[blindza] News from The.Sponge Project - January 2010

  • From: "Tony Webb" <tony.webb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "BLINDZA" <blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:44:19 +0200

NEWS FROM THE.SPONGE PROJECT - JANUARY 2010

Sample Notice
Please copy and distribute this small notice.
You are welcome to add a translation in any of your local languages.

************************************************************************
 SMS INFORMATION SERVICE FOR
DISABLED PEOPLE

Do you need rehabilitation or other disability services?
 To find out what is available in your area, SMS  your name, town
 and the service you need to
072-172 2623
(You can use your free SMS's) 
**********************************************************************


Many thanks to all the individuals and organisations in the disability sector 
who have given us constructive comments and other encouragement since we 
started this project early in 2009.
We also thank AXXESS DSL, based in Port Elizabeth, for providing the technical 
support.

This newsletter is to bring you up to date with our progress with implementing 
this community service.
It offers disabled people and their supporting organisations an opportunity to 
locate rehabilitation or related services in their area by using a cell phone.

INTRODUCTION
* After working for many years with individuals and their supporting 
organisations in the disability sector, we realised that most disabled people 
did not know about the rehabilitation and related services that were available 
to them from NGOs and government departments in their area.  This particularly 
applied to disabled people living in rural parts of South Africa.
* We also felt that although the National Rehabilitation Policy was launched by 
the Department of Health in 2000 to encourage government departments to 
collaborate on the rehabilitation of disabled people, many  NGOs and government 
departments were still working in isolation, with little information about each 
other.
* Cell phone and related technology had become a powerful communication tool, 
particularly in the banking industry,  but as far as we could determine, was 
not being fully utilised by the disability sector.
* Monitoring traffic on the NAPSA and other Lists showed us that individual 
people who are blind, deaf or have other complex communication needs had 
already embraced cell phone technology.
* We therefore designed an information system that would enable any disabled 
person to use a cell phone to find out about their nearest rehabilitation 
service provider.
* The two main components of the information system are The.Sponge database of 
service providers, and a PC-based SMS system.
* The.Sponge Project is a privately funded initiative and offers a free 
community service to cell phone users in any part of South Africa.

THE SPONGE DATABASE
* Early in 2009 we started developing The.Sponge, a database of NGOs, 
government departments and  other organisations that we thought might provide 
services to disabled people.
* We spent many hours finding websites and requesting contact details but 
unfortunately up to 30% of website info and email addresses was out of date. 
Although we had good cooperation from most NGOs and government departments, 
some played hard to get and ignored our emails.
* Despite these frustrations, The.Sponge database grew to nearly 2500 service 
providers throughout South Africa and included a wide range of government 
departments, NGOs, FBOs, rehab resources, suppliers, recruitment agencies, 
professional associations, consultants, sport, tourism, the media and other 
organisations.
* By November 2009, we thought we had enough verified entries in The.Sponge, so 
once we had received the gizmos from AXXESS DSL, we launched the system without 
any more analysis paralysis - just a good gut feel..

THE SMS SYSTEM
* Originally we considered the SMS short code premium system but that proved 
too expensive to operate, and may have put off some users.
* AXXESS DSL, assisted us to design a PC-based system to enable cell phone 
users to get information by a standard SMS. ( Callers can use their free 
SMS's). They kindly provided  a 3G modem to receive any SMS sent to 072-172 
2623, and use of their SMS gateway for us to respond to callers.
* In November 2009 we launched the information service with a media release 
sent to over 2000  NGOs and government departments in our database of service 
providers.
* We asked organisations to use their networks to publicise the SMS number and  
put up notices in their offices and in hospitals and clinics, welfare offices, 
SASSA pay points, Post Offices, Police Stations, Libraries, Schools, Ward 
Councillor offices and other places in the community.
* Callers who sent an SMS to 072-172 2623, giving us their name, town and the 
info they require would be sent an SMS giving them contact details of the 
nearest rehabilitation service providers. We would also send an email to the 
service provider to ask them to make direct contact with the caller.
* We were excited to start receiving calls almost immediately although the 
first few calls were from members of organisations who were just 'testing' us - 
 but that gave us an opportunity to check the PC systems. These have proved 
themselves and shown us that we can communicate with disabled people throughout 
South Africa.
* It is important to note that -
a) we do NOT operate a call centre, and only respond to an SMS.
b) we do NOT attempt to provide detailed info to the caller - that is the job 
of the service provider
* We are pleased that we have already had calls from all over South Africa and 
from all disabilities.

THE CALLERS
Then we started to get some serious calls - here are some examples.
* C of Springs, deaf, wanted help to make a hospital appointment. Assisted by 
DEAFSA.
* M of Cape Town, blind, wanted sighted partner for canoeing. Assisted by NAPSA 
Blind List.
* H of Milnerton, quad, wanted therapy. Referred to Western Cape Rehab Centre.
* L of Mamelodi, wanted wheelchair. Assisted by APD Johannesburg.
* M of Moqhaka, blind, wanted cane for mobility. Referred to Free State Society 
for Blind.
* S of Polokwane, deaf, wanted sign language training. Referred to Thibiloga. 
* Dr P of Katlehong, wanted rehab for S, shot and paralysed. Referred to QASA.
* B of Cape Town, wanted info on managing paranoia. Assisted by SADAG.
* U of PE, wanted to get disability grant. Referred to APD NMB.

TAILPIECE
* We are very concerned that some calls were from people who have been treated 
in hospital, but have not been referred to an appropriate outpatients clinic or 
NGO for continuing support. The result is that  many disabled adults and 
children and their families often have to struggle on alone, unaware that there 
are often rehabilitation resources freely available to them. 
* This indicates that the medical profession are often  ignorant of the wealth 
of experience that lies with the disabled people who form support groups, and 
the social workers and other staff working in NGOs. Without those referrals, 
NGOs and support groups do not develop the necessary capacity.
* We are also concerned that some staff in government departments do not seem 
to realise that most disabled people are not actually ill. They also do not 
appear to know the difference between Primary Health Care and Rehabilitation.
* Some NGOs say that they do not have funds to advertise their services. 
Consequently many disabled people have no idea where to go for rehabilitation.
*  In any case there is such a bewildering variety of organisations throughout 
the disability sector in South Africa that it is not clear who should be 
consulted about what. (Will we ever get a toll free number for 'disability 
rehab'?)

HOW YOU CAN HELP US
* Please make copies of the sample notice given at each end of this newsletter 
and display copies in your offices and anywhere in the community where they may 
be seen by disabled people or their families.
* Please add translations in the local official languages so that the service 
is accessible to as many disabled people as possible.
* Please update your website so that we can access your correct email address. 
Add the date when it was last updated. Check that the website has good visual 
contrast and is compatible with screen readers such as Window Eyes and JAWS.
* Please provide a cell phone number so that people who are deaf or cannot talk 
can send you an SMS.
* Please subscribe to one or more of the Rehabilitation/Disability(HST), NAPSA, 
AACSA or BLINDZA Lists. They are powerful communication and information tools 
and enable anyone who is disabled or provides services to the disability sector 
to talk and listen to each other. 
Contact us by email if you would like to find out how to subscribe.
^*^*^*^*^

We welcome any comments or questions on The.Sponge project, and any thoughts on 
how we can use social networking such as Facebook and Twitter, and SKYPE to 
improve the service to disabled people throughout South Africa.
^*^*^*^*^
PS: We apologise for any cross posting as this newsletter is distributed by 
email to all organisations listed in The.Sponge database and to subscribers to 
the Lists mentioned above.
If you do not wish to receive future issues, please reply to this email  with 
UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Regards
Tony and Tim Webb, 
The.Sponge Project Team, Port Elizabeth.
+27-41-368 3707, Mobile +27-82-290 3764, 
tony.webb@xxxxxxxxxxxx

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sample Notice
Please copy and distribute this small notice.
You are welcome to add a translation in any of your local languages.

************************************************************************
 SMS INFORMATION SERVICE FOR
DISABLED PEOPLE

Do you need rehabilitation or other disability services?
 To find out what is available in your area, SMS  your name, town
 and the service you need to
072-172 2623
(You can use your free SMS's) 
**********************************************************************

END

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  • » [blindza] News from The.Sponge Project - January 2010 - Tony Webb