Mailing lists

Mailing lists are a very solid, low-tech method of one-to-many communication. I've noticed that most of these have a rather high signal-to-noise ratio and are notable for the eccentric regular contributors.

ADA-Law is about disability-related legislation. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@VM1.NODAK.EDU or LISTSERV@NDSUVM1. In the body of the message type "subscribe ADA-Law Firstname Lastname".

ASL is an echo of alt.society.asl USENET newsgroup. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@MDF.FIDONET.ORG. In the body of the message type "subscribe ASL Firstname Lastname".

AXSLIB-L dicusses general topics on accessibility for the disabled, focus on libraries. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU. In the body of the message type "subscribe AXSLIB-L Firstname Lastname".

DEAFBLND is a list concerning deaf-blindness. To subscribe, send a message to Bob Moore at STR002@UKCC.BITNET.

DEAF-L is a discussion list for the deaf community and those associated with it. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@SIUCVMB.BITNET. In the body of the message type "subscribe DEAF-L Firstname Lastname". To post to the list, send a message to DEAF-L@SIUCVMB.BITNET.

EASI is about Equal Access to Software and Information for the disabled. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU. In the body of the message type "subscribe EASI Firstname Lastname".

GESTURE-L is designed for those interested in gestures, gesture systems and alternate sign languages. To subscribe, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@COOMBS.ANU.EDU.AU. In the body of the message type "subscribe GESTURE-L Firstname Lastname". To post to the list, send a message to GESTURE-L@COOMBS.ANU.EDU.AU.

L-HCAP is about disabilities in general; will occasionally have deaf/hoh info. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@VM1.NODAK.EDU or LISTSERV@NDSUVM1. In the body of the message type "subscribe L-HCAP Firstname Lastname".

MRDEAF-L is about the mentally retarded deaf/hoh. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to majordomo@bga.com. In the body of the message type "subscribe MRDEAF-L".

SLLING-L is a sign language linguistics list. To subscribe, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU. In the body of the message type "subscribe SLLING-L Firstname Lastname". To post to the list, send a message to SLLING-L@YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU.

TERPS-L is about the mentally retarded deaf/hoh. To join, send a message with a blank subject line to LISTSERV@ADMIN.HUMBERC.ON.CA or LISTSERV@HUMBER.BITNET. In the body of the message type "subscribe TERPS-L Firstname Lastname".

TFA (Telephone For All) is an international news service for people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or affiliated with the deaf community. To subscribe or submit news, send a message to RBWEINSTOCK@gallaudet.gallau.edu.

Electronic newsletters are interesting descendent from the early political small press. One person, or a small staff, are able to research, compose, produce, and deliver a whole spectrum of editorial and reportage.

DEAF MAGAZINE is a weekly magazine distributed by electronic mail. To subscribe, send a message with a blank subject line to DEAF-REQUEST@CLARK.NET. In the body of the message type "subscribe DEAF Firstname Lastname". To post to the list, send a message to DEAF@CLARK.NET.

USENET newsgroups

USENET (the "User's Network") is a collection of thousands of bulletin-board-style groups, each devoted to another facet of the human condition. Most are distributed around the entire planet, some are gatewayed to mailing lists.

• alt.society.asl is known as the Deaf culture's "Place of Our Own"

• bit.listserv.deaf-l is a deaf/hoh/hearing-impaired echo of the DEAF-L list

• misc.handicap is devoted to all handicaps, with the occasional have deaf/hoh thread

Gopher

Gopher is a distributed information system something like a text-only World Wide Web.

• Cornucopia of Disability Information gopher (Buffalo)

• Deaf Education Information gopher at Kent State University

• Deaf gopher at Michigan State University gopher

• DEAF-L Listserv Archive gopher

• Disabilities and Computing Program at UCLA

• Disability Information gopher (University of Maryland)

• Disability Resources at Olivetti

• Disability gopher at University of Minnesota

• EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) gopher

• Electronic Rehabilitation Resource Center gopher (St. John's U.)

• OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) gopher

• Wisconsin Disabilities gopher (Trace)

The gopher server at hawking.u.washington.edu contains a section devoted to the deaf and hard-of-hearing which includes links to other gophers. Among the materials included are (with links to alternative sources of information): information on the legal rights of the deaf, archives and general information about the DEAF-L mailing list, career information, guidance for families and friends of the Deaf including misconceptions, education and parenting, legislative updates, deafness-related programs and files, including ASL tutorials.

Bulletin Boards (BBSs)

(Update of April 1991; does anyone have anything later?) The following are BBSs using the phone-TTY CM-4 modem in operation (accepting either TDD/baudot 45 baud or ASCII 110-300 baud), so you can call for news any time with your TDD or computer. If you wish to be listed here, or if the number has been changed, please let me know.

Anonymous FTP

Archives of text, programs, and other information. So-called because you log in (via ftp) using "anonymous" as your username and your email address as the password.

• Handicap BBS

• LINCS-BBS or perhaps LINCS-BBS. (Netcom keeps moving their FTP tree around.)