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Sylvia, there are units being sold now by three companies, I think Sony, Phillips and Magnavox, for about $330 in the US, that permit people without computers to view the internet on a standard television reciever. I would say the technology is ideal for someone who wants to access the net , but don't want or need to use a computer. I don't know if it can be used to send email, and I believe it costs $20 a month to connect. I am sure that discounts in the unit and the service will be available sooner or later as competition builds. This is available in the Miami Florida area, so maybe it is not being sold in other areas yet? We seem to be a place for pilot programs. [OO]FOR RADIOS! Ken Becker [log in to unmask] On Fri, 28 Feb 1997, S. Gartland wrote: > Hello everyone, > > I need your help. > > A friend visited me recently while I was reading postings from this list. > This particular lady suffers from 12 different disorders including > Myasthenia Gravis, Epilepsy, Addison's Disease and Diabetes to name but a > few. She was amazed how much information and how many support organisations > I could access by simply keying the name of a disease into a search engine. > She said "I have to have this!" > But of course, like so many people who are ill, she has little disposable > income and cannot afford Internet fees let alone the cost of a computer. > I have an idea for a scheme that might prove helpful to disabled and ill > folk in this community of 25,000 people which is 450km away from the nearest > capital city. We are all fairly well isolated from support and information > by distance. I must qualify that statement by saying that there is an > active Parkinsons support group in the area, but many people who suffer from > illnesses other than Parkinsons are thus isolated. > I would like to start an Internet Cafe for these people. I am confident > that I can find accommodation in a local Government or semi-government > building and I believe that funding would not be too much of a problem. I > need a lot of information to enable me to turn this idea into a reality. > If anyone can help me with information about software which enables disabled > people (such as vision impaired or even totally blind people or those with > other physical disabilities) to use computer terminals and to use the > Internet, I would be most grateful. Email addresses of anyone who knows > anything about setting-up such a thing would also be welcome. > I am a real rookie; I have no idea what hardware we will need and I will > need to be fairly specific when we apply for funding. (I am hoping to get > the entire project funded by the Government and/or the Lotteries > Commission.) My Internet provider was less than helpful when I approached > him today, which rather surprised me considering that there will be a large > profit at the end of all this and a lot of good publicity as well for the > supplier of the hardware. > I have been amazed at the response to any request for help on this list and > I am confident that my request will generate a similar avalanche of > information and suggestions. (In fact I am counting on it!) > If you don't wish to clutter the list with replies to this request (which > would probably be of no particular use to most other people who are on the > list) please email me off-list. > Thank you for the opportunity to make this request. > > Stay happy > > Sylvia Gartland > > [log in to unmask] >