 Renovated
Family Village Now On-line
by Patricia Mitchell,
University Relations Specialist/Waisman Center
October 10, 2005
Since it was established almost 10 years ago, more than 1.5 million visitors
from 100 countries have found their way to the Waisman Center’s treasure trove
of health- and disability-related information on the Internet— the Family
Village. Now the site has been updated, improved, and re-launched at
www.familyvillage.wisc.edu
The renovated site is the outcome of efforts by an
advisory committee, whose first task was to decide whether or not to even
continue the site. “We looked at whether its original role as a centralized
clearinghouse of developmental disability-related information, web sites, and
discussion forums was still needed,” says Linda Rowley, the web manager at the
Waisman Center who helped create the village. The committee’s response was a
unanimous “yes,” she says.
If anything, the committee felt the need for the Family
Village is even greater today. "When we started the Family Village,” says
Rowley, “the Internet was an unknown quantity to most parents and providers. We
helped Internet newcomers find information and connect with other families. Our
goal was to help people track down the scarce information that existed,” says
Rowley. “Ironically, ten years later, our goal is to help people sort through
the billions of web sites to find those that are the most relevant and most
useful."
The committee, consisting of parents of children with disabilities, faculty and
staff from the Waisman Center, and community representatives, did not think the
overall design and organization of the Family Village needed much changing. The
committee liked the simple and user-friendly design, which it felt was a key to
quick and easy access, according to Rowley. “What they did recommend was the
revamping of some of the contents and the addition of new information,” she
says.
Three new buildings were added:
- a Legal Center that better organizes information about
disability-related legislation and civil rights for people with disabilities,
including general information on legal topics such as estate planning and
advocacy organizations;
- a Disability Culture Icon, linking visitors to
fascinating resources ranging from disability studies to the history of the
disability rights movement, from people with disabilities in film and
television to self-advocacy and self-determination; and
- a Living with Disability Center that captures and
organizes the diverse array of information aimed at making life easier, such
as spiritual and religious resources, respite care, and service dogs.
Other changes include the addition of links to current research and a place
for visitors to provide feedback and suggestions.
Rowley and other members of the committee plan to meet periodically in the
future in order to continue to keep the site current and relevant to the many
types of visitors who log on, including family members, people with a
disabilities, service providers, public policymakers, and anyone who is seeking
information related to disability.
One of the committee members, Rita Hohlstein, underscores the importance of the
Family Village to both parents and students. “It's important that the Waisman
Center have a site that can be helpful to families of children with
developmental disabilities,” says Hohlstein, a clinical associate professor and
coordinator for clinical services and interdisciplinary training for the Waisman
Center. “I also frequently show the site to pediatric residents, because
regardless of the area they end up working in, they will have some patients with
developmental disabilities and this site may be a great way for them to connect
these children and families with the resources they'll need.”
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