🚀 go-pugleaf

Here is a press release about possible sources of aids for the typing
injured.

The Enabled Computer BBS 
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1992 DEC 24 (NB) -- The Enabled Computer is a regular
Newsbytes feature covering news and important product information relating to
high-technology aids for the disabled. 

First, an apology for the error in The Enabled Computer run on Newsbytes on the
27th of November, 1992. The University of Michigan was mistakenly listed as the
home of the Trace R&D center which produces the CO-NET ABLEDATA CD-ROM
database.

Pricing and phone contact numbers were all correct, as was the later listing in
the same column which correctly identified Trace R&D as being located at the
University of Wisconsin.

ABLEDATA is a massive public domain database of adaptive devices paid for by
the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation, part of the U.S.
Department of Education. The Trace R&D Center sells the PC- and Macintosh-
compatible version of the CO-NET CD-ROM (ABLEDATA) for a two-issue subscription
price of $50 and also sells it on floppy disk at a considerable higher price
due to duplication costs.

To purchase the entire 17,000-product database, contact the Trace R&D Center,
S-151 Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave. Madison, WI 53705. To reach Trace R&D,
phone 608-262-6966, TDD 608-262-8848, or fax 608-262-5408.

But what if you only want to locate a couple of products and don't have access
to a CD-ROM drive? The Enabled Computer's Christmas gift to readers is a new
BBS which will carry product information for disabled computer users, including
files from ABLEDATA.

Before someone complains that this particular column is nothing but an ad,
please note that access to disability related files on The Enabled Computer BBS
is FREE - except for whatever the telephone company charges you for the call.

The Enabled Computer BBS will operate 24 hours per day and begin with one line,
814-277-6337, providing free access limited to 20 minutes per day per caller.

Top speed will be 9600 bps and, among other things, The Enabled Computer BBS
will carry new listings from the ABLEDATA database as well as listings of other
BBS systems which serve the disabled community.

I feel that it is important to mention that at least one commercial online
service which appears to carry ABLEDATA database files actually has listings
which are four years old and thus practically useless.

The people at the Trace Center told The Enabled Computer that they are trying
to exert more control over BBS listings with an eye to making certain that only
the newest listings are carried.

As soon as the BBS version of the database is out of beta testing, The Enabled
Computer BBS expects to carry the entire database complete with search engine.
Until then, the BBS will carry a set of ASCII files containing a selection of
computer- related product listings taken from the database.

You can download these files and distribute then yourself because they are
already public domain.

The Enabled Computer BBS will also carry a variety of other forums and
libraries but will always be particularly interested in enabling technology and
the concerns of Emergency Management Agency workers.

Emergency management, toxic chemical, radiation, and other files from federal,
state, and local sources will be available for downloading. Why am I mentioning
this topic in a column for disabled computer users? Simple; I am a rural
Emergency Management Coordinator and one of our special concerns is locating,
notifying, and assisting disabled people during fire, flood, snow storms, toxic
spills, and other natural and man-made disasters.

While the BBS is now online, we are still building the databases and seeking
forum operators with their own ideas for conferences so only the adventurous,
those wishing to help us test the new system, or those with suggestions, should
call before the end of the year.

To access the system, just set your modem and communications software to any
speed between 300- and 9600 bps, 8 bits per word, no parity, 1 stop bit
(8,N,1), if using a Macintosh set your terminal emulation to VT102-ANSI, and
register when you sign on. Everyone gets equal access to the EMA and
disability-related files. The Enabled Computer BBS will initially operate on a
300 MB hard drive 386SX-20 Grid computer running Galacticomm's The Major BBS.
Future plans call for adding more phone lines to allow live conferences, but
for now you can only exchange e-mail and download files.

We have a number of expansion plans which will depend on caller activity and
needs.

TDD access is not available. I gave this considerable thought but decided that
TDD is not appropriate for such a bulletin board because of the very limited
display capacity of TDD units. Providing such access might lead TDD users to
waste money on a telephone call when they could only access a tiny portion of
the BBS.

The Enabled Computer BBS is not connected with Newsbytes in any way but The
Enabled Computer column will be available on the BBS starting about one month
after it is published by the Newsbytes News Network.

(John McCormick/19921224/Press Contact: John McCormick, The Enabled Computer,
814-277-6476 or 814-277-6337 BBS)

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