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FEDS PUT TOGETHER RARE SITE, FOR KIDS

February 6, 2000

Were you starting to think the only people on the planet who need information about children with disabilities are the parents, teachers and other adults in their lives? Sometimes the Internet can give that impression, being chock full of technical-sounding data and information on how to parent these kids, teach them, discipline them, legislate for or against them. Finally comes a new site with kids as one of its target audiences. And, ironically, it's from the producers of some of the dryest, most technical web sites on the 'net -- the federal government.

Children With Disabilities debuted online last week as a resource for local, state and national disability information. It also gives children a place to find interesting activities and share their stories. The site is a project of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, a multi-agency effort that includes the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development. Also serving on the council are several juvenile justice professionals appointed by Congress and President Clinton.

Explaining the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's central role in the site, OJJDP Administrator and Council Vice Chairman Shay Bilchik said, "Disabilities are one of the many risks associated with juvenile crime and drug abuse. The knowledge and support available through this Web site may well serve to prevent future delinquency."

The highlight, at least for anyone who has spent enough time online to get familiar with the hundreds of other informational pages on the web, is the Children with Disabilities site's "Youth to Youth" section. It has five categories of information and activities designed for kids, including "What to Read," a list of books about disabilities that are aimed specifically at kids. Some are even presented from a kid's point of view, though the site notes these texts "may also be a good way for adults to learn!"

Another feature, called "Our Stories," will eventually be a collection of stories posted by children with disabilities of their own lives, struggles and accomplishments. The site currently has no stories, since it is only a week old, and encourages visitors to share their stories via e-mail. Similarly, the site's "Let's Talk" section encourages children with disabilities to communicate with each other via the "Just for Kids" bulletin board operated by LD Online, a project of WETA public television in Washington, D.C.

The Youth to Youth section also includes "Fun Things To Do!" such as the U.S. Forest Service's Nature Watch coloring contest, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Kids Next Door program and a link to LD Online's "Interact Up" activities page. A miscellaneous page called "lots of different stuff..." includes links and information on random topics related to children and disabilities.

The site also includes the obligatory sections for adults, such as research, information on programs and events designed specifically for young people with disabilities, and information on advocacy, education, employment, health, housing, recreation, training and housing.8