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I started this website in 1996 after becoming "legally blind". I wasn't even 35 years old and had lost the ability to drive a car, read without huge magnification, see the faces of people, etc... I was diagnosed with Glaucoma and Best's Decease which is Macular Degeneration or central vision loss.
After searching the Internet I became frustrated about how difficult it was to find information and resources about my eye conditions. The best resources I found was on the personal website of other blind people. I started bookmarking these websites. Then I taught myself basic web design and designed my first website "BlindRaP". (This was when you could only get up to eight letters in a domain name.) Originally it was called "Blind RAP". Which stood for Blind Resumes and Profiles.
Then in 1997 I expanded the website to include links to disability related resources and links to home pages of people with other disabilities. I started calling the website The Worldwide Virtual Community of the Disabled. I purchased the domain name Linkable.org and soon after changed the name of the organization to Linkable.org.
In May of 2008 Linkable.org will have an all new look. We have been brought up to date with a blog, forums, a resume bank, and virtual classrooms. Linkable.org was registered as a non-profit organization in the State of Florida. Soon I plan to apply for 501(c)3 federal tax exempt status and accept tax deductible donations. My life is a lot different now than before the onset of my eye conditions. I was so used to working and being very active. I spent 12 years in the Navy and always had side jobs when not overseas. Now (2008) I am 50 years old and have been "legally blind" for fifteen years. I don't work anymore but I still like to stay active. I ride a bicycle, like to travel, and maintain this website.
It makes me proud to hear from people who have been helped by Linkable.org.
Please enjoy your visit.
Sincerely,
Jeff Redding
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