Frequently Asked Questions

Contents:

• Definition of AT
• About WASH-AT
• Subscribing to WASH-AT
• Sending messages to the WASH-AT group
• How to unsubscribe from the list
• How to change the subscriber email address
• Help
• WASH-AT guidelines
• Typical postings
• What the forum does well
• What the forum does not do well
• Who runs WASH-AT
• Membership participation
• Postal address
• Retrieving Message Archives

Definition of AT

Assistive Technology -- technology for more independent, productive and enjoyable living -- can be simple or complex. It includes, Velcro, adapted clothing and toys, computers, seating systems powered mobility, augmentative communication devices, special switches, assisted listening devices, visual aids, memory prosthetics, and thousands of other commercially available or adapted items.

About WASH-AT

WASH-AT was founded in June, 1995, with the goal of allowing anyone with an e-mail address to participate in the discussion on the existing USENET newsgroup wash.assistive-tech. This forum was established as a networking resource for consumers of assistive technology (AT) and their families, AT professionals, and others interested in AT in Washington and Pacific Northwest Region. Typical postings to the group include requests for help in tracking down devices or services, wanted / for sale announcements, notices of upcoming events, and employment opportunities. WASH-AT is an independent entity and not part of any professional group or organization. The discussion group was established as a result of the collaborative efforts of the Center for Technology and Disability Studies and Patricia Dowden, Ph.D., but the group is not allied with any organization. WASH-AT is fortunate to have received technical support, publicity, and participation from the Washington Assistive Technology Alliance, a statewide project funded by the Department of Education, National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Subscribing to WASH-AT

To subscribe, use the e-mail account, where you wish to receive the forum messages, to send a message to wash-at-request@mailman.u.washington.edu.  Leave the subject line blank, and include body text exactly as follows:

subscribe

Shortly after sending this message, you will receive a email message that will ask you to confirm your subscription to the forum. Please respond to this email message as instructed and you receive final confirmation of your subscription and you will be be able to post to and receive messages from the forum.

-------  For example ---

To: wash-at-request@mailman.u.washington.edu
Subject:
----------Message Text-----------
subscribe

Sending Messages to the WASH-AT GROUP:

When you want to post a message to WASH-AT whether as a reply to something you have read on WASH-AT or to introduce a topic for discussion, send your message in the usual email way, addressed to:

wash-at@u.washington.edu

Any message sent to "wash-at@u.washington.edu" gets distributed to all wash-at subscribers, AND you receive any messages sent to that address by other people. Note: this is a moderated email forum. All subscribers and postings are checked for appropriates and content by the forum managers.

How to Unsubscribe from the List

If you decide that you no longer want to receives message posted to WASH-AT send an e-mail message to: wash-at-request@mailman.u.washington.edu requesting that your address be dropped from the list. Leave the subject line blank and in the body of the message type: unsubscribe. This is what the message would look like:

To: wash-at-request@mailman.u.washington.edu
Subject:
---------------------message body-------------------------------
unsubscribe

The message must be sent from the same address you used to subscribe to the list.

Also, At the end of every email message you receive from the email forum, there is a link for managing your subscription. By following this link, you will be able to change the email address where you would like to receive the forum messages, as well as, unsubscribing from the forum.

How to change the subscriber email address

At the end of every email message you receive from the email forum, there is a link for managing your subscription. By following this link, you will be unsubscribe from the forum.

Help

We realize that some WASH-AT members are new to electronic mail and to an email forum. We also remember our own first days "on-line" and the frustration of not having help at hand. We try to offer help for members of WASH-AT, but it may take us a while to get back to you. If you need help with posting a message, replying to message, or dealing with the listproc computer, please send an e-mail message to uwctds@u.washington.edu and provide a clear description of your problem. We do appreciate your respect and patience; we will do our best to give accurate information based on our knowledge and experience.

WASH-AT Guidelines

BASIC: All posts must be related to the topic of the list and must offer a contribution of general interest and application.

Guidelines - do's:

1. Relevance: All posts must be related to the focus of WASH-AT which is assistive technology and disability issues.
2. General Interest: Posts should be made for the general benefit of members. Personal messages, and those that benefit only one or two people, should be sent as private messages.
3. Tone: Messages should have a pleasant, collegial, tone.
4. Courtesy: Regardless of the practice on other lists and newsgroups, courtesy is required on WASH-AT.
5. Clarity: All messages must have a clear subject in the header.
6. Brevity: Make your posting complete, but concise. Repostings from other lists, and quotations from other messages, must be edited before re-posting on WASH-AT. Old headers, signatures, and other extraneous information must be removed before re-posting.
7. Problems: Problems with hardware and software should be addressed to uwctds@u.washington.edu

Guidelines - don'ts

The following kinds of posts are NOT ALLOWED ON WASH-AT:

1. Baiting, goading, insulting, or demeaning messages are not acceptable.
2. Personal requests/thanks should be sent as private messages.
3. Questions and requests of limited interest should be posted to other lists or newsgroups, or to uwctds@u.washington.edu.
4. Complaints about other posts should be sent as private messages to the original sender of the "offending" message.
5. Complaints about WASH-AT should be sent as private messages to the management at: uwctds@u.washington.edu
6. Gossip (such as virus warnings) are inappropriate, unless verified from the source.

A.  WASH-AT is a discussion group focusing on issues concerned with the assistive technology issues, and we try to keep messages relevant to that topic.  Discussing general disability related issues is welcome and encouraged. WASH-AT is not a suitable forum for personal messages and/or for-profit advertising and marketing, although BRIEF announcements about services or products available in Washington State are welcome. Announcements of meetings relevant to people with disabilities and those who serve them are welcome as well, as long as they are open to the public and/or new members are accepted. When deciding whether a posting is appropriate, try to answer the following question: Could this posting be of benefit to many or most members of this list?  If the answer is no, do not post. If in doubt, please e-mail the list managers at: uwctds@u.washington.edu

B. WASH-AT is as effective as its members make it, so the free participation of everyone is hoped for and appreciated. Please try to keep your posting as brief as possible. Some members use screen readers to read the message to them and the unnecessary headers and signature boxes (especially those with in-line graphics and quotations) are very cumbersome. Please be considerate. Just as it is important to try to share public information with the whole group, private correspondence should remain just that: private. Messages that _only_ say "thanks" or "I fully agree with you" should be sent as private. Personal messages do not belong in a public forum.

C. When sending messages to WASH-AT ("posting"), please make sure that your posting has a clear and descriptive entry on the "Subject:" line of the header. Some members decide solely based on the subject whether they will look at the message or not. Subjects such as: "re: you mail" or "re: forwarded mail" are not at all helpful.

D. If you find something posted on the net objectionable, you have every right to voice your objections, but please refrain from doing so on the forum.  It is better to express your complaints in private to the person responsible.  If enough complaints are received, it is unlikely that the "offender" will post those kinds of things any more.  Some mail software packages allow you to screen out or block mail from a particular writer, so those messages will not appear in your mail box.  Please check with your service provider whether this option is available to you.

Typical Postings

The forum is not meant to be simply a platform for technical discussions. The forum serves as a networking resource for consumers of assistive technology and their families, AT professionals, and other interested parties throughout Washington. Typical postings to the group include request for help in tracking down devices or services, wanted/for sale ads, notices of upcoming events, and employment opportunities.

What the Forum Does Well

• Questions about local resources, e.g.: "Where can I buy _____ ?" "Where can I get information on ____ for someone who is _____?" "Who in the local area knows a lot about ______ ?" "What are some of the local agencies that might fund a _______?"
• Questions about commonly used products, e.g.: "What are the advantages and disadvantages of ______?" "How does ____ compare to _____?" "Is _____ compatible with ______?"
• Questions about non-local resources for information, e.g.: "Is there a national bulletin board or forum to discuss ____?" "My child has ____. How can I find other parents across the country whose child has the same diagnosis?"
• Discussion about issues and solutions to common problems: "What are the Washington State rules about aides in the classroom?" "I have never been to an IEP meeting before. What should I expect?" "What can a parent do if he or she disagrees with part of an IEP?" "My sister has ALS and is having more and more trouble speaking. Is there anything that can help her communicate?" Or, "I have a disability and I didn't finish high school. Is there any way I can finish? Also, I don't have a job or any money. How can I pay for this?"

What the Forum Does Not Do Well

• Recommendations of equipment for an individual:

  Why not? Because AT is more successful when the technology is selected and customized to fit the individual, rather than the individual adjusting to fit the technology. Even detailed descriptions here are not enough information for anyone to make a good, reliable recommendation.

• Step by step guidance through a problem:

  Why not? Because the flow of people participating in the discussions means that responses will rarely come from the same person, and many people will become uncomfortable if they feel they must respond to a particular posting simply because they responded once before. If the problem is this complex, it may be better to seek professional assistance.

• Complaints about local services or vendors

  Why not? Because it is far better for you to communicate directly with the people who have frustrated you. If you have such a strong concern about a local service provider that you want other families or consumers to avoid them, it is more productive to write positively about another agency to steer them in that direction. People find that kind of information more useful anyway. If you must write something negative, please say it politely. Rude comments will drive away other network users.

• Urgent needs or problems with uncommon equipment:

  Why not? Because responses will not likely to be fast and the local community is too small to assume that there always will be someone who knows every piece of equipment no matter how obscure. Instead, contact the vendor or manufacturer of the equipment.

Who Runs WASH-AT

Jeff Witzel and Alan Knue of the UWCTDS oversee the day-to-day operation of WASH-AT. This is a moderated email forum. All subscribers and postings are checked for appropriateness and content by the forum managers.

Membership Participation

We seek participation from the members of WASH-AT in the on-line discussions as well as in making policy about WASH-AT, and in publicizing WASH-AT. We would also gladly provide you with fliers and other necessary information if you would like to give a presentation on WASH-AT. Please e-mail your proposals, comments, notes of appreciation, suggestions, and complains to uwctds@u.washington.edu.

Postal Address

You are invited to share your suggestions, comments, and criticism (preferably constructive) with us, the list "owners" at any time:

WASH-AT Discussion Group Management
UW Center for Technology and Disability Studies
Box 357920
Seattle, WA 98195-7920
uwctds@u.washington.edu

Browsing Recent Messages and Message Archives

Recent messages and message archives can be browsed at: http://depts.washington.edu/uwat/archive#end .