What Is EASI????
PROF NORM COOMBS
sequence of these 3 mailings all mixed up. Be gentle with the old professor!
EASI: EQUAL ACCESS TO SOFTWARE AND INFORMATION
EASI'S mission is to serve as a resource to the education community by
providing information and guidance in the area of access-to-information
technologies by individuals with disabilities. We stay informed about
developments and advancements within the adaptive computer technology
field and spread that information to colleges, universities, K-12
schools, libraries and into the workplace. EASI began under the
umbrella of EDUCOM, and it is now affiliated with AAHE: The American
Association for Higher Education.
Our membership is composed of people from universities, schools
businesses and other institutions. They include computing staff,
disabled student services staff, faculty, administrators, vendors,
representatives of professional associations, private consultants, heads
of both non-profit and for-profit organizations, faculty and staff from
K-12 schools, and students.
People with disabilities must have the same access to information and
resources as everyone else. EASI is dedicated to helping that happen.
To do all of the above, EASI:
1 maintains 3 discussion lists: EASI, AXSLIB-L and ABLE-JOB
2 produces an electronic journal: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY and
DISABILITIES
3 produces publications which are available on the internet via gopher
(and some in print)
4 collects and stores other relevant information on an internet gopher
5 delivers a workshop on making schools, colleges and other institutions
accessible. This workshop is delivered in Conjunction with the
Rochester Institute of Technology. It is a three-week email course.
email.
6 provides day-long seminars on adaptive computing for organizations
7 EASI members frequently present papers at conferences and publish in
journalss, magazines and newspapers
How does EASI do all of this? EASI has a corps of dedicated volunteers
giving many hours a week or a month without pay. We do have one paid
staff to help with writing, editing, mailing and answering a telephone.
EASI gets support from various institutions, grants and in-kind services
like computing facilities. (See the list below.) Sometimes grants
provide some limited support for this group, but mostly EASI has
depended on volunteer dedication. EASI has also solicited contributions
from our friends and supporters. (Also, see below.) However, EASI
is looking for new workers as much as for finances. We need your time
and energy to help expand our work and increase our impact.
Supporting and Affiliated Corporations and Institutions:
EASI gratefully ackknowledges recieving special and significant
financial and/or institutional support from:
the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE)
EDUCOM
Arkenstone, Inc.
Apple Computer, Inc.
The Bell-Atlantic Charitable Foundation
The NEC Foundation of America
Rochester Institute of Technology
St Johns University
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Michigan
University of Washington
Dear Friends
If EASI has helped you in the past, now's the time to help EASI. We
need funds to support our basic operations and we're coming to you--the
people we serve and rely on--for help.
While EASI is primarily a volunteer organization, and all of you add to
our success with your input to the list discussions and by contributing
time and effort for special projects, we still need a funding base to
sustain our volunteer network and activities.
As you may know, EASI seeks grants for various special projects, but it
is difficult to get basic operating expenses from granting
organizations. We're left to find funds to support central office
functions, including a staff person, to do paper mailings, answer phone
requests, pay phone bills, and to do the administrative work that goes
with applying for grants. We also need travel funds to help send key
personnel to conferences when other travel support is not available.
EASI is asking that individuals on this list make donations of $25 and
that institutions on this list make $100 donations to help support the
EASI network and other activities. Any other donations are also
welcome. All contributions are tax-deductible.
Please understand that these are voluntary donations and that EASI will
in no way restrict access to its lists or services to donors only. We
feel our work is critical, and we intend to provide an array of free
services to maximize our outreach and our service. If you cannot become
a donor, we do not want you to leave the lists or feel guilty in any
way. Perhaps you can contribute at a later date.
If you would like to send a donation, please make your check or money
order to AAHE-EASI and send it to the American Association for Higher
Education, c/o Kristin May. One Dupont Circle, Suite 360, Washington,
D.C. 20036-1110. We will send acknowledgements of your contribution.
Note: You can also send payment using your credit card by sending
authorization to this same address.
We hope you'll consider helping EASI with donations that will provide
the foundation for our activities. And, we thank you for your
support--whether it's in the form of monetary donations or in your
continued participation in EASI activities.
Sincerely,
Norman Coombs, chairEASI
Rochester Institute of Technology
Chair, EASI Equal Access to Software and Information
FAX7164757120 NRC...@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU