Web Voyager
From our Newspapers
Web Voyager
By Ellen Highland Fernandez
Finding Disability Support on the Web
You have been told that your child will have a disability or
perhaps you yourself have one. Or perhaps you have a friend, co-worker,
or family member who has a disability and you want to become more
knowledgeable. Where do you turn? Why if you are a web voyager,
you turn to the World Wide Web of course!
For resources on Disabilities, the Disability Links
is a good place to
start. It contains links to information on aging, aids to daily
living, Americans with Disabilities Act, assistive technologies,
careers and employment, children/parenting, cognitive
disabilities, computer software and aids, education links,
government/legal resources links, medical resources,
mental disabilities, mobility devices, non-profit services,
physical disabilities, prosthetics/medical devices, publications,
recreation/sports, rehabilitation, sensory disabilities, and
travel.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July
26, 1990. It is a wide-ranging legislation intended to make
American society more accessible to people with disabilities. It
covers employment, public services, public accommodations,
telecommunications, and other issues. To learn more about this
legislation see the Americans with Disabilities Act Document
Center .
Also check ADA and Disability Resources
which includes a state listing of Centers for Independent Living, ADA resources,
legal information, general disability information, university
based disability information, and legal resources.
Locally, we have a wonderful site: The West Virginia
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
. It is a national center which conducts
research and training to assist persons with disabilities into
employment, the community, and independence through information
technology.
Specific Disabilities
Looking for information on a specific disability? Check Easter
Seals web site . A direct link to
Yahoo's listing
will give you links to disabilities not usually
mentioned in other lists such as dwarfism.
If you are seeking information on specific disability that is not
"on the lists" go to the search engines and begin searching for
it by name.
Many of the organizations for specific disabilities have mailing
lists and/or news groups. These groups can be a wonderful source
for information and support. Check their web sites and, if you
don't see the information you are looking for, write to the
site's Webmaster. These sites exist to help others and give
information.
Miscellaneous
The President's Committee on Employment of People with
Disabilities tells about the
President's committee and committee projects, the Job
Accommodation Network, business focus, state liaisons, and
publications.
The City of San Antonio, Texas and the Disability Advisory
Committee have prepared a Disability Etiquette Handbook
to enhance
opportunities for persons with disabilities to pursue their
careers and independent lifestyles. It is worth reading by
EVERYONE as it covers topics such as reasonable accommodation in
the work place, reception etiquette, conversational etiquette,
interview scheduling etiquette, interviewing technique etiquette,
interviewing courtesies for effective communication, do's and
don'ts, and includes a glossary of acceptable terms.
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
, created in 1973, has served the
nation as the only independent federal agency whose primary
mission is accessibility for people with disabilities.
The Invisible Disabilities Site
talks
about the feelings of one with a disability on its FAQ page.
Footnotes
Regarding December 7 column on Genealogy - Joy Gilchrist wrote to me about a local Genealogy site at Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants. There is also a Genealogy discussion list for Harrison County at the Harrison County, West Virginia, GenWeb Page .
As you voyage down the cyber-path, you are encouraged to send me your ideas for topics you would like to see discussed and to share your favorite links. Send correspondence to me at:
e-mail: Webmaster@cpubco.com, via post: Web Voyager, Ellen H. Fernandez, PO Box 2000,
Clarksburg, WV 26302, or through our web site. Phone: 626-1466.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Ellen Highland Fernandez is the Webmaster for Clarksburg
Publishing Company's site and her column appears on the first and third Sundays every month in
the Sunday Exponent-Telegram
Clarksburg Publishing Company, P.O. Box 2000, Clarksburg, WV 26302 USA
Copyright © Clarksburg Publishing Company 1998