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Aid for developmentally disabled
Reports~Conference
Aid for developmentally disabled The Institute for the Future is engaged in a project to explore effective and affordable uses of telecommunications systems to benefit developmentally disabled children and adults. The two-year study, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, began on 1 October 1978 under the overall leadership of the Alternate Media Center at New York University. The Pediatric Service of Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and the American Association of University Affiiliated Programs 1 in Washington DC make up the rest of the project team.
The project is designed to strengthen the training and service capabilities of University Affiiliated Facilities and Programs ( U A F / U A P ) ~ for the developmentally disabled. These university programmes develop and demonstrate specialized services for the diagnosis and treatment of people with developmental disabilities (DD). In addition, they provide education and training (both specialized and inl~erdisciplinary) for those who work with developmentally disabled people. The principlal tasks of the project include: identifying and assessing potential applications of telecommunications technology to UAPs and related programmes; demonstrating and evaluating a few of the most promising
applications; and disseminating information on the project's activities and findings. The initial phase of the project involves a careful study of the needs and priorities of these programmes. Team members are visiting UAPs throughout the USA in order to meet with faculty and staff and conduct seminars to introduce the project. In addition to identifying possible telecommunications applications for the delivery of training and care, this phase is designed to aid in selection of sites for demonstration projects. The selection of demonstration projects will be guided by four criteria: •
Demonstrations
should
be
of
•
•
•
national significance; they should either involve or be replicable at sites across the USA. There should be a high probability that the objectives of the demonstration will be accomplished to a significant degree during the lifetime of the project grant. Demonstrations should be likely to continue with their own funding beyond the time period of the project. Demonstrations should be representative of diverse types of telecommunications applications in the DD field.
Care will be taken to ensure that the projects selected are consistent with the best current thinking on effective and affordable uses of telecommunications technologies. The project will be assisted by an Advisory Council, chaired by Professor Percy Tannenbaum of the Graduate School of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley. 1 The national network of University Affiliated Facilities now includes 47 centres associated with colleges and universities in 30 different states, Many of these centres are called University Affiliated Programs.
Conference Fax and beyond- potentials for EMS 'From facsimile to electronic mail - the practicalities and potentials of electronic message services today', organized by Information Studies Ltd and The Yankee Group, London, UK, 17-28 March 1979
In his opening presentation, Howard Anderson (The Yankee Group, Cambridge, MA) listed the major impediments to the development of electronic mail systems in organizations. These included the lack of models, examples, case studies and experience; the lack of real cost parameters; the lack of favourable costbenefit analyses; and the high cost of entry into the systems, combined with a lack of software. On the other hand, 'catalysts' to the adoption of electronic mail, such as the
252
within organizations. Managers of particular sections, for example 'administrative services', tended to be protective of their areas of control and to feel threatened by the proposed introduction of innovative systems. In addition, sound economic justification for such innovation had, of course, to be made to top management. Mr Anderson suggested that 'mini seminars' should be organized within companies with the aim of promoting an understanding of and desire for electronic mail. A task force should be developed to enumerate the specific needs of its particular organization. With careful planning, the benefits could be considerable:
current time delay for delivery of intracompany mail, the time uncertainty for first class mail, and rising costs in the postal services, were encouraging companies to consider the possibilities. Mr Anderson commented that the cost of the technology was now dropping at a rate of about 7% per year, and electronic mail was a viable alternative in the short term - first on an intracompany and later on an • intercompany basis. During the conference, he stressed • the problem of overcoming barriers.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Productivity increase or performance increase. Faster messages, faster decision making.
POLICY
September
1979
Aid for developmentally disabled The Institute for the Future is engaged in a project to explore effective and affordable uses of telecommunications systems to benefit developmentally disabled children and adults. The two-year study, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, began on 1 October 1978 under the overall leadership of the Alternate Media Center at New York University. The Pediatric Service of Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and the American Association of University Affiiliated Programs 1 in Washington DC make up the rest of the project team.
The project is designed to strengthen the training and service capabilities of University Affiiliated Facilities and Programs ( U A F / U A P ) ~ for the developmentally disabled. These university programmes develop and demonstrate specialized services for the diagnosis and treatment of people with developmental disabilities (DD). In addition, they provide education and training (both specialized and inl~erdisciplinary) for those who work with developmentally disabled people. The principlal tasks of the project include: identifying and assessing potential applications of telecommunications technology to UAPs and related programmes; demonstrating and evaluating a few of the most promising
applications; and disseminating information on the project's activities and findings. The initial phase of the project involves a careful study of the needs and priorities of these programmes. Team members are visiting UAPs throughout the USA in order to meet with faculty and staff and conduct seminars to introduce the project. In addition to identifying possible telecommunications applications for the delivery of training and care, this phase is designed to aid in selection of sites for demonstration projects. The selection of demonstration projects will be guided by four criteria: •
Demonstrations
should
be
of
•
•
•
national significance; they should either involve or be replicable at sites across the USA. There should be a high probability that the objectives of the demonstration will be accomplished to a significant degree during the lifetime of the project grant. Demonstrations should be likely to continue with their own funding beyond the time period of the project. Demonstrations should be representative of diverse types of telecommunications applications in the DD field.
Care will be taken to ensure that the projects selected are consistent with the best current thinking on effective and affordable uses of telecommunications technologies. The project will be assisted by an Advisory Council, chaired by Professor Percy Tannenbaum of the Graduate School of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley. 1 The national network of University Affiliated Facilities now includes 47 centres associated with colleges and universities in 30 different states, Many of these centres are called University Affiliated Programs.
Conference Fax and beyond- potentials for EMS 'From facsimile to electronic mail - the practicalities and potentials of electronic message services today', organized by Information Studies Ltd and The Yankee Group, London, UK, 17-28 March 1979
In his opening presentation, Howard Anderson (The Yankee Group, Cambridge, MA) listed the major impediments to the development of electronic mail systems in organizations. These included the lack of models, examples, case studies and experience; the lack of real cost parameters; the lack of favourable costbenefit analyses; and the high cost of entry into the systems, combined with a lack of software. On the other hand, 'catalysts' to the adoption of electronic mail, such as the
252
within organizations. Managers of particular sections, for example 'administrative services', tended to be protective of their areas of control and to feel threatened by the proposed introduction of innovative systems. In addition, sound economic justification for such innovation had, of course, to be made to top management. Mr Anderson suggested that 'mini seminars' should be organized within companies with the aim of promoting an understanding of and desire for electronic mail. A task force should be developed to enumerate the specific needs of its particular organization. With careful planning, the benefits could be considerable:
current time delay for delivery of intracompany mail, the time uncertainty for first class mail, and rising costs in the postal services, were encouraging companies to consider the possibilities. Mr Anderson commented that the cost of the technology was now dropping at a rate of about 7% per year, and electronic mail was a viable alternative in the short term - first on an intracompany and later on an • intercompany basis. During the conference, he stressed • the problem of overcoming barriers.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Productivity increase or performance increase. Faster messages, faster decision making.
POLICY
September
1979