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> The WWW site noted below might be of interest. > > www.ebuddies.org > > Though it is not a 'generic' chat site, its purpose is to promote relationships between people with and > without intellectual disability. For someone looking for a 'welcoming' (and safe) place to start chatting > on the WWW, it could be worth a try. > > > Frequently Asked Questions > > 1. What is e-Buddies? > e-Buddies creates e-mail friendships between people with and without mental retardation. > > 2. Is e-Buddies a nonprofit organization? > e-Buddies is part of the nonprofit organization Best Buddies. The mission of Best Buddies is to > enhance the lives of people with mental retardation by providing opportunitites for one-to-one > friendships and integrated employment. Find out more about Best Buddies by clicking here. > > 3. What do e-Buddies do? > e-Buddies participants agree to e-mail each other once a week for one year. Of course, many of > our participants enjoy the e-mail relationship so much, they e-mail each other every day! > > 4. How soon will I have an e-Buddy? > Once you have completed both parts of the e-Buddies application, we have to process your > application. Usually, it takes between one and four weeks to conduct the necessary background > and reference checks. Once we have approved your application, we can match you with an > e-Buddy. If you do not have a developmental disability, especially if you are female, you may want > to keep in mind that we do have a waiting list of several months. If you have a developmental > disability, we can typically have you matched up within a month. > > 5. I have already signed up for an e-Buddy. How else can I help? > There are a number of ways that you can help us build a community of inclusion for people with > mental retardation on the Internet. > > • If you know someone with mental retardation that has regular access to e-mail, help sign him or > her up for e-Buddies. We are always looking for more participants, especially people with mental > retardation. > > • If you have time and know someone that is unfamiliar with computers or may need help using > e-mail for any reason, please help them. It doesn't take much time, but it makes a world of > difference. > > • If you have an old computer you are going to get rid of, please think of us. We distribute donated > computers to participants with mental retardation that do not have regular access to the Internet > but would like to become an e-Buddy. While it is not necessary to have state-of-the-art > computers to be an e-Buddy, we do request that donated computers have a clock speed of 66 > MHz or greater, be Windows 95 capable, and have a modem. > > 6. Can I have more than one e-Buddy? > Typically, e-Buddies pairs one person with mental retardation in an e-mail friendship with a > volunteer who does not have mental retardation. In special cases, we may pair people in more > than one relationship. > > 7. How old do I need to be to join e-Buddies? > You must be at least 10 years old to participate. > > 8. Do I need my parent's permission to participate? > If you are under age 18, you do need to have your parent's permission to join e-Buddies. If you > are over the age of 18, have a developmental disability, and a legal guardian, you need your > guardian's permission to join e-Buddies. The sign-up form will guide you through the process of > getting your parent or guardian's permission. > > 9. Does e-Buddies cost anything? > e-Buddies is free for students. e-Buddies is free for people with mental retardation. Because we > are a nonprofit organization, we do charge volunteers who are not students a one-time $50 fee. > This fee helps cover the costs of checking references and processing applications. > > 10. Is it safe to participate in e-Buddies? > Best Buddies is committed to doing all we can to make e-Buddies a fun, fulfilling, and safe > experience. This is why we screen all applicants and require parental permission for those under > 18. We also require all participants to agree to a code of conduct that prohibits the exchange of > addresses and telephone numbers, the transmittal of pornographic information, and the > transmittal of any attachments. In-person meetings are also prohibited, unless arranged by a > Best Buddies staff member. > > 11. Who has access to the information I provide on the e-Buddies application? > Best Buddies considers all information provided on the e-Buddies application highly confidential. > We keep this information on a secure server. Only authorized Best Buddies staff members can > access your information. Best Buddies does not sell or trade this information with anyone. > > > Keith R. McVilly B.A.., Grad. Dip. Psych., M. Psych. (Clinical) MAPS & Member of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine Centre for Developmental Disability Studies PO Box 6 RYDE 1680 New South Wales Australia Tel. 61-(0)2 - 8878 0500 Fac. 61-(0)2 - 9807 7053 Mob. 61-0419 590 857 E-mail [log in to unmask] ________________End of message______________________ Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List are now located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.