Are you a student with a disability who needs resources about university life and contact with other disabled students? Go to http://www.enablelink.org
OK, I realize this site is not directly related to education, but there are some great educational links and support available to disabled students. Working on courses alone is often lonely and it is frustrating not having the contact with other students. Imagine having a physical, mental or even learning disability. The isolation and frustration of distance education only adds to the isolation and frustration of everyday life. Enablelink.org can point you in the right direction for all your support, information, and learning needs.
At first the site is a bit daunting but it is very well organized. 25 menu choices lead to topics such as “Chat”, “Sex/Sexuality”, “Employment” and of course “Education”. Besides these menu choices on the home page, there are articles and resources you can click to. These include “Links to Disability Sites”, “On My Own: A Resource Guide to Living Independently”, “Support Groups” and many others. No one can accuse Enablelink.org of leaving something out
Under the “Education” heading is several other subheadings. These are “Articles”, “Canadian Links”, “Chat”, “Disability Organizations”, “Events”, “International Links”, “Message Boards”, and “Products and Services”. Under “Articles” there are 73 entries. I really enjoyed the article Adults with Learning Disabilities: Overcoming the Odds by Isabel Shessel. There are 44 entries under “Canadian Links” and 11 entries “International Links”. I went to the chat feature. No one was there but it was very easy to use. The best thing under the “Education” heading was the links.
This site also has bits and pieces from the magazine Abilities though I think to get the most of the magazine you should get the print version. There is also an alphabetized list of specific disabilities under the heading “Disabilities”. This is just a database of definitions. There is also a searchable list of organizations under the same heading. Just look under “Disability Organizations” for a list of resources.
I really liked Enablelink.org. It’s a great resource for students with any type of disability as well as anyone who interacts with someone who is disabled. I found this site to be very informative and interesting. So what’s stopping you? Go to Enablelink.org!
Neat Stuff: This site also has a “Classifieds” area with sections like “Accommodations”, “Employment”, “Items Wanted”, and “Volunteer Opportunities”. As well as the chat feature, there are also message boards you can post on.
Not So Neat Stuff: Judging from the interactive features (chat, message boards and classified ads) this site doesn’t get much traffic. Maybe it does but the above features don’t seem to get used much. So if you want to connect with other people, make good use of these features!
Rating: ****/5 Very rarely does a site exist that is as good as this one. Visually, there is no clutter and “piss me off pop ups”. Technically, the layout is well organized and easy to follow. For the knowledge factor, you can’t beat the content. Whether disabled or not I urge everyone to check out http://www.enablelink.org.
Halloween’s over and you have that candy hangover. Plus you don’t know what to do with all those wrappers. http://www.pioneerthinking.com will tell you what to do.
Ok the secret is out. You all know who I am now that my name is up there! So fine, I’m going to review a girly site! To all the men out there don’t worry, there are no pictures of Mel Gibson and no talk of the feminine things that make you guys cringe. Well it isn’t all that girly but with the pretty pastel colors and Oprah-like catch phrases it’s easy to assume that it is kind of girlish. Pioneerthinking.com is essentially a lifestyle website with an emphasis on healthy living. According to their home page, Pioneerthinking.com is “Where expert authors, columnist [sic] and everyday people from over 100 countries share their practical knowledge, ideas and experiences to provide a refreshingly new perspective on topics that affect our lives.” Sound a little vague? Well it is but don’t let that stop you from checking it out.
When you get to the main page there are three main sections, “Mind and Body”, “Lifestyle”, and “Discussion Boards”. Under the “Mind and Body” section I decided to look into “Comfort Foods” (although there are 24 other headings there). Lots of good stuff here like recipes and tips. I saw the title “Fruitarian Diet”. Since I’m always looking for new ways to make my life difficult I decided to look into it.
I learned a great tip : If you feel the need to overeat breathe deeply instead. Breathing instead of eating, I wonder if that’s how Kate Moss does it? This diet looked interesting until I discovered on the Canada Food Guide that cheeseburgers aren’t included. Oh well, moving on. I checked out the herbal database and finally found a new use for that Wild Cherry Bark that’s just been molding away in the cupboard!
Next I moved on to the “Lifestyles” section. Under that category I checked out “Home Brews” (again there are 30 subjects here like various crafts, gardening ideas, relationship and family advice, and money saving tips). Upon reaching that page I realized I had misunderstood what they meant by “Home Brews”. Nonetheless I did get a kick ass recipe for Strawberry Shrub (for that recipe click here: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aicr_shrub.html). Lots of great stuff here, I did not leave this section disappointed.
Onto the “Discussion Boards”. Lots of activity and lots of topics. I didn’t get time to post anything so you’ll have to try that one on your own. Pioneerthinking.com is an extensive wealth of information. Go see it and get that homemade, natural cure you’ve been waiting for. If nothing else you’ll finally find out what a Chakra is (go to: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/ara-spiritualfitness.html ).
Neat Stuff: The emphasis on alternative medicine and overall healthy living is a fresh respite from dime store diet books and magazines, though it can be a little gushy sometimes. You can also translate this site into French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese. The emphasis on the “we are all a global village” thing is really strong.
Not So Neat Stuff: If you swear by traditional medicine and the old-school philosophy of treating illness and general healthy living you may be a bit turned off on some of the content. I urge you to give it a chance anyway.
Rating: ****/5 I may never want to make a homemade candle but I’m glad the information is there in case I do. What can I say? No ads, well organized and interesting content. I think it’s time to put those beer sausages on hold and check out Pionnerthinking.com.
