Greetings and welcome to NHBlind-Talk, a list for the sharing of information and discussion of issues, events, and resources affecting people in New Hampshire with visual impairment.  A wide variety of topics are discussed here. Feel free to join in the conversations that spark your interest and to start new ones. The group address is:

 NHBlind-Talk@maelstrom.stjohns.edu. 

The remainder of this message constitutes our understanding and agreement about how we interact using this medium so please read it in its entirety.

NHBlind-Talk is currently an unmoderated list. In other words, anyone on the list can send a message to the group without prior approval. We would like to keep it this way. Therefore, we have developed the following guidelines and participant responsibilities (RULES):

1. Appropriate postings:
   
   This list is open to people of all ages. We must all be very sensitive to this fact and post only messages whose language and content are appropriate to a mixed age group. Failure to do so, including posting a message of a hostile or threatening nature, will not be tolerated.

   Please be aware that when you reply to a message from the list, your response will go to the entire group. We have set up NHBlind-Talk this way to promote discussion. If your response is intended solely for an individual, you will need to put the individual's address into the To field of your message. It is inappropriate to post messages and/or parts of messages to the list that you have received privately without that person's permission. If you need assistance with this, feel free to ask the group or mail the list "owner" privately. Also, many people on NHBlind-Talk participate in more than one list and receive quite a few email messages. Therefore, we ask that your subject line reflects your topic and that replies sent to the group contribute to the discussion rather than being solely a statement of support/agreement.

   Finally, please remember that the opinions expressed on NHBlind-Talk are those of individuals. Support of or agreement with those opinions by any agency or organization should not be assumed.
   
   

2. Accessible postings:
   
   People participating in this list are doing so with a variety of tools, including adaptive technology and text-only email software. In order to ensure that all participants have equal access to the discussions, please ensure that your messages:
    
   1. Are in "plain text"
   2. Only quote the parts of previous messages necessary to understand your response
   3. Have text substitutions (e.g. "<grin>") for smileys (i.e. punctuation used to create the appearance of a smiling face)

   Should you have any questions or concerns about using the list, feel free to contact the list owner personally at the address below. We look forward to your contributions!

   Joanie Diggs
   jdiggs@carroll.org