On a wheel-chair through World Wide Web to Europe?

Elzbieta Zawistowska, Krystyna Karwicka, Krzysztof Markiewicz, Elzbieta Pleszczynska, Krystyna Wojakowska Red.

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Abstract

Material presented in this preprint is divided into three parts. The first part deals with opportunities offered to physically disabled by the developped computer information techniques, and more specifically by the INTERNET. We refer to prospects of telework, teleeducation and teleinformation, and to the role of the home-page of the Foundation for Supporting Physically Disabled Mathematicians, Computer Scientists and Programmers. This part of the preprint has an optimistic character. It says: there is much to be done, and it may be done in rather easy and cheap way.

In the second part we try to show how these opportunities are secured by the recent project of the Polish rule concerning professional rehabilitation and employment of disabled people. And here one may be rather depressed. In our opinion this project means that Poland may abandon the hope of becoming a true member of Europe. We propose a few important corrections and a parallel vision of professional rehabilitation. In order to show how essential is a quick and well-addressed action towards a computer-based professional rehabilitation of physically disabled, we quote some chosen opinions of such persons. They bring to light how tragic is the situation of many of them and which activities are specially recommended.

In the third part a concise information on the Foundation for Supporting Physically Disabled Mathematicians, Computer Scientists and Programmers is given. The Foundation, created in 1990 in Warsaw, is mainly interested in professional rehabilitation of physically disabled based on computer techniques. The friends and sponsors of the Foundation are referred, and among them the Institute of Computer Science PAS, whose collaboration and help was, and remains to be, essential for aims and existence of the Foundation.

The main aim of this booklet is to initiate a consolidation of the Polish computer specialists circle's opinion on the role of professional training and employment of our physically disabled colleagues, and on the integration of both sides.