The Accessible Friends Network

Need some help?

We all need help occasionally. Here at TAFN we have friends who can help with any problem, big or small.

There are a number of ways to get help including:

TAFN Help Desk

We have a dedicated team of volunteers at the help desk who will be able to help you with:

  • Downloading, installing and configuring the Communicator Voice Conferencing Software
  • Logging in to the locator frame
  • Configuring your e-mail client to work with a TAFN mailbox
  • Troubleshooting any TAFN provided service

TAFN Mailing Lists

A good source of help for many things is to simply post a message to one of the TAFN e-mail lists. You will probably have the answer to your questions quicker than you think.

Tech Support Waiting Room

On the voice conferencing system there is a room called tech support waiting room. If you have a problem then you can enter this room and wait for assistance from a volunteer.

Communicator and List Moderators

We have a dedicated group of moderators who have volunteered to assist other members. They are also responsible for making sure that everything is running as it should throughout all areas of TAFN.

Communicator Moderators
You will see when you go down the list of open rooms that some members have the label Mod incorporated into their screen name . These people will help you with general information and will make sure that the code of conduct and guidelines are adhered to.
List Moderators
A dedicated group of members are responsible for ensuring that mailing list guidelines are adhered to.

Financial Assistance Funds:

TAFN has three modest funds which aim to assist members in certain situations. These are:

Tech Support Fund
The Tech Support Fund allows you to apply for a grant towards computer repairs, or the cost of a new computer.

  • Up to £100 per year towards replacement hardware
  • Up to £300 towards the cost of a new computer
Screenreader Maintenance Agreement Fund
The Screenreader Maintenance Agreement or SMA for short, will give you up to 50 percent towards the cost of a screenreader or magnification SMA upgrade.
Please note that this fund will not cover initial purchase of screen reader or magnification software.
Emergency Lifeline Fund
The Emergency Lifeline Fund or ELF for short, is set up to offer assistance to members who have fallen on hard times.
If you have suffered from a major crisis such as a flood and need help to get back on your feet, you may be eligible to apply for an ELF grant.

For more details of the Tech, SMA and ELF grants, see the members area for terms and conditions. These funds are only available to full members.

Getting Help and Giving Feedback

We hope you’ve found this welcome pack a useful starting point.

If you need further help or advice, or if you have any comments or feedback about any TAFN service, please use the contact form on the next page.

Thank you for reading our welcome pack, and welcome to TAFN!