As the co-owner back then he may well have said that, but the list header hasn't changed much over the years and it says:
"Dis-forum is open to staff and students who have an interest in all
aspects of disability related to Higher or Further Education.
Originally set up for discussion of the 93/4 HEFCE Special Initiatives,
it is not a researchers list. However, any contributions or queries on
the subject of support for disabled students and staff in universities
are welcome."
Paul Dilley
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bryan Jones
>Sent: 23 April 2007 14:04
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Message from the list owner
>
>Don't know what happened there. Anyway, Staff room and Dis-forum. See message
>below that was sent from Dave Laycock in Nov 2000 list owener at the time.
>(Took seconds to find by the way, I'm not that anal).
>
>Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 12:20:02 -0000
>Reply-To: "Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff."
> <[log in to unmask]>
>Sender: "Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff."
> <[log in to unmask]>
>From: David Laycock <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: University of Westminster
>Subject: using dis-forum
>
>Sarah apologised before sending a joke to the list when she had no
>reason to do so. Can I remind everyone, particularly new members,
>that dis-forum was created to be the electronic staff room for
>disability officers (or whatever they prefer to be called) who are
>otherwise relatively isolated. As a maths lecturer I regularly used a
>staff room which was a vital part of the way we, as a department,
>did our work. A lot of what happened was serious stuff but some of
>it was lighthearted. I know there are many more DOs today than
>when dis-forum was created in 1995, and we are all very busy,
>often unreasonably so, which is why NADO has been formed, but
>let's not lose our sense of humour or we are really stuffed.
>
>
>Dave Laycock
>
>Head of CCPD
>Computer Centre for People with Disabilities
>University of Westminster
>72 Great Portland Street
>London W1N 5AL
>
>Bryan Jones,
>Manager, Disability Support Services
>& North London Regional Access Centre,
>Middlesex University
>Tel: 020 8411 5366
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bryan Jones
>Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 2:00 PM
>To: 'Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.'
>Subject: RE: Message from the list owner
>
>
>T the risk
>
>Bryan Jones,
>Manager, Disability Support Services
>& North London Regional Access Centre,
>Middlesex University
>Tel: 020 8411 5366
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of alex larg
>Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 7:44 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Message from the list owner
>
>
>Hi Rhun,
>
>I appreciate the point you are making but I would say do you have to be
>disabled to be a disability officer or an assessor?
>
>I would say no as long as you listen to what the disabled community says to you
>and take into account the varying, differing and sometimes conflicting views in
>terms of adjustments that people need and request. I also think that it is
>important to give as many possible and different opportunities for feedback as
>possible as we know how difficult the important monitoring and evaluation
>process is and how difficult it can be to collect that information so we can
>act up it when necessary.
>
>With respect you are also assuming that I am not currently a student as well as
>working for a living. Many people have to do both nowadays as you know.
>
>I have had a quick look and cannot find any jiscmail based discussion lists
>related to what I am suggesting apart from dis-forum. But then some people
>perceive dis-forum as a "staff" room which may not be very welcoming for
>students and others. The list owner, Paul, has clarified this though and made
>it clear that it is open to anybody with an interest in disability and HE.
>
>Is it a bad thing to provide another opportunity for discussion and sharing of
>ideas and issues as long as this is managed positively, constructively and
>with accessibility in mind and in practice?
>
>Best wishes,
>
>
>Alex
>
>Alex Larg
>
>[log in to unmask]
>07931 561 877 or 07916 175 077
>Freelance Assistive Technology Trainer
>Freelance study needs assessor
>Former Disability Officer
>
>
>On 20/4/07 19:34, "Rhun Ap Harri [rha]" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Dear DisForum
>>
>> I'm all for what students want to do.
>>
>> Owning and moderating a Jiscmail forum for students by anyone other
>> than a student is beyond my understanding of independence.
>>
>> Students could well have a forum somewhere anyway.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Rhun
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ------
>> Rhun ap Harri
>> Swyddog Anabledd PCA/UWA Disability Officer
>> Prifysgol Cymru Aberystwyth University of Wales
>> Ystafell G7/Room G7 Cledwyn Building
>> Ceredigion SY23 3DD
>> Ffôn: / Tel:01970 628537 Ffacs: / Fax: 01970 621759
>> Symudol/Mobile:07971 818993
>> www.aber.ac.uk/welfare-disability
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>> on behalf of alex larg
>> Sent: Fri 20/04/2007 16:32
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Message from the list owner
>>
>>
>> Paul,
>>
>> I have been discussing with a number of students the possibility of
>> setting up a new jiscmail forum for students to discuss disability and
>> study related issues. I love your suggestion of dis-tracted! I
>> sometime feel dis-heartened, but we were thinking of a list called
>> "Student Voice".
>>
>> I think its purpose would be for students to discuss issues that they
>> have experienced or perceived around both DSA and HE / FE study,
>> although these things often work best when they organically evolve by
>> themselves. This could give a forum for students to air their views
>> and have their say in the safe knowledge that they could speak freely
>> without fear of comeback which is a concern that has been expressed by
>> students on dis-forum previously. Constructive feedback could be
>> gathered and fed back to QAG / DfES / Skill etc. I would be willing to
>> moderate and own the list. I am an independent freelance trainer,
>> mainly, and so could do this without prejudice.
>>
>> I would imagine that the good people out there, including myself,
>> would like to thank you for your work in the background which is
>> essential to the management and smooth running of dis-forum.
>>
>> Have a good weekend and cheers everybody,
>>
>> Alex
>> 07931 561 877 or 07916 175 077
>> Freelance Assistive Technology Trainer
>> Former Disability Officer
>> MNADP
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>>
>>> Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:18:20 +0100
>>> From: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Message from the list owner
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>
>>> Like most people, I have a job to do that takes 110% of my time, so
>>> it leaves little to devote to mailing list issues. That's my excuse
>>> for being silent up to now....
>>>
>>> First I'd like to point out to everybody (all 862 of you) that the
>>> acceptable use policy for JISCmail lists, emailed when you joined, is
>>> available at:
>>>
>>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/policy/index.htm#about
>>>
>>> and a guide to etiquette can be found here:
>>>
>>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/help/policy/etiquette.htm
>>>
>>>
>>> Secondly, I have received two emails of complaint about the content
>>> of a particular thread from earlier in the week and a couple
>>> expressing concern that dis-forum is veering away from being the
>>> useful source of information and discussion that it has always been.
>>>
>>> I feel little would be achieved by 'raking over the coals'. However,
>>> I do feel it's appropriate to repost, below, an email sent to another
>>> list, by a colleague, Nicki Martin:
>>>
>>> "I am pleased to see this comment about careful use of language in
>>> emails so we don't come across as aggressive. Thanks for this. It is
>>> really easy to fire off a comment, especially if it's something which
>>> evokes strong feelings. We are all really hard working and very keen
>>> to get it right in order to improve things for disabled students, so
>>> strong feelings, frustration, exasperation, radical ideas etc are
>>> inevitably often part of this.
>>>
>>> A few seconds to re-read before pressing send to check tone and
>>> content will save us all a lot of hassle and upset in the long run. I
>>> also feel it will stop members from disengaging with the list on
>>> occasion because of its tone. Hope this is helpful. That is my
>>> intention."
>>>
>>>
>>> I'd also like to state that dis-forum is not a virtual staff room.
>>> Since its inception in 1995 it has always been open to anybody with
>>> an interest in disability and Higher Education, regardless of their
>>> status. Staff working in the sector may find the list offered by
>>> NADP, to their members, an additional useful resource.
>>>
>>> Those of you using Outlook may like to get to grips with the 'Rules
>>> and Alerts' option on the Tools menu. I use it to divert my list mail
>>> to folders automatically. This means I dip into the dialogues when I
>>> have time but, in the meantime, it doesn't interfere with my day job.
>>>
>>> Finally, I'd like to draw a line under the activities of the week and
>>> suggest that, when such strong feelings are evoked on issues, it can
>>> indicate the need for another list or group. Anybody feel like
>>> creating a new list? What should we call it? I'll start off this
>>> Friday afternoon by suggesting dis-tracted! :-)
>>>
>>> Paul Dilley
>>> CLASS Manager
>>> University of Westminster
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
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