We launched in August 1996 a new course "Improving Skills at Home: Database Course" on the Internet for the challenged who have basic computer skills but live in remote areas. The seminar including invitation of application, orientations, lectures, delivering texts, Q&A, examinations is given through the Internet.

'Improving Skills at Home seminar' has trained the challenged who are eager to work to have practical business skills. We also try to find their job opportunities at companies who search for skilled challenged workers at home.

The sixth 'Database Course' started on April, 2000.

Go to "Access 2000 (former Access 97) Preparative Course"

Go to the article of Nikkei Business News on December 5, 1997, "The disabilities to be self-reliant with SOHO"(The web-site of Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc.) (in Japanese)

The main points and requirements for the sixth Seminar

We recommend you to participate in our Preparative Course to acquire basic skills before the regular course starts.

Qualification: The people with disabilities including internal diseases
Period: Until the 'Database Course' starts in April 2000.
Textbook 1. Microsoft Access 2000 Step by Step
Publisher: Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.
Edition: Catapult Inc./ Tokyo Network Information Service, Inc. (Translation in Japanese)
ISBN: 4-89100-119-4
Published: August 1999
Binding: Paper, B5, 349 pages
Supplement: A piece of CD-ROM
List Price: 2,625 yen (tax 125 yen included)

For the information on English version, visit:

2. Microsoft Office 2000 Professional

(The 'Basic Course' requires Access 2000.)
(The 'Database Course' requires Access 2000 and Word 2000.)

The "Preparative Course of Access 2000" needs no expense for attending the lectures.
For the details, please call Mr. Suzuki at Prop Station (in Japanese) or send e-mails to prop2017@prop.or.jp (either in Japanese or in English).

The contact address of Prop Station (link)
(Application by e-mail is not accepted.)

The "Preparative Course of Access 2000 (former Access 97)" is here.

Prop Station "Translation course"
This course started in April 1999 and ended in March 2000.
This course is not opened in 2000.
Following site offers several options to study English and translation (in Japanese):

"Translation course" from April 1, 1999 was focused on technical translation especially on computers.
Participation fee was 48,000 yen for one-year course.
(The examination was free of charge.)

Qualification: The challenged and the elderly, having a basic understanding of English texts.

Please send your application form and question to prop2017@prop.or.jp
Telephone: +81-6-6881-0041 (The Secretariat of Prop Station)

1. Translate into Japanese.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates spoke to an Indiana University audience of more than 7,500 today, detailing his vision of a "Web lifestyle" in the world of personal computing, and calling the audience members Internet Pioneers. Gates is the forth speaker in the Indiana Lectures series, designed to expose students to world leaders making international impact in their fields.

Gates spoke about the rapidly evolving world of computers and the Internet, noting such recent advances as the electronic book and PC companion devices. But despite these impressive advances, he stressed that the information technology boom is just beginning. "In the next 10 years, we'll see more change than we've seen in the last 25. So, it's a very exciting time." Gates said.

2. Translate into Japanese.

A scanner is a piece of hardware. What it does is scan an image: You put a photograph or a piece of drawn art or sometimes a three-dimensional object on the scanner. You close the lid and push a button, the machine views (scans) the images, and sends a copy of it to the computer. It's sort of like making a xerox copy, but instead of coming out the other end, the copy comes out in the computer. (Not all scanners work like I described here; some are hand-held and you roll the little machine over the top of the image. There are also video scanners that can input live stuff, and slide scanners that input directly from color slides.)

When you scan images, the scanning software usually offers you several files format options. Unless you have a clear idea and a good reason as to why you would save it in any other format, always save scanned images as TIFF. TIFFs were invented for scans.

Questionnaire: Please answer following questions.

Name (real name):
Address:
Telephone:
Age:
The state of your disabilities:
E-mail address:
Your education and experience of English learning:
Your educational background and business career:
Your knowledge about computers (how many years have you used computers, what applications do you use, etc.):