Welcome…

To the second issue of ITCH NEWS. Yes, I know it’s cheating; the first issue didn’t have a title. But we have to start somewhere, and if any one thinks they’ve got a more original title than this, lets be having it!

I’m very aware that this issue is once again a one way street: all the news is coming from the ITCH Steering Group (SG). We’d much rather this was a two-way exchange of news and views. So over to you.

All the very best.

Mike Still

[email protected]

ITCH Business Notes

1). If you have asked to be sent regular copies of Ability Magazine, you should begin receiving copies soon. The next issue is due out in November so… if you think you are missing out please contact Jeff Hughes at: [email protected]

2). Client interest in ITCH and its antecedents has inevitably led to some clients joining the British Computer Society Disability Group (BCS-DG) of which, as you know, ITCH is a Project.

This is a very welcome step and the ITCH Steering Group (SG) will be discussing with the BCS-DG the possibility of producing a leaflet containing a BCS-DG membership form, for distribution by Volunteers to interested clients. The SG is also looking at the possibility of including the BCS-DG membership form on the ITCH website.

3). And the ITCH website is also currently having a critical eye run over it by a work colleague of SG member, Tom Mangan, with special attention being paid to its accessibility by visitors. Also being

considered: the possibility of supplying a Wizard Template for County Controllers wishing to construct their own site. And the possibility of setting up a web-based ITCH discussion group.

4). ITCH funds have recently been boosted by a very generous donation of £1,500 from Terry’s of Oxford, and the sharp-sighted may have spotted the ITCH logo on a racing car on Sky Sports. SG member Paul Stoner, who is to be thanked for managing both these successes, is currently looking at several other sponsorship ideas revolving around the marketing of the ITCH acronym, and has developed a new logo in support of this.

Client donations

ITCH recently received a donation of £30 from a couple in West Sussex, in gratitude for all the help they have received in recent months from Sussex County Controller Albert Bish.

It is not ITCH’s policy to solicit donations from clients. However, we will always gladly accept a contribution towards our running costs should someone you have helped want to make one.

Spreading the word

The key task for all County Controllers (CC) is co-ordinating the activities of the Volunteers on their patch and acting as Volunteers themselves. But equally important is publicising ITCH locally in order to obtain fresh Volunteers and new clients, which can be a bind for busy CCs.

Getting ITCH well known locally is vital to our long-term growth prospects. Area Organisers (AO) can make a big contribution here by pitching in and helping with local publicity. Indeed, many are already doing so.

A variety of aids is available from Robert Bates ([email protected]) and (soon) from the ITCH web site. This includes a promotional leaflet, letter templates, news releases and posters.

If you feel you need something else, please say so and we’ll do our best to provide it. The leaflet, for example, is a very simple piece of DTP done in Word. We are currently looking at how much it would cost to have this and the posters printed professionally, and portable display panels produced on which to mount posters at exhibitions, conferences and seminars.

REMAP

I am sure most of us have heard of REMAP. But what does it stand for? Is it a name or an acronym? It is in fact the latter and stands for: Rehabilitation Engineering Movement Advisory Panel. “But we like to think of REMAP as a word which will eventually mean a great deal to disabled people,” says REMAP National Organiser John Wright.

REMAP specializes in custom made aids for people with disabilities and is a national registered charity. For more than 30 years REMAP has provided one off technical aids, which help disabled people of all ages to enjoy a better lifestyle. Every aid is given free of charge to the user.

Skilled hands

Last year REMAP turned out £2 million of individual aids that money just can't buy, because the charity only makes aids that are not available over the counter. Is one of the UK's most cost-effective charities and its engineers also think ‘green’ when it comes to choosing materials for the job. A lawn mower, defunct dishwasher or car parts will, in skilled hands, often become a component of aids that open up new horizons for many hundreds of disabled people.

Sometimes the smallest gadget or the most simple modification to a piece of existing equipment can make an enormous difference to somebody's life. Providing help through REMAP can be very rewarding and engineers or craftsmen with a little spare time to help out, are always in demand by local REMAP panels.

Helpful web site

If you would like more information or think you would like to join your local REMAP group of volunteers, please contact the Chairman or Secretary of the panel nearest to you. REMAP operates through a network of 1,500 volunteers. The professional engineers, technicians, and craftspeople – along with medical and paramedical staff from community services and hospitals – all belong to 100 panels (groups) linked to regions across the UK.

To find the panel nearest to you and any other information about REMAP, go to their web site at: www.remap.org.uk/home.htm

Internet Explorer 6

In case you haven’t been following the exchange of e-mails between various ITCH-ers, we thought you might find the following digest useful.

Microsoft IE6 is a major component of the new Windows XP operating system launched on October 25^th. But IE6 can also be found as a separate item on the cover CDs on many computer magazines. It can also be downloaded from the Microsoft web site if you have the time and patience, and can afford the ’phone bill. It’s a big file!

If you do decide to try out IE6 bear in mind that because of previous legal action by Sun Microsystems, it doesn't come with a built in Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Microsoft argues that its settlement with Sun stops distribution of its JVM with Windows, while Sun claims this is yet another attack on the Java standard.

Microsoft's lack of Java support in IE6 is a sign of things to come from Microsoft. Microsoft will not support Java in either Windows XP or IE6. This doesn't mean you can't run Java in Microsoft products, or Microsoft won't lock you out of Java; Microsoft just won't provide support. You will just have to find a work around.

In the case of IE6, the work around involves downloading a Java Runtime Environment separately. When you download it, IE6 will see the software as a plug-in, so you'll be able to use it. You can download a Java Runtime Environment at:

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/jre/download-windows.html

Two other useful sites worth visiting are:

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/supergeek/story/0,23008,3335816,00.html

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/shownotes/story/0,3338502,00.html

Can of worms…

Nor is IE6 immune to viruses. If users are not running Windows 2000 or NT on their workstations and all of the following conditions are true, they could be at risk from the Nimda worm and should reinstall IE 6 using the default installation option:

If you are using IE 6 and all the following conditions are true: