(OPENPRESS) August 30, 2008 -- www.DisEuropa.eu is a totally free social networking site with a difference. It has been set up primarily for disabled people in Europe to connect, share ideas, meet and network.
"Websites for disabled people are often too local or lack decent Social Networking facilities," says Ben Towbridge who helped develop the idea.
"We wanted a site where people from the disabled community could share ideas across national boundaries. We concentrated on Europe since there is so much work to be done here," he added. "Groups in Germany can share ideas with people in Greece. A successful initiative in Norway can be spread out and adapted by people in Italy or Spain."
Plus of course there's the social side to the site. One goal is to help people get in touch with likeminded others.
"Often disabled people are isolated socially. This site will help that situation."
The site has many social networking features: forums, blogs, a "connect" system to link with friends, a chatroom and so on.
It has also been built to be as accessible as possible. The overall look and design of the site can even be changed by individual users to suit their needs and preferences.
"We're not saying it's perfect because sites like this are always a work in progress, but we promise to listen to the feedback we get and our goal is to make this the best site we can."
The site, several months in development, came online earlier this week. Already it has attracted the attention of the media and with increasing numbers of users joining every day it is already proving popular.
“The need is obviously there,” says Ben. “There’s been so much interest in the idea already that we’re looking into future developments and bringing some of those ideas forward.”
Future plans include sponsoring video documentaries, competitions and ultimately face-to-face get togethers in cities throughout Europe.
