Misc.handicap

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The misc.handicap Usenet newsgroup was the first Usenet newsgroup created solely for discussion of disability-related subjects. Bill McGarry (Internet advocate), a long-time advocate of computers and the Internet for people with disabilities, created misc.handicap in 1985 as a moderated newsgroup with McGarry as the moderator.

This newsgroup was gatewayed with a mailing list which presented the articles in digest format and was called The Handicap Digest (this was before the word "handicap" became politically incorrect. When The Handicap Digest was moved to a Listserv mailing list called L-HCAP, the newsgroup continued to be gatewayed with the new mailinglist.

In 1995, McGarry moved to the state of Washington and was unable to continue as moderator. The misc.handicap readers were able to have the newsgroup changed to an unmoderated newsgroup. The newsgroup continues today with a few articles posted each month.