Exploring the Internet: The Rehabilitation Community's Access to the Growing Communication Network

Abstract

It is estimated that 10 percent of Americans are now using a personal computer to communicate. The primary link that facilitates this connectivity is a telecommunications system known as the Internet. How does access to the Internet benefit the rehabilitation community? There are many electronic bulletin boards, both public and private, that allow access to the Internet. Many on-line services such as CompuServ and Prodigy allow Internet access. Once persons with a disability or service providers obtain access to the Internet, they can send E-mail, join conferences that discuss their interests, and access Internet services such as Telnet, FTP, Gopher, and World Wide Web to obtain information on many topics. For a person who has a disability, this level of communication can provide vast amounts of information on his or her disability and dialogue with others who have similar disabilities. This connectivity also provides a sense of participation in the virtual community as opposed to the feeling of being outside that is shared by many with disabilities.