NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/bit/listserv/lhcap/773

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Date:         Wed, 27 Jan 1993 11:30:26 EST
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Subject:      Handicap Digest # 3116
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                             THE HANDICAP DIGEST

                                 Issue # 3116

                         Wednesday, January 27, 1993

Today's Topics:


                                ******


                            Re: HEALTH INSURANCE
                          Re: Trochanteric Bursitis
                                Re: Your Pain
                           Are spasms *dangerous*?
                           ASL Computer Dictionary
                  information on II Latin American Congress
                  Tech Policy & Disability Meeting in L.A.
              New Ohio Phone Service for Deaf & Speech Impaired
                       Re: looking for font Gallaudet
                       Re: looking for font Gallaudet


                                ******


To subscribe to the Handicap Digest mailing list or have your
thoughts in the next issue, please send electronic mail to
Bill McGarry at any of the following addresses:


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Compuserve: 73170,1064

                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
                              [phone]



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Subject: Re: HEALTH INSURANCE
From: [e-mail] (Esther Lumsdon)
Organization: Verdix Corp

[e-mail] (Joe Jackson) writes:

>Index Number: 27438

>This is probably a stupid quesiton, but does anyone know of any
>health insurance that will take a disabled person with pre-existing
>conditions?

Yes.  In 1990 the Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan offered to federal employees
took all employees regardless of pre-existing conditions, with no
waiting period.  Some of the other health plans for federal employees
do this as well; the HMOs offered to federal employees have the same
gaps in coverage as HMOs offered to anyone else.

There is some noise in Congress that it's wasteful to have 35+ health
plans available to federal employees, and there should be fewer plans.
I think employees with pre-existing conditions would be short-changed
by changes to this.
--
-- Esther Lumsdon, not speaking for Verdix.   [e-mail]
Q: How many user support people does it take to change a light bulb?
A: We have an exact copy of the light bulb here and it seems to be
   working fine.  Can you tell me what kind of system you have?




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Subject: Re: Trochanteric Bursitis
From: [e-mail] (Kim Kohler)
Organization: Cornell Information Technologies

[e-mail] (Shoshona Bieman) writes:

>Index Number: 27035


>Kim, do you suffer with tochanteric bursitis, too? I've been

Yes.  I think that my totally unstable sacrum and surrounding
structures finally started affecting other areas.  Sometimes the
trochanters are actually more disabling than the sacral stuff.  In
addition to pain and weakness in the trochanter area, about a year
ago i started experiencing lightning bolts of pain there too.  The
*only* thing Docs have been able to suggest is cortisone, which has
absolutely no affect.. so i only do them when a *new* doc thinks i
havent had shots from *them*.  sigh.

I do a *lot* of research and have never heard of either removing
fluid (does this help ?) or removing the bursae.  Have you any
references or anecdotes of the trochanteric bursae being removed ?

This whole mess is also made worse by weight bearing, as is my
original complaint.  Swimming neither improves or worsens the
situation.

Thanks for writing.  Looking forward to hearing from you.

-kim




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Subject: Re: Your Pain
From: [e-mail] (Kim Kohler)
Organization: Cornell Information Technologies

[e-mail] (Keith Jones) writes:
> I have long wondered why this has not been adaquately addressed by the
> medical establishment. Pain is good business and if it were as simple

YES YES YES.  THis is difficult to understand.

> definitely some correlation between pain and weather but what it is, I
> have no idea. Anyone else?

Some think it has to do with the relative amounts of + or - ions in
the atmosphere.  I believe that it has to do with the RATE of
change of the barometric pressure.  Thats why i dont necessarily
have bad days with bad weather, altho' anywhere from several days
to several hours before a major storm i experience incredible
flare-ups and the subsequent depression.  Sometimes, when the storm
finally moves in, altho the pain is off the scale, i celebrate the
violence of the storm.. that it has *finally* arrived.

On a more practical note, it sure seems that a lot could be learned
about the nature of chronic pain from persuing this avenue of
research.,, possibly with some beneficial results.

seems intuitively obvious to most of us !!!

Cheers,
-kim




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Subject: Are spasms *dangerous*?
From: [e-mail] (Ken Weaverling)
Organization: Delaware Technical & Community College

My friend has been having wicked pain, mainly back pain, for about
two months now. She has been a quad for seven years now.  She has
gone to the hospital a few times for tests and they still haven't
reached any conclusions yet nor have they done anything to treat
this yet.

About three months ago, her catheter tubing started to get
discoloured quite quickly (a few days after it was changed). We
thought it was blood at first, but a home test indicated it
wasn't.

At first they thought it was kidney problems, but a kidney
specialist said that her urine contained muscle tissue (myoglobin I
think?!). Anyway, they think her muscles are breaking down from the
spasms she gets.

I asked the doctor why, all of a sudden, this has started now. He
was brief, but indicated that sometimes this breakdown takes years
to start.

She has always had mild spasms before, but it never affected her
like this.  Also, she has always had excellent muscle tone in her
legs. ie, it looks like she could get up and walk off any second.

So, my questions to other quads, etc, is "Is this normal?"  Will
her muscles start to atrophy now?  Will she have to live with this
pain for the rest of her life now?  Is there any way to stop it?

I know, none of you are probably doctors, and every person is
different, but I was just wondering what others have found in this
area.

BTW, I read this group via the internet newsgroup misc.handicap,
but haven't gotten any traffic for about a week now. Am not sure if
it is a feed problem.  I would appreciate it any replies are also
sent to me via mail -- just in case. Thanks!

--
Weave's 10/90 recipe for insanity: Take one programmer, divide into portions:
10% programming consisting of equal parts in systems and applications plus
admin duties broken down into 20% for Unix, 5% PRIMOS, 10% hardware & network,
35% DOS/Windows, 10% news, 5% postmaster, and 5% babysitting IRC kiddies.




------



Subject: ASL Computer Dictionary
From: [e-mail] (Christine Romano)

[Note from Bill McGarry: this is from the Sign Language Linguistics
 List <[e-mail]>]

You may remember an earlier posting announcing plans for an ASL
computer dictionary, being designed by Sherman Wilcox, and requesting
suggestions for format and content of the dictionary.  Following
are some suggestions he has received.  Thanks to all for their input.
Futher suggestions are welcome.
Christine Romano
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
The following can be added to the responses regarding the ASL dictionary:
==========================================================

|- video clips of both the sign in citation form, and being used in context.
|
|- annotated still (either drawing or photo) -- you can then print out a copy
|  of your dictionary on paper
|
|- notation in HamNoSys for compatibility to other current dictionary systems
|
|- inflections
|
|- lexical non-manual features
|
|- information on regional and age usage (good luck!! US > NZ)
|
|- other usage information, ie vulgar, SEE, etc
|
|- etymology WHERE IT CAN BE RELIABLY IDENTIFIED
|
|- other SLs that use the same or similar sign
|
|- access (via button or double-click etc) to:
|  - variants
|  - synonyms
|  - polysemes
|  - homophones
|  - antonyms
|
|- definitions of the sign, both in English and ASL
|
|- English gloss
|
|- Glosses in other languages (both spoken and signed)
|
|- Information on classifier incorporation
|
|- semantic category
|
|- subject area (eg astrophysics, rugby, rastafarian etc)

|A wonderful idea.  I hope it will be affordable???
|
|I have been thinking a lot about Sign Dictionaries lately.  I've been taking a
|new ASL class, and I frequently wish I could look up a SIGN and get an English
|translation.  As you know, most dictionaries only premit one to look up an
|English WORD.  Stokoe, et al, comes close, but the terminology is daunting.
|I have been hoping that someone might consider a compromise effort.  That is,
|a dictionary which keys on hand shape, position, and movement (like Stokoe)
|but which would also contain graphical illustrations to help jog the memory.
|If the Stokoe symbols were also included, this could be a relatively painless
|learning aid.
|
|Perhaps in a multi-media format, such a dictionary would be possible.  Given
|some small effort, animation can be achieved, allowing a real "dictionary of
|signs".
|
|I would like to be able to look up a sign in one of two ways.  Either I would
|enter an English WORD, or I could choose from 3 menus of hand shape, position,
|and movement.  A computerized dictionary could easily allow both.
|
|My situation is that of an intermediate hearing student of ASL.  As such, one
|of the things I most appreciate about my current ASL class is that we seem to
|be learning the *language* rather than just words.  The signs I most want to
|learn are idiomatic - these cannot be found in most dictionaries, as they
|translate to "phrases" in English, rather than single words.  I would love to
|be able to find these signs in a true Sign Dictionary.  Thus, what I most want
|to see is a dictionary which defines Signs with a correct multi-word gloss,
|rather than assuming that single words will somehow suffice.
|
|For example, we have recently learned a sign which I will describe as "Index
|finger (1 hand) twisting out from the nose" for which the gloss appears to be:
|IS-IT-OK-WITH-YOU-IF...?.  (This is similar to the sign glossed FOR, except for
|the body position).  I want to be able to look this sign up in a Sign
|Dictionary and find it.



------



Subject: information on II Latin American Congress
From: [e-mail] (Luiz Carlos Souza)

Dear friends,
My name is Luiz Carlos SOUZA (Mr.). I am a post-graduate student at the
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Linguistics). I study Language and
Deafness.  I have been studying this topic for 10 years. I would like to
inform you about the "II Latin American Congress on Bilingualism (Sign
Language - Oral Language) for the Deaf".
September 12 to 17 , 1993.
Place: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - Faculty of Letters
(Department of Linguistics and Filology) - Rio de Janeiro - RJ
President of the organizing committee: Prof. Dr. Lucinda FERREIRA BRITO
(Mrs.)
Call for papers: for more information please contact me: LCSOUZA@BRLNCC
(Luiz Carlos SOUZA (Mr.) - Address: Caixa Postal 16.285 - Largo do Machado -
CEP 22.222-970 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil.

                                   Yours sincerely,
                               Luiz Carlos SOUZA - LCSOUZA@BRLNCC




------



Subject: Tech Policy & Disability Meeting in L.A.
From: [e-mail] (Janina Sajka)
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)

Are you:

       ~Interested in policy issues of disabled people's access to
technology and  telecommunications?

       ~In the Los Angeles metropolitan area this coming Friday?

On January 29, 1993 the World Institute on Disability (WID) will
conduct a training session on Telecommunications Policy for persons
with disabilities.  It will be hosted by Pacific Bell and GTE, and
it will be held at Pacific Bell conference facilities in Anaheim,
California.  It is NOT TOO LATE to register, but you should do so
immediately if you wish to attend.

This one-day conference will provide you with opportunities to
learn about new telecommunications technologies through exhibits
and a field site visit, find out about state and federal policy
initiatives affecting access to these new technologies for persons
with disabilities and determine how you can become involved in
efforts to make sure that persons with disabilities will be a part
of the "Information Age."

If you would like to be more active on this issue, please plan to
attend.  There is no registration fee.  Lunch will be provided.

At 4 p.m., a separate exhibit and reception will be held by GTE in
Cerritos focused on their fiber-optic trial of video-based services
to the home; all registrants are invited.

The Agenda and a registration form follow.  Please  return the
registration form by fax or electronic mail IMMEDIATELY!  Please be
sure to include information about accommodation needs you may
have.  The physical facilities are wheelchair accessible.

For further information contact WID at [e-mail] or by
telephone at (510) 763- 4100 voice/tty.  Our fax number is (510)
763-4109.

                                         AGENDA

                 REGIONAL TRAINING SESSION ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY

                               BLUE RIBBON PANEL PROJECT
                              WORLD INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY

                                    January 29, 1993

                      Pacific Bell Executive Communications Center
                                   200 W. Harbor Place
Anaheim, California


9:00 -  9:15        Welcome, Introductions, Purpose of the Session,
                    Overview of Agenda
                    Stan Greenberg, Executive Director, WCIL
                    Deborah Kaplan, WID

9:15 - 10:15        Exhibits of Telecommunications Equipment and Services

10:15 - 11:00       The State of the Art in Telecommunications
                    Technology: Are We Having Access Yet?
             What Are the Real Consumer Needs?
                    led by:  Deborah Kaplan, WID
                             Janina Sajka, WID

11:15 - 11:30        Break

11:30 - 12:15        The California Public Utilities Commission: How
                     Do Consumers Make Their Needs Known?
                    Neal Shulman, Executive Director, California PUC

12:15 -  1:15        Luncheon in small rooms with mixed groups
                     (industry, different disability organizations)

1:15 -  1:45        Federal Policy and Telecommunications: What's Going
                    on in Washington, D.C.?
                    Deborah Kaplan, WID

1:45 -  2:15        Using WIDNet As A Tool for Advocacy
                    Janina Sajka, WID

2:15 -  3:15        Panel Discussion:  Effective Strategies for
                    Telecommunications Advocacy
                    June Kailes, private consultant
                    John Schweizer, Pacific Bell
                    Bummy Burstein, Chairmen, DDTPAC

3:15 -  3:30        Evaluations of the Session, Wrap-up

3:30 -  4:00        Travel to Cerritos, site of GTE's fiber optics project

4:00 -  6:00        Demonstration of Cerritos technologies & reception
                    GTE

                              REGISTRATION FORM

           Regional Training Session on Telecommunications Policy

                         BLUE RIBBON PANEL PROJECT
                        WORLD INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY

                              January 29, 1993

Please complete and return to World Institute on Disability.  You
may E-Mail this Registration Form to us at [e-mail], or fax it to
us at [phone].


NAME:

ADDRESS:

PHONE:        Home:                                     Work:


If you work for a disability-related organization, please list it, with an
address and phone.



If you belong to a disability-related organization, please indicate which
one(s).


Are there specific telecommunications applications or issues that you are
interested in?



Do you have any disability accommodation needs?

Sign language interpreters:        Oral                ASL

Real-time captioning

Hearing amplification (indicate what type and whether you provide your own)


Materials in alternative medium:
Braille
Cassette Tape
Large Print
Computer Disk (indicate format required)

Other accommodations:






------



Subject: New Ohio Phone Service for Deaf & Speech Impaired
From: [e-mail] (Stuart Pearl)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)




   OHIO RELAY SERVICE TO DEDICATE CLEVELAND CENTER

On Sunday, January 31 the Ohio Relay Service will hold a
dedication ceremony and open house for its new operations
center on Cleveland's west side.

The Ohio Relay Service enables communication between Ohioans
who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing and/or speech-impaired who type
messages over the telephone network and people who
communicate using conventional speech and hearing.

The facility is operated statewide by Ohio Bell, a subsidiary
of Chicago-based Ameritech.

          WHEN:  Sunday, January 31, 1993
                 Open House from 1 to 5 P.M.

          WHO:   Invited guests, including members
                 of the Cleveland area Deaf community,
                 employees of Ohio Bell, the Ohio Relay
                 Service and the general public.


For more information, please contact:

          Frank Spring [phone]
--
                   ---===<<< Stuart Pearl >>>===---
                           Cleveland, Ohio
                      [e-mail]
                         --------------------




------



Organization: Penn State University
From: [e-mail] (Carolyn Dudas)
Subject: Re: looking for font Gallaudet

The company, Reasonable Solutions, has such a font.  Their address
is:  1221 Disk Drive, Medford, OR 97501-6639.  Or phone: (800)
876-3475 (orders only), [phone] (general info), or
FAX [phone].




------



Subject: Re: looking for font Gallaudet
From: [e-mail] (Bill McGarry)

There is also a public domain True Type finger spelling font
for MS Windows available via anonymous ftp from
"handicap.shel.isc-br.com" in the "/pub/hearing" directory as
"GAL-TT.ZIP".  This is also available for downloading from my
BBS (1-203-337-1607) and also available via File Request from
1:141/420.

                                Bill McGarry
                                [phone]

UUCP:       {oliveb, uunet}!bunker!wtm
INTERNET:   [e-mail]   BITNET:     [e-mail]
fidonet:    The Handicap News BBS (1:141/420)   1-203-337-1607
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NVTel:      BillSysop                    Compuserve: 73170,1064




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                  End of Issue # 3116 of the Handicap Digest

                                ******