessors activate solenoids that in turn operate the
vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.  Because Charlie relies
on these controls for his safety, it helps his peace of mind to know
that the steering, braking, and accelerating functions have back-up
systems that would allow him to control the vehicle in case the
primary system should fail.

Arriving at his destination, Charlie touches one switch to release the
wheelchair lock-down and then another to open the side door and unfold
the lift.  Upon reaching the pavement, a touch of his remote control
stores the lift and closes and locks the doors.

Technology made his improved lifestyle possible, but without skilled
people to apply it the technology would have been of no value to
Charlie.  Perhaps most important, nothing could happen without
Charlie's desire, determination, and perseverance.

Highly modified vans such as Charlie's are expensive; mistakes in the
specifications or in the modification process can be even more costly.
It is therefore critically important that it be done right the first
time.  Charlie didn't rely on his instincts or on the well-intentioned
but uninformed suggestions of friends; instead, he sought the
professional services of the driver training department of a
well-known rehab center.  Needed assistive modifications were
determined and specified.

Next, Charlie took the specifications to a van conversion company that
was experienced in high-tech modifications.  The specifications from
the rehab center were converted to production orders and the work
began.  Charlie was asked to come in for fittings to make sure all
controls were accessible and comfortably workable.  When the
long-waited delivery day arrived everything was right.

For Charlie, it was Independence Day!

Dan Peterson is President of Handicapped Driving Systems, Inc., 12273
Nicollet Avenue, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337; phone [phone].

InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and
professionals by providing information on the availability of both new
and used adaptive devices.  No endorsement of products or services is
intended.   This article is from InfoTech Newsletter and may be
reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For
more information or to submit material for publication, please
contact:

                                INFOTECH
                 Iowa Program for Assistive Technology
                   Iowa University Affiliated Program
                       University Hospital School
                         The University of Iowa
                      Iowa City, Iowa  52242-1011
                       1-800-331-3027 (voice/TTY)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943
(1:282/1007.0)]

(237)   Tue 27 Jul 93  3:19p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: MOBILE STANDER

                      LANDROVER: A MOBILE STANDER
                    By Noni Horwitz - LPT, MA in PT

A wheelchair offers mobility and frees the hands for use when a child
is not propelling the chair, but the child is often at a lower height
than that of standing, non-disabled peers.  A stander, prone or
supine, provides the height of peers and the use of hands to write or
play, but no mobility.  Crutches and walkers offer mobility and
height, but because arms are needed to support stance, the child
cannot let go of the crutches to do anything else, be it hold a big
ball or swing a bat. A mobile stander can offer a child all three
desired features: mobility, free bilateral arm and hand use, and the
same as non-disabled peers.

Commercially-made mobile standers are available at rather extravagant
prices.  At the St. Maartenskliniek in the Netherlands in 90-91, I saw
an affordable alternative, a "stannen rolstoel," or standing
wheelchair. These devices were made at the center from recycled
wheelchairs, and were often used to maintain good standing posture,
provide weightbearing, and save the enormous energy expenditure of
moderate-distance walking.  Children often propelled themselves on
the stannen rolsoel between classes or buildings but would use their
more traditional walking aids once in a more confined area.  This
standing wheelchair supplemented but did not replace conventional
wheelchairs, which children continued to use for traveling longer
distances over varied terrain.  It also was no a substitute for
walkers, crutches, canes, etc.

Back home, I was reminded of the stannen rolstoel while watching Tim
McCue play Peewee baseball with his friends.  Though very functional
with his reverse Kaye walker, he sat in a borrowed wheelchair so he
could freely use his hands to bat or throw the ball.

With support from the Grant Wood Area Education Agency where I work,
and through much networking, I met Bob Gallagher and Mike Neville, two
talented men who, like many others, like to putter in their home
workshops.  With one simple picture of the Dutch mobile stander and
another of a commercially-made mobile stander, they accepted the
challenge to retrofit a used wheelchair (donated by University
Hospital School).  Other potential supplier of old wheelchairs include
hospitals, group homes, home health agencies, nursing homes, and
families with children with disabilities.

Gallagher and Neville contend that no specific blueprints are needed
to retrofit a wheelchair.  The requirements of the child and the
design of the particular chair itself will determine the necessary
adaptations. Obviously, the creativity and skill of the designers are
crucial factors.  Mike and Bob made safety a top priority.  The front
wheel rests off the ground and functions as an anti-tip device.
Bigger tires or wheels could perhaps be used to add height for proper
hand placement for taller children.  Brakes are of course, critical.
Ideally, an adjustable standing board could be made to accommodate
various children at a given school or program.

The standing board itself uses basic positioning principles:  Provide
adequate postural support using wings or pommels when necessary for
alignment and symmetry, but not so much support that it restricts
active movement and control.  The board must be high enough to keep
hips secure in extension but not so high as to preclude all upper
trunk mobility.

Tim has named the mobile stander Landrover.  He routinely uses it in
P.E. classes and at Sunday afternoon basketball.  He propels himself
around the gym court, stands and shoots the ball, or catches it with
two outstretched arms.  Recess is another good setting.  His grin
alone is worthy of a photographer's award.

I have observed several unexpected secondary gains for Tim, in
addition to the fun he experiences while moving and playing upright.
Initially, he had some difficulty steering Landrover straight because
he tends to lean more to one side than the other.  He was so
determined to succeed that he quickly mastered a symmetrical trunk
posture so he could travel straight ahead!  While standing with full
hip and knee extension, his hip flexors and hamstrings are receiving a
prolonged stretch.  As he holds a basketball high over his head to
prepare for a throw, there is much gluteal activity and extension.  On
Landrover, Tim moves without the forward flexion often associated with
crutch or walker ambulation.

The mobile stander is not a replacement for other gait, mobility, or
positioning devices, but it does offer particular children the chance
to stand and move and play in a way they never could before.  Recycle
old wheelchairs!  Call on the skills of community friends, mechanics,
people who like to putter, and senior citizens!  You can find an
inexpensive way to place the mobile stander in the therapeutic and
social world of specific children.

(Editor's note:  Interested in helping to modify equipment?  Contact
InfoTech at 800-331-3027 and place your name on our tinkerer's
database so we can help match your skills with those who need them.)

InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and
professionals by providing information on the availability of both new
and used adaptive devices.  No endorsement of products or services is
intended.   This article is from InfoTech Newsletter and may be
reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For
more information or to submit material for publication, please
contact:

                                INFOTECH
                 Iowa Program for Assistive Technology
                   Iowa University Affiliated Program
                       University Hospital School
                         The University of Iowa
                      Iowa City, Iowa  52242-1011
                       1-800-331-3027 (voice/TTY)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943
(1:282/1007.0)]

(250)   Wed 28 Jul 93  6:42a
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: ARTICLE ON ASSISTIVE
                            Fun Phone Facts

                              Fred Tchang
                        Rehabilitation Engineer
                       University Hospital School

"NO! I can't believe it! And then what did she do???"

"Hi, I'll have a large pepperoni with diet cola...,"

Do you know anyone who doesn't own a phone?

I'm going to talk about phone adaptations for people with speech
impairments or other physical limitations. For help with questions not
addressed here: the folks at InfoTech have extensive product
information, as well as the addresses and phone numbers of
manufacturers noted here; the staff at the Assistive Listening and
Alerting Center at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics can
provide clinical advice or product demonstrations (319-336-2222). If
you want to talk to a consumer group, contact Self Help for the Hard
of Hearing (SHHH, P.O. Box 2284, Iowa City, IA 52244).

There are lots of alternatives to the old AT&T standards. The best way
to find out what's out there that might fit your needs is to: (1)
decide which part of using a phone is giving you trouble; and (2)
explain your needs to others who have similar needs, or to service
providers like Infotech.

So, how do you use this thing?

Break down the process of using a phone into components: getting to
the phone, accessing the handset, dialing numbers, communicating.
Which part of that process is the problem?

Getting to the phone

Do people hang up before you get to the phone? One solution is to
install a speaker phone with a remote button so that--in the same
room, at least--you can answer the phone at a distance and ask the
caller to hold (Elcombe Systems). Another solution is to use an
answering machine to take the call immediately with a message asking
the caller to wait. Of course, you can also place several phones
around the house (Radio Shack has converters which permit you to plug
multiple phone jacks into a single outlet).

Accessing the handset

If picking up and holding the handset is a problem, a flexible
mounting arm can hold it in a pre-selected position; a small lever
allows you to activate the phone's on-off button (Therafin, Extensions
for Independence). Other options include a speakerphone (there are
many kinds and qualities around) or a headset (Hello Direct), assuming
you can get it on and off.

Dialing numbers

Many options are available, though most involve getting a special
phone or another piece of equipment.

Simple Stuff: these include big button phones, add-on pieces to make
regular phones into big-button phones (Enrichments), or phones which
store numbers (so you only have to hit a couple buttons to dial each
number). Some augmentative communication devices have the telephone
tones stored in their memory (like the Liberator from Prentke Romich,
and the RealVoice from ACS), so you can use them to "dial" numbers
over a speaker phone.  More Complex ($200 - $500): There are a few
speakerphones that will contact an operator to place your call with
the activation of a single switch (AT&T, Tash).

There's also a single switch phone with a scanning visual display
(DQP); activate a switch to start scanning a list of stored names and
numbers; reactivate the switch to select a name and dial that number.
Also available is a voice dialing phone (InvoTEK): to store a number
you hit a switch, punch in a number and say the matching name; to dial
the number, simply hit a switch and say the name.

Really Big Stuff ($600+): There are Environmental Control Units
(ECU's) to control lights, TVs, door openers...and telephones. The
Mastervoice ECU uses voice recognition to do this, and, unlike the
previously mentioned phones, allows conventional dialing. The
Unidialer (Tash) also allows both memory and conventional dialing; it
can also do a few simple ECU functions if you buy some add-on units.

Communicating

Most people who use communication devices in everyday life will use a
speakerphone with their communication device to communicate over the
phone. The better the speakerphone or synthesized voice, the better
the intelligibility (DECtalk is the current leader in intelligibility
of synthesized voices). One option for those who own IBM computers is
the Phone Communicator (IBM); you can dial from your computer, type
your message, and send a synthesized voice over the phone line. With
the addition of a speakerphone, you can hear the other person talking;
the IBM Phone Communicator also acts a TDD and a modem. For those who
do not use communication devices, there are TDD's and voice
amplification handsets (AT&T).

InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and
professionals by providing information on the availability of both new
and used adaptive devices.  No endorsement of products or services is
intended.   This article is from InfoTech Newsletter and may be
reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For
more information or to submit material for publication, please
contact:

                                INFOTECH
                 Iowa Program for Assistive Technology
                   Iowa University Affiliated Program
                       University Hospital School
                         The University of Iowa
                      Iowa City, Iowa  52242-1011
                       1-800-331-3027 (voice/TTY)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943
(1:282/1007.0)]

(254)   Wed 28 Jul 93  6:54a
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
                What Do Environmental Control Units Do?

                           Jim Hansen, Owner
                       Automated Home & Business

This frequently-asked question is easily answered: environmental
control units (ECU's) are electronic assistive devices that control
all types of electric devices in homes, schools, and work sites.

Through history, we humans have tried to control our living and
working environments. We build houses, install heating and air
conditioning systems to provide comfort, use artificial lighting to
banish darkness, and pipe in water for cooking, washing and
sanitation. Washers, dryers, microwave ovens, and refrigerators add
ease, comfort, and time to our lives. TV's and radios bring instant
news and entertainment from the outside world.

Most of us who have grown up in this electronically regulated
environment operate many controls--thermostats, TV remote controls,
garage door openers, light switches, water faucets, walk-in
doors--with little effort and less thought. Unfortunately, this same
convenience is not so readily available to a person with physical
disabilities.

This is where ECU's fit in. Though originally conceived of as
glorified toys, ECU's are now designed in many configurations to serve
many uses; they are so versatile that a new user may wonder how he got
along without one after a couple weeks. In order to help prospective
ECU purchasers make good decisions, this article gives brief
descriptions of several systems, noting some advantages and
disadvantages of each.

MasterVoice

The MasterVoice Environmental Control Unit is a small box with the
capacity to control electronic devices in response to spoken commands:
it does what you tell it to do. For instance, you might say "Henry"
(the unit's name). It responds, "Hello."  You say, "Kitchen light." It
says, "OK." You say, "Turn on," and it turns on the kitchen light by
sending a coded digital signal over the home's wiring to a module in
the light which understands the signal. MasterVoice can be used to
control almost any type of electrical device.

Sound complicated? It isn't! This general type of control system has
been available for 10 years and has proven very reliable;
MasterVoice's voice-controlled unit has been in production for five
years.

Most ECU's, including MasterVoice, can be programmed to automatically
turn devices on and off at preset times. Owner/operator training time
ranges from 2 hours to 2 days. You can use it with a microphone, or as
a hands-free telephone. Systems can be expanded; additional modules
are relatively inexpensive. Back-up batteries can handle power
shortages.

You must go to a qualified dealer to purchase or install a
Mastervoice. Minimum cost, for a system capable of controlling 10
devices, is around $1,950. Units are not mobile, but they can be
transferred to another home with professional installation.

X-10 Powerhouse

Powerhouse X-10 manufactures a variety of small controllers and
modules  that send and receive digital codes. These units are
available at many retail outlets, such as Stanley tool dealers and
Radio Shack, as well as ECU distributors. Most of these units are easy
to install and simple to operate. All operate on the same principal:
digital codes are sent through the home's wiring to control some type
of electrical device like lights or appliances. Low cost ($50-$500)
makes X-10 units an excellent option for many controlling chores.

These controllers have one major drawback: because they are small,
they require good motor skills to manipulate.

X-10 Powerhouse also has a telephone responder which flashes lights
when the phone rings.

Zofcom Touch Tongue Keypad

Zofcom produces a very special environmental control unit utilizing
tongue motion, designed specifically for people with more severe
physical disabilities. Imagine steering a wheelchair or working at a
computer, almost as if by magic; the control inconspicuously fits into
the user's mouth, somewhat like a dental retainer. The Zofcom Keypad
has nine keypads on a thin plate that the user touches with his or her
tongue. A small digital screen displaying the user's commands can
mounted a wheelchair, desk, or bedside table for easy viewing.

The system allows a person to control various devices, including
computers, telephones, lights, and appliances. Users have even been
observed playing arcade games on their computer with the Zofcom while
onlookers wondered how they were doing it! (The keypad has a small,
safe, radio-controlled interface built inside it.)

Probably one of the biggest advantages of the Zofcom system,
especially for wheelchair users, is its total mobility. Its ease of
use and low-impact aesthetics are also big pluses. With some
adaptations, this system can also be used to perform many typical
workplace functions.

Unfortunately, the cost is high: about $8,000. Installation must be
done by a professional and at least one trip to a dentist for fitting
is required. Users usually take about 2 weeks to become proficient.

The ability to control your environment is more than just convenience!
ECU's allow people with disabilities greatly increased independence,
in some cases eliminating the need for 24-hour assistance. Learn about
this technology, and think about people whose lives could be changed
by it. Contact InfoTech for more information on ECU systems and
components, or contact the following companies directly. For further
information on the Zofcom, contact Automated Home & Business.

                              MasterVoice
                          10523 Humbolt Street
                     Los Alamitos, California 90720
                             [phone]

                            X-10 Powerhouse
                          185A LeGrand Avenue
                      Northvale, New Jersey 07647
                             [phone]

Jim Hansen is co-owner of Automated Home & Business which distributes
a variety of environmental control units, including those above. To
contact Hansen, write or call: 1300 Cummins Rd., Suite 107, Des
Moines, IA 50315; phone [phone].

InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and
professionals by providing information on the availability of both new
and used adaptive devices.  No endorsement of products or services is
intended.   This article is from InfoTech Newsletter and may be
reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For
more information or to submit material for publication, please
contact:

                                INFOTECH
                 Iowa Program for Assistive Technology
                   Iowa University Affiliated Program
                       University Hospital School
                         The University of Iowa
                      Iowa City, Iowa  52242-1011
                       1-800-331-3027 (voice/TTY)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943
(1:282/1007.0)]

(262)   Wed 28 Jul 93  9:20p
By: Arlette Lefebvre
To: All
Re: Tx for breast cancer

Journal Watch Copyright 1993 Massachusetts Medical Society.

SUPPORT FOR ADJUVANT RADIOTHERAPY FOR SMALL BREAST CANCERS.

Over the past 20 years, mammography has identified more small breast
cancers, and breast-conserving surgery has generally replaced
mastectomy.  Now, two randomized trials suggest that adjuvant
radiotherapy protects against recurrences.

In the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, 818 women
with ductal carcinoma in situ received lumpectomy either alone or
followed by irradiation.  Only 8 percent of tumors exceeded 2 cm in
diameter, and the margins of all resected specimens were tumor-free.
At follow-up (average, 43 months), second ipsilateral breast cancers
were found in 16.4 percent of women treated with lumpectomy alone, but
only 7.0 percent of women receiving adjuvant radiotherapy.  More
important, the 5-year cumulative incidence of second invasive cancers
was 10.5 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively.  Only 0.1 percent of
both groups have had distant metastases.

The Milan Cancer Institute randomized 567 women with small invasive
ductal or lobular tumors (less than 2.5 cm) to more extensive surgical
resection (quadrantectomy, involving resection of the skin and
pectoral fascia) with or without adjuvant radiotherapy.  The two
groups received equivalent adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen
therapy.  All women received axillary dissection, and about 30 percent
had evidence of nodal involvement.  At a median of 39 months, 8.8
percent of women having surgery alone had local recurrences, versus
0.3 percent of women given adjuvant radiotherapy.  The striking
benefit of radiotherapy was seen primarily in women under age 55.
About 6 percent of both groups have had distant metastases.

Follow-up in both studies thus far has been relatively brief, and
neither study has shown an improvement in survival.  But the studies
provide relatively strong evidence in favor of adjuvant radiotherapy
in small breast cancers.

--ALK.

Fisher B; et al.  Lumpectomy compared with lumpectomy and radiation
therapy for the treatment of intraductal breast cancer. N Engl J Med
1993 Jun 3; 328:1581-6.

Veronesi U; et al.  Radiotherapy after breast-preserving surgery in
women with localized cancer of the breast. N Engl J Med 1993 Jun 3;
328:1587-91.

Swain SM.  In situ or localized breast cancer -- how much treatment is
needed? N Engl J Med 1993 Jun 3; 328:1633-4. ===

Arlette

[posted on ADAnet: Ability OnLine - Toronto Canada - 416/650-5411]

(277)   Sat 31 Jul 93  7:44p
By: Earl Appleby
To: All
Re: The Train

ABLEnews Extra
                        The Train

    A newcomer might ask why this story appears in ABLEnews?
    At first glance it may not appear "of special interest
    to persons with disabilities."  But as Mike Adams has said,
    we all have the same dreams.  I believe we have a heart
    to be touched by Paul Bylin's moving account in Vietnam Veteran:

Last night, a parade of strangers stood silently in the sultry air
outside O'Brien's Funeral Home in South Boston and you could almost
hear the train clattering accross the vanished years.  The people had
assembled like a flight of anonymous angels for a man hardly any of
them knew, Kenny Norton who died at 44 in the New England Shelter for
Homeless Veterans.

Norton's war--Vietnam--was not popular.  And it did not end in 90 days
like Desert Storm.  Instead, it dragged on for years, suffocating our
heart and soul, stealing more than 58,000 of our best.  For many more
years, it never ended, rages still within, and ceases only when a huge
heart ruptures, as Norton's did last week.

This nation, unused to defeat, reacted badly toward the fight and,
worse, toward those who fought.  This was cruel irony because, while
politics and politicians shamed us, the only true honor retrieved from
that ugly epoch came from those in uniform.  Those who served, fought,
died.  Those who rode the train.

In July 1967, Kenny Norton, 19, took the train south to Parris Island.
Then, he lived at 172 Dorchester Street, fertile recruiting ground,
and after English High, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.  He did this
long ago in a different land.  In `67, Vietnam was reserved almost
exclusively for guys like Norton, kids who thought it was some kind of
necessary adventure, boys who never dreamed of college and never heard
of deferments.

The train rolled out over South Station filled with an odd assortment
of travelers: Businessmen, vacationers and a whole host of youngsters
on their way to boot camp; some, a lot of them, on their way to die.

When it stopped for a layover in Washington D.C., recruits would get
off, make a phone call, go to a bar and look at the pretty girls from
government offices.  Some kids would stay on the train afraid if they
got off, they'd never get back on.

Kenny Norton stayed on the train as it swayed through the
Carolinas--click, clack, click, clack--until it arrived a Beaufort,
almost always in the dead of night when the air would be thick with a
young mans fear, apprehension actually.  A bus at the station would
take them past motels and small darkside homes, to the gate: US Marine
Corps Recruit Depot.

Then, everyone on board would become silent as the bus rolled slowly
out across the causeway, past the marshes, toward the old Iron Mike
where the boys on board would file off into a brand new world and a
life that would never be the same.

After 12 weeks, Kenny Norton came off The Island a Marine and
went right to South Vietnam.  He got a specialty number--0331--
Machine Gunner.  He was assigned to an outfit--1-9--First
Battalion, Ninth Marines, and by spring 1968, he was on the DMZ
where the ninth Marines more than earned there nickname, "The
Walking Dead."

There were no parades when he returned to Boston.  No yellow ribbons,
no proclamations.  No free beer at airports or kisses from gleeful
strangers.  Only a country being strangled by the increasing violence
and perpetual sound of Taps played throughout cemeteries across a
greatly divided land.

For a while, Norton drove a truck.  But demons rode with him
somehow--Who really knows?  And who is to judge?--He ended up sleeping
on Carson Beach before he was brought by friends to the Veterans
Shelter where he lived happily among fellow veterans before dying of a
massive heart attack.

Last night, hundreds who never met him, did not know him, waited in
the mist beside some others who did, to pray for Corporal Norton who
was inside, a silver casket in the front room at O'Brien's.  He was
decked out in dress blues donated by a man who walked off the street
and handed the uniform to Glen Liljander who works at the shelters
fron desk.  There was a folded flag and several huge sprays of
flowers.

There were millionaires in line and a U.S. Senator, too, John Kerry.
There was Ricky Dixon from Malden who signed up for the Marines on
that same day in 1967, right alongside Norton and did not know whether
his friend had lived or died until he saw his picture on the obituary
page Sunday.  There was Tommy McGee, the former House Speaker, who
walked up Iwo Jima at age 19 when he served with the Fourth Marines.
But most of all, there were people, simple, ordinary people who came
to bury Kenny Norton, and perhaps, exocise ugly memories shared by
those who served their country in another war that still breaks our
heart.

Vietnam is history.  And Kenny Norton is dead.  There will be a Mass
at 9 this morning at St. Augustine's Church in South Boston. Then, he
will be buried in the national cemetary at Otis Air Force Base.  He
will go there in a caravan of cars but, if you listen closely, you
will be able to hear the echo of all those trains and all those years
along with the sound of all those young men who remain, forever brave.

    [This happened a couple of years ago, but is a story
     that needs to be told. --Paul]

You've told it well, Paul, for Kenny, and for us all.

Thank you.
Earl

[posted on ABLEnews...beyond the headlines. (1:262/4)]

(289)   Thu 29 Jul 93  1:20p
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: BEEP BASEBALL

                       Beep Baseball: A Big Hit!

                              Lee Swenson
                              STAR Program

Ah, summertime. What could be better than a warm weekend afternoon and
some friends looking for a competive game of baseball? For the
estimated 45,000 Minnesotans and Iowans who are blind or visually
impaired, the baseball game might seem improbable.

Unless, that is, your friends play beep baseball.

Beep baseball is an integrated, competitive team sport in which blind
or visually impaired people of all ages can fully participate. This
sport focuses on ability, rather than disability.

The game requires several pieces of specially designed equipment: the
beep baseball, a 16" device which emits a continuous beeping sound,
and two buzzing bases. A supply of conventional baseball gloves and
aluminum bats rounds out the needed equipment. Wooden bats are not
recommended as they tend to crack from the impact of a well-hit ball.

The rules are similar to baseball, but there are several significant
modifications. The batter is allowed four strikes and one ball.
Following a hit, the batter must run 90 feet to a buzzing base. The
batter runs to either the traditional first base, or to third base; a
sighted spotter off the playing field determines which base buzzes. If
the batter gets to the base before the ball is fielded by the opposing
team, a score is made. If the batter hits the ball 180 feet or more in
the air, a run is also scored.

Each of six fielders is assigned a number, one through six. (The
number three position, for example, would be similar to the center
fielder position in baseball.) Once the ball is hit the sighted
spotter calls out the number of the position toward which the ball is
heading. It is the fielder's job to scan the field, listen for the
beeping ball, gain control of it, and raise the ball into the air so
the umpire can see it. This must all be accomplished in about four to
six seconds, before the other team's batter reaches the base to score
a run.

There are six innings in a regulation game, three outs per team per
inning.

Beep baseball requires a sighted umpire, pitcher, catcher, and
spotter/score keeper.

To build a team you need interested players, a team coordinator/coach,
equipment, and training from the Braille Sports Foundation (BSF).

A beep baseball costs about $30, a set of buzzing bases about $350.
For the names of suppliers of beep baseball equipment, please contact
InfoTech or the sources listed at the end of this article.

Teams can compete in various local, regional, state, and national
league events. Last year the World Series of Beep Baseball, involving
over 2500 people, was held in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The sport is
growing in foreign countries as well: Canada, Japan, and Costa Rica
have all developed teams and leagues.

There is a need in the human spirit to compete, to be involved in
sports or athletics of some type. As James Mastro, Ph.D., an athlete
who is blind, put it, "I found that I was not different from other,
able- bodied athletes in seeking the benefits and expression of
competitive desires in sports and athletics. The difference lies in
the limitations that stagnant traditions and negative attitudes impose
on those of us with impaired vision. We need to be perceived as having
the same potential to become athletes, with similar goals and
aspirations, as sighted competitors."

Sports have evolved for enjoyment. Beep baseball gives athletes with
vision loss the opportunity to participate in our national pastime.
So get out there and "Batter up!"

For more information on beep baseball in Minnesota contact the Braille
Sports Foundation, 4601 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416;
phone [phone], or Telephone Pioneers, C.P. Wainman Chapter #18,
200 S. 5th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402; phone [phone].

In Iowa contact the Telephone Pioneers, Hawkeye Chapter #17, 925 High
St., Room 711, Des Moines, IA 50309; phone [phone].

InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and
professionals by providing information on the availability of both new
and used adaptive devices.  No endorsement of products or services is
intended.   This article is from InfoTech Newsletter and may be
reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For
more information or to submit material for publication, please
contact:

                                INFOTECH
                 Iowa Program for Assistive Technology
                   Iowa University Affiliated Program
                       University Hospital School
                         The University of Iowa
                      Iowa City, Iowa  52242-1011
                       1-800-331-3027 (voice/TTY)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943
(1:282/1007.0)]

(299)   Fri 30 Jul 93  9:21a
By: Gordon Gillesby
To: All
Re: TECHNOLOGICAL EDGE
                         The Technological Edge
                             Norma A. Boge

As a caseworker on the staff of U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, I depend on
assistive technology every day. Although I am blind, this technology
enables me to use a personal computer and access a wide range of
printed materials, functions which are vital to the efficient
performance of my job duties. In this article, I will describe the
equipment I use and how this equipment enables me to do my job.

My personal computer is equipped with Artic Business Vision, a
versatile screen reading program with speech output which has served
me well. I have several programs and applications which I need to
access through my PC, and Artic Vision handles them all easily. I
frequently use WordPerfect 5.1 to write letters and maintain case
information that would normally be in print form. I also use my PC to
access the electronic mail system which connects our Des Moines office
to Senator Harkin's other Iowa offices and to his Washington, D.C.
office. Access to electronic mail is critical, as I receive phone
messages and other important information this way. I can also use my
PC to access additional networks for valuable information about laws
and pending bills, including the current status of particular pieces
of legislation and related amendments.

My computer functions both as a stand-alone PC and as a part of a
network. I use it as a stand-alone when I am using my Arkenstone Print
Scanner. This is, in my opinion, a truly remarkable piece of
technology. In essence, it scans printed text and then transfers it to
my PC. The text can then be read and discarded, or read and
transferred to a word processing file. In my case, I often scan
correspondence or information and transfer it to a WordPerfect file
for access at a later time. In addition, I use the Arkenstone to put
print forms on my computer, thereby eliminating the need for
assistance from a sighted co-worker in completing these forms.

It is difficult to fully explain in a few paragraphs how vital my
assistive technology is to me. I do know that I would have a difficult
time performing my job without Artic Business Vision and the
Arkenstone Print Scanner. Although I could substitute a sighted reader
for the Arkenstone (in fact, I sometimes have to do this because the
Arkenstone cannot read handwriting or all types of print material), it
gives me a great sense of independence to be able to perform my job as
the other caseworkers do, with very little assistance. I am glad that
I am able to serve Senator Harkin's constituency of Iowans with
efficiency and accuracy. I truly feel that the the assistive equipment
I describe above gives me The Technological Edge.

InfoTech aids individuals with disabilities, parents, families, and
professionals by providing information on the availability of both new
and used adaptive devices.  No endorsement of products or services is
intended.   This article is from InfoTech Newsletter and may be
reprinted with attribution; letters and submissions are welcome.  For
more information or to submit material for publication, please
contact:

                                INFOTECH
                 Iowa Program for Assistive Technology
                   Iowa University Affiliated Program
                       University Hospital School
                         The University of Iowa
                      Iowa City, Iowa  52242-1011
                       1-800-331-3027 (voice/TTY)

[posted on DRAGnet - Disability Information 612/753-1943
(1:282/1007.0)]

...For further information, contact CURE, 812 Stephen Street, Berkeley
Springs, West Virginia 25411 (304-258-LIFE/258-5433).