Just who is The Handicapped Computerist?

As you have possibly noticed, The Computerist has grown into a team effort. There are four writers contributing to the mayhem! Since you may be curious as to just who we are and why we think we are qualified to write these postings, I asked each of the team members to write a short introductory paragraph to let you all know who the Handicapped Computerist really was. So, in their own words…

I am Barbara Sanders. I was born with Cerebral Palsy. I completed high school in 1983. In 1985 I received my Associates Degree in Mental Health. While studying for my Bachelor's in Social Work, I was married. I am now a single parent of twin boys who reside with me. In 2001, I earned my Masters in Special Education and plan to use my skills and knowledge in both Special Education and Social Work to help others. In 2004, I became a Cancer survivor. I could not have accomplished all this without God's Grace.

I am Karen Carter. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and optic nerve atrophy; I am legally blind, but have usable vision. I hold both a Bachelor's degree and a Master of Science degree in Social Work. I have many interests, including my work with families, children, the elderly and disabled to intervene in and prevent abuse and neglect of these vulnerable populations. I also enjoy web design and helping others acquire and enhance computing skills. One of my passions is creative writing. I am an avid computer user and blogger. I especially enjoy helping people to learn, and to communicate more clearly.

I am Paul Koteras. I have been involved with various aspects of computer technology professionally for about 10 years. Currently I work in the IS department of a large, international software company. I have my bachelor's degree in Computer Systems Management, and I deal primarily with desktop technology, networking, and NT administration. Partnered with Doug, I have also spent a great deal of time doing volunteer technology work for the school district in my area over the last 3 or 4 years.

I am Doug Godbey. I have been involved in Information Technology in one form or another for the past 37 years and I am a Stroke Survivor. I have worked as a UNIX IT Contractor for the past 15 years. I started The Handicapped Computerist because I recognized the changes I needed to make to stay productive with my computers and to share those ideas to assist others with disabilities and other users to use their computers effectively as well. The rest, as they say, is history. Paul and I collaborated to provide direct site technology support at one of our local schools supporting the servers and desktop computers on a volunteer basis for the past 3 or 4 years.

There you have it. Each of us has a slightly different viewpoint when it comes to PC computing. We have all encountered the problems and kinks involved in working with our systems.

Barbara is involved in Education for Special Needs Children and will be writing about the concerns and needs of those folk. Karen seems to have a very real knack for writing tutorials and is a real whiz when it comes to developing web pages. Paul is our MCSE specialist. Look for hints and tips to improve you computing experience from him. He also has a good knowledge of security issues.

Finally, there is myself. I do the testing and reporting of software the team has searched out and a few of the 'special' things we encounter along the way. I will also be writing about Linux distributions soon and maybe a tutorial on such things as installation, operation, and maintenance of the Linux system.

We all have the same credo though. That is, simply put, that computers are fun to use and work with. That is why we end our postings with the following (in one form or another). HAVE FUN!