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Thanks Aidan- I agree entirely that staff in education (particularly in HE) are often unaware of the other communities/sectors from which they could gain information and support. This is certainly something that I plan to cover in my book. Sadly, I am unable to attend the Balancing the Equation conference- but hope that all those that do attend manage to identify effective ways of sharing practice across the different communities. Regards, Jane Seale -----Original Message----- From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. on behalf of Aidan Parr Sent: Tue 07/06/2005 14:20 To: [log in to unmask] Cc: Subject: Re: [DIS-FORUM] Use of specialist technology databases Jane, One of the problems for everyone is knowing where to look for information as there seems to be many different information sources that don't reference or acknowledge each other. For example, in the UK alone the DLF has a good database for general disability, Techdis has another with emphasis on EAT, FAST concentrates on R&D. Lots of different charities provide guides on AT equipment. And there are plenty more I probably don't know about. But we don't always refer enquiries to the right place in any co-ordinated way. Perhaps the feeling is that we are in 'competition' ? I also think that it's a mistake for those working in student support to feel that their problems or need for information is unique to education. I subscribe to a few forums: AssisTech, TECH-DIS, SENIT, etc and there seems to be a lot of people crying out for information and the questions in these forums are as relevant to education as they are for people working in the NHS or in a charity supporting disabled clients. My feeling is that the need for computer access for a disabled student, for example, is not that different from the needs of a teenager in school for computer access or from that of someone being supported for computer access in a hospital. Obviously, there are some variations in need, but ultimately we all need to be aware of what our colleagues are doing and what good/bad/indifferent equipment they are supplying. I'm looking forward to the 'Balancing the Equation' conference in September where AT Networking will be discussed. I've also mooted the idea of a few regional conferences a year for those working in AT support: education, health, charity,etc. One in London/the South-east, one in the Midlands and one in Northern England. Obviously, I'd be happy to respond to interest from Scotland, Wales and the South-West. Anyone interested? I'm not sure I've answered your question though.... Best Wishes, Aidan Parr Information Officer FAST 12 City Forum 250 City Road London EC1V 8AF Tel: +44 (0) 20 7253 3303 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7253 5990 Reg. Charity Number: 1061636 Why not go to the FAST website at http://www.fastuk.org to find out more about FAST and how you can be involved. To stay up to date with the latest news on assistive technology why not subscribe to the AT Forum's monthly email bulletin by sending an email to: [log in to unmask] Check out previous bulletins at http://www.fastuk.org/atforum.php.