Thank you for your interest in The Information Center for Individuals with Disabilities.

For years my passion, second only to my family, has been gathering information, ideas and resources to help people living with disabilities and others who care about them. My goal has been to create a store of knowledge that can aid people with disabilities in expanding and enriching their lives

The search began in the 1950's when my husband and I discovered that our four-year-old daughter had severe hearing loss. When our son was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, our search deepened. While looking for information on how to help my children with disabilities-and their brothers and sisters-flourish, I learned that no single collection of information was available to provide guidance or solutions to the challenges we faced. What was available was elusive and disconnected.

Over the years, the situation improved as I began reading Accent Magazine and Rehabilitation Gazette, which led me to additional resources. My collection grew as I began saving valuable tidbits of information that went beyond our family's needs-relevant to people of any age, with any disability. Neighbors and friends who knew of my passion and growing file began referring people to us for help. Soon it became clear that more people and resources were needed to continue collecting, evaluating and sharing the information.

I envisioned that life could be richer for people living under an array of circumstances if they could move from the margins to the mainstream of life by accessing resources and guidelines about their disability. My vision continues to be the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive source of information that provides timely, accurate and useful information. My hope is to link people with disabilities to the services, opportunities, ideas, knowledgeable people, literature and agencies that can help them address relevant issues and, most important, enhance their lives.