Anyone who is interested in disability and development is welcome to take part in the Disability KaR e-forum discussion group.

• How to join
• Why are we using an e-forum
• How does it work?
• Moderators
• A guide for once you have joined

How to join
To join the group is simple: follow the link listed below.
www.dgroups.org/groups/disabilityKaR

This will take you to our discussion group website.

Once here you can register by clicking on the word 'join' located at the top right-hand side of the main screen.

You will need:

• To provide your email address, your name and organisation. It is helpful if you could write a few words to describe your interest in the group (in the comments box). You can add a picture of yourself too
• A password, you will need your password each time you login to the e-forum website

Once you have registered you will receive a response within 48 hours.

Or, you can send an email to: Niki Maniam at maniam.n@heallthlink.org.uk requesting to join the group.

Why are we using an e-forum
The e-forum provides a way for people interested in the themes of the roundtables to come together and share experiences.

How does it work?
Members of the group can post messages online using the e-forum website, or by sending an email to the group. All the members of the group will receive the email and the message will also be posted on the e-forum website. Any documents, reports and resources can also be added directly to the e-forum, the group will be notified by email whenever any new items are added.

The Disability KaR e-forum website has the following sections:

• Messages - lists the emails sent by the group
• People - lists the members of the group
• Resources - contains resources added by the group e.g. guidelines, background information, case-studies
• Events - any important events for the group

Members of the group are free to add content to any of the sections.

Moderators
The Disabilty KaR e-forum is a moderated group. The moderators are knowledgeable and experienced in disability and development. They are responsible for guiding the group discussions and keeping the content relevant. They are on hand to follow up on any points of discussion for individuals and encourage the group to respond to comments.

Once you have joined
Below are some brief guidelines on using the e-forum

Keep postings brief
Limit postings to one or two screens in length, and point to resources and further information if possible (e.g. reports on other websites etc.). This will help to keep the file size of emails down which may be a consideration if people have to pay for the volume and number of messages they receive. >> see resources below

Keep it neat and simple
Take time to compose your message - pay attention to the content and format - so it is easy to read. Re-read your message before you send it out, especially if it is dealing with a sensitive issue. Once it is sent, you cannot get it back. It is much easier to amend a message before it goes out, rather than give explanations to the group later.

Identify yourself
Sign off your messages with your name and email address. This is useful for following up emails privately.

Start new topics
If what you want to say doesn't fit into any existing topics - start a new one.

Message titles
If you are posting a new message make sure the title is clear. Keep the title short. Headings started with Event; News; Introduction; Summary; etc. will provide context for the message.

Plain text
Try to post messages in plain text, as everyone can read plain text online, regardless of what system or software they are using (also known as DOS text, ascii text and text only).

Use private email when appropriate
When you would like to have a personal discussion send a message to the individual involved only.

Resources
Any resources, such as reports, images, case studies, etc., should be posted directly onto the e-forum, rather than emailed around the group. This helps to keep the file size of emails to a minimum.

Each time a resource is posted to the website an email will be sent to the group. For those members of the group who do not have full access Internet the e-forum administrator (Niki Maniam maniam.n@healthlink.org.uk) can arrange for resources to be emailed separately to them.

The above guidelines were adapted from 'Workplace to Workspace' a guide to using email lists by Laureen James and Liz Ryykert, International Development Research Centre, Canada, 1998.
www.idrc.ca/index_e.html