The great trend of the late 90's is for disability support organisations to come online. For some of them, this might involve a single web page of contact details, and for others it might mean a page of links to other web sites with related content. Many organisations are now putting more extensive resources on the Internet. In this article I will examine just a little of what makes a great support site.
L.D. Online is a site dedictated to Learning Disability. The first thing you notice is the extensive collection of original content, probably the most important part of a truly good web site. There are sections for parents and teachers, as well as a great Kid Zone where children with Learning Disabilities can share their art and writing, contribute to an online magazine and participate in other interesting activities. The best contributions each week receive prizes, which should prove quite motivating to students. This sort of feature not only makes the web site useful, but it also makes it highly interactive, another quality of a good site.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association of Australia site is the place to go to if you are looking for any information about Muscular Dystrophy or related syndromes. As with the above site, there is a lot of original, up-to-date information including medical research and upcoming events. This information is presented in two very user-friendly ways. You can either view the information online using the web pages, or you can download the information and read it off line, a great feature for those with limited access time. Some of the information is also available in French and Italian. Links on the website relate directly to the content and are mostly contacts for other support groups, both national and international.
Occasionally you will find a web site that offers you the opportunity to communicate with others with the same interests as you. Parent's Place features live chats aimed at parents but also useful for teachers. A weekly calendar lists the discussions and times for the chats. There is also a section for "Kid Chats." If you are not into live chat, you will also find their bulletin boards handy. The topics are fairly wide ranging, however there are several special needs discussions ongoing. Other organisations will provide you with listserves where you can receive and send mail with a wide range of people. You might want to refer to my article on Listserves and Bulletin Boards.
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