>> GOOD MORNING. LET'S GO AHEAD AND -- LET'S COUNT ABOUT TWO MINUTES AND THEN GO AHEAD AND CONVENE. THIS IS VERY NICE. I DON'T GET THIS RESPECT AT HOME. FOR ANY OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I HAVE A 15-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND RESPECT IS SOMETHING THAT COMES AT A VERY VERY HIGH PRICE. OKAY. WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, D.C. WELCOME TO ROSSLYN, WELCOME TO THREE BLOCKS FROM MY FAVORITE MUSEUM. IF ANY OF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THERE IT WAS PUT UP BY PRIVATE FUNDS AND IT IS A MUSEUM -- SO IF ANY OF YOU CAN SLIP AWAY SOMETIME TOMORROW AFTERNOON AFTER THE SESSIONS, IT IS A FUN MUSEUM. MY NAME IS DAVE ROBERTS, I REPRESENT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI IN COLUMBIA. IT IS ALWAYS WONDERFUL FOR ME TO COME TO MY SECOND HOME NOW WASHINGTON, D.C. THE PLANNING FOR THE CHOICES 2000 HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE. ONCE YOU BRING UP THE TERM CHOICES, IT IS ALMOST -- I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE PSYCHOLOGY BACKGROUNDS, BUT CHOICES IS VERY SIMILAR TO A ROAR SHOCK THAT YOU SAY THE TERM CHOICES AND YOU SAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CHOICES IN THE PUBLIC REHABILITATION PROGRAM? AND PEOPLE SAY THINGS THAT ARE REAL INTERESTING, THERE ARE VARIOUS KEY WORDS THAT YOU LOOK FOR, THERE ARE VARIOUS THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO FALL INTO, BUT THIS CONFERENCE IS REALLY THE CULL MIN NATION OF SOMETHING THAT'S VERY CENTRAL TO MY LIFE. I WAS TALKING TO SOME FOLKS, WE WERE DOING SOME ETHICS TRAINING AND THEY SAID DAVE, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE FIELD? AND I GOT IN THE FIELD IN 1966 SO I HAVE MY 34 YEAR PIN AND CHOICES HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A CENTRAL CONCEPT THAT HAS AT THE ONE TIME PULLED US ALL TOGETHER AND ALSO PUSHED US ALL APART. SO IN THE YEAR 2000 I ANY IT IS A YEAR, MAYBE AN EPIPHANY YEAR IN TERMS OF WHERE DO WE ARE STAND REGARD IF ISSUE OF CHOICE. SO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU. IF YOU HAVE ANY NEEDS OR ANY ACCOMMODATIONS, PLEASE TALK TO ME DIRECTLYER OR -- DIRECTLY OR TO MY STAFF AT THE FRONT DESK. WE'RE A VERY THIN BUT WIDE GROUP. THERE ARE ABOUT 270 OF US TODAY SO AGAIN, WELCOME. I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE PLANNING COMMITTEE, THE PLANNING COMMITTEE IS IN YOUR NOTES. AND LET ME REAL BRIEFLY GO THROUGH YOUR PACKET MATERIALS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING. ON THE RIGHT OF YOUR PACKET YOU WILL SEE THE AGENDA, CHOICES 2000. WE HAVE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO MEET YOUR NEEDS IN TERMS OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS. THERE ARE FOUR BREAKOUT SESSIONS AT EACH PERIOD OF TIME. ALL OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS WILL BE IN THE POTOMAC -- THAT IS THIS BALLROOM AND IT WILL START AT I BELIEVE 10:45. THIS AFTERNOON AT 5 O'CLOCK, I CHOSE TO ASSERT MY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP THAT RATHER THAN HAVING 6:30 SOCIAL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A 5 O'CLOCK SOCIAL. SO THAT IMMEDIATELY UPON THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE AFTERNOON SESSIONS, WE WILL BE HAVING A SOCIAL IN THE GEORGETOWN BALLROOM WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY BELOW US AT 5 P.M. AND ACTUALLY THERE'S SOME REALLY FUN THINGS THERE SO WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE SOCIAL AT 5. TOMORROW MORNING WE WILL BE CONVENING AT 9 O'CLOCK AGAIN. THERE ARE ALSO BE A CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST AT 8 O'CLOCK TOMORROW MORNING. SO FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO FORGO THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN BREAKFAST, YOU CAN COME HERE AND HAVE SOME FRUIT AND ROLLS OR WHATEVER. IT REALLY HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE PUTTING THIS CONFERENCE TOGETHER AND WORKING WITH ZANNE TILLMAN FROM THE REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. WE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A VERY PRODUCTIVE DAY AND A HALF. MIKE CAME YESTERDAY AND I WAS TRYING TO GET PEOPLE SIGNED IN AND PUT THINGS TOGETHER AND A GENTLEMAN CAME IN AND SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY TIRED AND OF COURSE MY IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS, OH, RIGHT, YOU'RE TIRED, I'M TIRED. HE SAID I JUST CAME IN BY WAY OF TOKYO. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY HUMILITY GAINED NEW BOUNDS OF, WELL, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? AND I THOUGHT, WOW, YOU KNOW, TO THINK THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY THREE PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHERN MARRIANAS, WHERE ARE THEY? HERE THEY ARE. THERE HE IS. AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT -- THERE'S TWO FROM THERE, SOMEONE FROM GUAM SO IT'S WOW. SO MAYBE WE CAN -- AND TWO FROM VIRGIN ISLANDS SO WE TRULY HAVE A NATIONAL REPRESENTATION. AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY NEEDS OR JUST ASK US, WE'LL TRY TO MEET YOUR NEEDS. I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE FREDRIC SCHROEDER. FRED WAS APPOINTED IN 1994 AS THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. HE IS THE NINTH COMMISSIONER OF THE REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. FRED IS TRULY MORE THAN A FRIEND TO THE ISSUE OF CHOICE. HE'S DONE SOME THINGS THAT ARE PROBABLY MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN SOMETIMES WE'RE USED TO IN REHABILITATION. I THINK I HAVE GAINED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR FRED AND WOULD LIKE TO NOW TURN IT OVER TO HIM FOR HIS INTRODUCTION. >> WELL, GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. >> I AM REALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BE WITH ALL OF YOU THIS MORNING AND TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS CONFERENCE AND OFFER A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT CHOICE AND HOW I BELIEVE IT FITS INTO THE PROCESS OF REHABILITATION. CHOICE OF COURSE AS WAS JUST POINTED OUT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT I THINK ONE THING THAT WE WOULD AGREE UPON IS THAT CHOICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF GOOD REHABILITATION PRACTICE. AND SO IN MANY RESPECTS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THIS CONFERENCE, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WITH THE CHOICE DEMONSTRATION WAS HOW DO WE ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR OWN LIVES, TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEIR OWN FUTURES AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT THAT EMPOWERMENT WITH THE COLLECTION OF SERVICES AND SUPPORTS AND TECHNOLOGY AND WHATEVER ELSE MIGHT BE NEEDED TO TURN THAT INDIVIDUAL'S DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS INTO REALITY. BUT CHOICE HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I THINK HAS BEEN KEY TO EFFECTIVE REHABILITATION FOR SOME TIME. IF I HAD TO SUM CHOICE UP IN ONE WORD, I SUPPOSE THE WORD FOR ME WOULD BE EMPOWERMENT. AND EMPOWERMENT REALLY HAS TWO DIMENSIONS IN MY MIND. IT HAS THE DIMENSION CERTAINLY OF OPPORTUNITY, BUT IT ALSO HAS THE DIMENSION OF CONFIDENCE. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN SERIOUSLY MAKE CHOICES UNLESS THAT INDIVIDUAL BELIEVES THAT HE OR SHE IS CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING A PARTICULAR AMBITION OR OUTCOME. THAT AS LONG AS AN INDIVIDUAL BELIEVES THAT HE OR SHE IS TOTALLY DEVASTATED BY DISABILITY, THAT HE OR SHE PERHAPS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO WORK OR NEVER BE ABLE TO WORK AT A LEVEL THAT'S COMPARABLE TO OTHERS, NEVER TRULY BE SELF-SUPPORTING, NEVER TRULY BE SOCIALLY INTEGRATED, AS LONG AS THE INDIVIDUAL HARBORS THAT VIEW OF DISABILITY THEN THE INDIVIDUAL IS INCAPABLE IN MY MIND OF TRULY MAKING AN INFORMED OR EXERCISED CHOICE. AND SO THE ELEMENT OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME IS THE STARTING POINT IN INSURING CHOICE FOR OUR CONSUMERS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE WHICH OF COURSE IS PARTICULAR TO ME BUT I THINK IS COMMON IN SOME RESPECTS TO THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE, WHEN I BECAME BLIND AS A YOUNG CHILD, I DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO BE PRODUCTIVE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I ASSUMED THAT MY FUTURE WOULD BE ONE OF ISOLATION AND DEPENDENCY. AND AT THAT PHASE IN MY LIFE WITH THAT MINDSET AND ORIENTATION ABOUT DISABILITY, YOU COULD HAVE PLACED BEFORE ME ENDLESS CHOICES AND I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TRULY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE CHOICES BECAUSE I DIDN'T BELIEVE THEY COULD LIVE A NORMAL PRODUCTIVE AND ACTIVE LIFE. AND SO CHOICE IN MY MIND STARTS WITH ENCOURAGEMENT, WITH STIMULATION, WITH BELIEVING IN AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEN MAKING AVAILABLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THOSE ASPIRATIONS AND TO CONVERT THOSE ASPIRATIONS INTO REALITY. I HAVE TOLD MANY TIMES AN EXAMPLE THAT WAS SO POWERFUL TO ME. I MET A YOUNG MAN A FEW YEARS BACK IN MARYLAND WHO HAD BEEN A MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER AND BROKE HIS NECK IN A DIVING ACCIDENT AND OVER NIGHT BECAME QUADRAPLEGIC AND AS HE TALKED ABOUT THE ASSISTANCE HE RECEIVED FROM THE REHABILITATION SYSTEM, THE PART THAT REACHED OUT AND TOUCHED MY HEART WAS WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE ENCOURAGEMENT HE RECEIVED. HE TALKED ABOUT HOW FROM THE EARLIEST MOMENTS PEOPLE BEGAN TALKING TO HIM ABOUT GOING BACK TO WORK AND HE THOUGHT THAT THEY COULDN'T POSSIBLY MEAN IT. HE SAID THERE'S NO WAY HE COULD WORK. BUT THEY KEPT TALKING TO HIM ABOUT GOING BACK TO WORK AND EVENTUALLY THEY STARTED TALKING TO HIM ABOUT HIS PLANS FOR GOING BACK TO WORK AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PLANS, HE DIDN'T BELIEVE HE COULD WORK. BUT HE SAID WHEN PEOPLE ASK YOU YOUR PLANS YOU FEEL OBLIGATED TO HAVE SOME SO HE SAID HE MADE THEM UP. BUT AFTER REPEATING THEM OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND BEING SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED HE COULD GO BACK TO WORK, HE SAID HE BEGAN TO BELIEVE THAT HE COULD GO BACK TO WORK. AND AT THE TIME OF THIS RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY, THIS YOUNG MAN WAS AGAIN TEACHING SCIENCE IN THE SAME CLASSROOM WHERE HE HAD TAUGHT BEFORE HIS ACCIDENT. NOW, HE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT THE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND SOME OF THE OTHER SUPPORTS, BUT FUNDAMENTAL TO TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE CHOICES IS BELIEVING IN HIMSELF AND HAVING OTHERS AROUND TO ENCOURAGE AND TO SUPPORT HIM. SO THE SECOND PIECE THEN OF CHOICE IS THEN TO HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU. AND WHAT ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES? WELL, I THINK PART OF WHAT WE AS A REHABILITATION SYSTEM HAVE LEARNED OVER OUR 80 YEAR HISTORY IS THAT CHOICE IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT -- OR I SHOULD SAY GOOD REHABILITATION PRACTICE IS NOT SIMPLY ABOUT TAKING AN INDIVIDUAL WHERE HE OR SHE IS AND PLACING THAT PERSON IN THE MOST READILY AVAILABLE JOB. WE TODAY HAVE THE BEST ECONOMY CERTAINLY OF MY LIFETIME, AND IT IS EASIER TODAY TO GET PEOPLE INTO EMPLOYMENT THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. AND YET IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEMAND IN THE LABOR FORCE, IT BREAKS OUT INTO TWO CATEGORIES. THERE IS A STRONG DEMAND FOR PEOPLE TO DO THE HIGHLY SKILLED JOBS PARTICULARLY IN THE TECHNOLOGY AREA, THESE ARE GOOD JOBS, THESE ARE JOBS WITH RAPID ACCELERATION AND THE EARNINGS AND POTENTIAL. AND THE OTHER AREA WHERE THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF WORKERS IS IN THE LOW END. THERE'S A TERRIBLE DEMAND FOR PEOPLE TO DO THE JOBS THAT NOBODY IN OUR SOCIETY WANTS TO DO. SO WE CAN PLACE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE INTO EMPLOYMENT THAN PERHAPS AT ANY TIME IN OUR HISTORY, BUT IF WE PLACE PEOPLE INTO LOW END QUICK EASY REHABILITATION, INTO JOBS THAT REALLY HAVE NO FUTURE, THEN WE WILL HAVE FAILED IN OUR -- I THINK OUR MORAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FAILED TO LIVE UP TO OUR 80 YEAR HERITAGE. THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS TO EXPAND ON THE CONCEPT OF CHOICE, MEANING TO HELP PEOPLE DEVELOP NOT JUST THEIR IMMEDIATE JOB SKILLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE PLACEMENT, BUT TO DEVELOP THEIR POTENTIAL. AND I WILL SAY TO YOU THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE AMONG PEOPLE FROM MINORITY BACKGROUNDS. PEOPLE WHO COME TO US WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES, WHO COME WITH A LIMITED WORK HISTORY OR NO WORK HISTORY, MINIMAL EDUCATION OR A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT AND YET THESE ARE PEOPLE IF WE BELIEVE IN THEM AND INVEST IN THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM CAN GO ON TO TAKE THEIR PLACE AS A FULLY INTEGRATED PARTICIPATING MEMBER OF OUR SOCIETY, TO GO ON TO EXERCISE REAL CHOICE BECAUSE WE'VE TAKEN THE TIME TO ENCOURAGE AND TO PUT BEFORE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THAT ENCOURAGEMENT INTO PRACTICE, TO TAKE THAT STIMULATION AND ELEVATED EXPECTATION AND MAKE IT A REALITY FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL. ONE THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN THE REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION RIGHT NOW IS A POLICY THAT WE BELIEVE SUPPORTS THAT CONCEPT OF HELPING AN INDIVIDUAL REALLY DEVELOP HIS OR HER FULL POTENTIAL. WE STARTED WITH THIS BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WHEN WE RESCINDED THE OLD STANDARD FOR SETTING EMPLOYMENT OUTCOME. MANY OF YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT RSA POLICY IN THE PAST HAS A STANDARD FOR ESTABLISHING EMPLOYMENT OUTCOME, A CONCEPT OF SUITABLE EMPLOYMENT. AND SUITABLE EMPLOYMENT WAS DEFINED AS REASONABLE GOOD ENTRY LEVEL WORK AN INDIVIDUAL CAN SATISFACTORILY PERFORM. WELL, THAT IS LOW SKILLED, LOW WAGE JOBS. AND IN 1997 WE RESCINDED THAT STANDARD AND BROUGHT FORWARD A NEW STANDARD IN LINE WITH AMENDMENTS DURING THE 1992 REAUTHORIZATION THAT SPOKE TO A CAREER GOAL, AN EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVE CONSISTENT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL'S STRENGTHS, RESOURCES, PRIORITIES, CONCERNS, ABILL FEW, CAPABILITIES, INTERESTS AND INFORMED CHOICE. IN OTHER WORDS, A MORE EXPANSIVE VIEW OF THE POTENTIAL OF PEOPLE AND A RECOGNITION OF OUR OBLIGATION TO HELP SUPPORT THAT ELEVATED EXPECTATION. MOST RECENTLY WE HAVE PUT FORWARD A NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE MAKING PUBLISHED ON JUNE 26TH OF THIS YEAR THAT WILL ELIMINATE SHELTERED WORK OR SEGREGATED WORK AS AN EMPLOYMENT OUTCOME WITHIN THE REHABILITATION PROGRAM. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IN MY MIND RUNS A FOUL OF CHOICE. PEOPLE SAID AREN'T YOU LIMITING CHOICE OF INDIVIDUALS AND I THINK THE TRUE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAS BEEN THAT BY IN LARGE SHELTERED WORK HAS CONTINUED TO BE AN OPTION THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DEVELOP OTHER OPTIONS. THAT IT WASN'T WHAT PEOPLE SOUGHT AS AN EMPLOYMENT OUTCOME. AND I WON'T GIVE YOU LENGTHY STATISTICS, BUT AS WE LOOK AT THE WAGES AND THE UPWARD MOBILITY AND THE BENEFIT STRUCTURE AROUND SHELTERED WORK, IT IS NOT WORK THAT HAS HELPED PEOPLE BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT. CERTAINLY THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PROGRESSED FROM SHELTERED WORK, BUT IT HAS NOT HELP PEOPLE. SO WE'RE PUTTING FORTH A STANDARD THAT SAYS WE BELIEVE IN YOU. WE BELIEVE IN YOUR CAPACITY AND WE WILL NOT SET A GOAL SHORT OF AN INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT GOAL FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS THE NATURE OF THE POLICY CHANGE THAT WE ARE PUTTING FORWARD. ALL OF YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND YOUR PRESENCE HERE GIVES ME TREMENDOUS HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE. AS I SAID BEFORE, WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO IS TO EVOLVE OUR CONCEPTS OF CHOICE, NOT TO DEBT GRATE WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS THE BUILDING BLOCK TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE FUTURE AND YOUR INTEREST AND THE CONCEPT OF CHOICE AND HOW WE PUT CHOICE FORWARD IN WAYS THAT CREATE EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE WHO IN THE PAST HAVE NOT BENEFITED AS THEY SHOULD. PEOPLE PERHAPS WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES, PEOPLE FROM MINORITY BACKGROUNDS, PEOPLE WITH LIMITED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD OUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND OUR SYSTEM OF OPPORTUNITIES OF SUPPORTS TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE REACH THE VERY BEST EMPLOYMENT OUTCOME THAT THEY CAN REACH. AND SO I ' -- I'M VERY PLEASED TO HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO COME AND WELCOME YOU ALL HERE TODAY AND TO SAY TO YOU ALSO THAT ON BEHALF OF THE MANY THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE AND WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE SERVICES YOU PROVIDE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION, FOR YOUR HELP IN MAKING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE CERTAINLY FOR SELF-SUPPORT, FOR ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY, BUT REALLY FOR HELPING OUR SOCIETY GENERALLY UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DO NOT NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE MARGIN ALLIZED AND ISOLATED, BUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN BE FULLY INTEGRATED CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY AND MUCH OF THAT SOCIETAL CHANGE IS BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE DAY BY DAY ON BEHALF OF OUR CUSTOMERS WITH DISABILITIES. SO I THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND I WILL TURN IT BACK TO DR. ROBERTS. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FRED. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE IS THAT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I'M A WANT TO BE. I'M A WANT TO BE TECHNOLOGY PERSON. AND ONE OF THE WANT TO BE THINGS ABOUT ME IS WE HAD FOR THE FIRST TIME ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION FOR THIS CONFERENCE, AND WE PREDICTED ABOUT TEN PERCENT OF YOU WOULD SIGN UP THAT WAY. I CAN SAY NOW IT WAS 43 PERCENT OF EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP FOR THIS CONFERENCE DID IT ELECTRONICALLY. SO THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING US. IN FACT YOUR CREDIT CARDS ARE PROTECTED. WE DON'T HAVE -- I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF THE FBI INTERCEPTING YOUR CREDIT CARDS AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN YOU FINDING YOURSELF AS AN -- SOME UNEXPECTED EXPENSES. BUT AS PART OF THE ELECTRONIC WORLD, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS PLACE ON OUR WEBSITE ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE BACKGROUND MATERIALS FOR THIS CONFERENCE. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, IF YOU GO INTOWWW DOT R C E P 7, DOT ORG, YOU WILL FIND ALL THE RSA MATERIALS AND YOU WILL ALSO FIND AT THE END OF THIS WEEK ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED TODAY. SO THE REALTIME CAPTIONING THAT IS GOING ON TO MY LEFT AND YOUR RIGHT WILL BE EDITED AND POSTED HOPEFULLY BY FRIDAY. SO IF YOU WANT TO REVIEW THE MATERIALS OR YOU HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITIES TO REPORT BACK WHAT WENT ON, YOU CAN COUNT ON US HOPEFULLY TO HAVE THESE MATERIALS POSTED. SO IF YOU GO TO R S E P 7 DOT O R G AND THEN CLICK ON THE CHOICES 2000 ICON, YOU WILL SEE CONFERENCE MATERIALS AND THEN YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON JOEL'S PRESENTATION OR TOMORROW MORNING'S GENERAL SESSION AND ALL THE MATERIALS WILL AGAIN BE POSTED. SO AGAIN, WELCOME.