it all started with lisa's page...

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When I began researching the Special Families, Special Kids section of the book, I read many sites designed for children with disabilities. I found one site, Lisa's Page, designed by the father of little Lisa, a then six year old (now seven year old) little girl from Illinois with cerebral palsy. Although the site didn't have lots of fancy bells and whistles, the caring and concern that her father felt for Lisa, and their mutual goal of helping other children like Lisa, was clear.

Cyberspace is a perfect place for children with special needs. Remember, in cyberspace we have no skin color, wear no special costumes, don't need to be able to walk or run, or see, or hear . . . it allows us to be what we are under all these physical attributes—just plain people.

From the moment I first found her site, I was hooked. There is something about Lisa's Home Page which strips away all the gobbily-gook, and is very touching.

Lisa, although still pretty young for cyberspace, had a lot of input into her page. She chooses the background and the color scheme. She is also always looking for links to add to her site. A typical first grader (she's repeating first grade again this year due to the time she lost because of the surgery), Lisa is into teddy bears, Barbie and cartoons.

She's also into Michael Jordan. (Lisa's Page contains a link to a popular Michael Jordan site.) Not only because of his extraordinary athletic talents, however, but because he uses the same electrical muscle stimulator that Lisa uses each night. (She spotted him on television one night, while he was nursing a pulled hamstring muscle using the stimulator unit.) Think of how empowering it must be for a little girl who can't walk to have anything in common with the great hero of sports!

Lisa thanked me for including her in my book.

I wanted to thank her for inspiring so much in so many others!

I asked Lisa's father, the website designer and webmaster, why he designed the site for Lisa, and what it means to them to be able to communicate online. I couldn't say it any better than he did, no matter how hard I tried. Here's what he said.

Why did I build Lisa's Page?

There are many reasons why I wanted to put together a web page for my daughter. First I wanted parents in the same situation as ours to realize that they are not alone. That was a major hurdle for my wife and me to overcome. We felt that we were the only people in the world to have a handicapped child.

Since then I've received E-mail from people all over. We've swapped stories and shared experiences (both good and bad).

There has been a lot happening in my daughter's life in the last few months—surgery, followed by an extensive inpatient therapy program.

I just haven't had the time to add it all to her page. Instead, I've spent time answering e-mail from "web friends" who want to know how everything went.

My feeling is that we're all equal in cyberspace. There are no handicaps . . . no wheelchair ramps. No one is looking or staring when you wander through the web the way they do when you shop at the mall.

I know people mean well. In fact I think that they are really impressed and amazed at how this little girl drives her power wheelchair around with all the skill of an Indy race car driver—maneuvering around clothing racks and racing over to the toy department.

The second main reason for her page is because I am so proud of her. Lisa is so bright! She is a very loving child—very sensitive and caring. She is really quite an amazing six-year-old (soon to be seven).

Lisa can read and write and does everything that any other first grader can do, except walk. That is why I'm glad that she loves computers so much.

The good thing about computers is that they can be adapted to be operated by anyone no matter what their situation may be.

The thing we love the most . . . and what really gives Lisa a feeling of equality is that when they're computing—everyone else is sitting down too!

Al Kandziorski

Lisa's and her father's goal is to one day make Lisa's Page the "one stop shop" for information on kids with cerebral palsy. I intend to help them accomplish that goal.

Inspired by the courage and energy of Lisa and her family, I've set up Roads Without Ramps, a charitable foundation to help get kids in wheelchairs and with other disabilities connected to the Internet.

All of my author's royalties from A Parents' Guide to the Internet will be donated to Roads Without Ramps, and we hope to get others in the computer and Internet industry involved as well. (I've already volunteered my sister, Deanna Aftab Guy, M.D., Kid Doc for Thirve and ParentTime's online pediatrician, to help.)

In addition, one of the top foundation and estate planning lawyers in the country, Marc J. Lane, volunteered his time and expertise to form the foundation, and has kindly agreed to join us on its board.

Roads Without Ramps will also have an advisory board comprised of experts from the Internet industry and others interested in child welfare. As the advisory board is set up, we'll be sharing the names of others who have generously agreed to devote their valuable time to helping guide the foundation. Corporate supporters will be announced at this site as well.

One of our first corporate sponsors is Borders Books. They have very generously agreed to donate a portion of all book sales for any Family Internet Event I preside over at any other their stores. I will be posting the store locations and dates here at this site.

I am very grateful for Borders Books & Music's early involvement and commitment to our goal of getting all wheelchair-bound children connected to the Internet, where they can access the Information Super Highway without special ramps...and where they can move as easily, as fast and as well as any other children.