Welcome to our first blog. Julie and I decided it might be fun to follow the journey to the launch of our new website. For those of you wondering who we are visit http://www.abilityonline.org/ . Keep in mind the outside public pages haven't been updated since we started our rebuild -but the background information is still relevant and all the good stuff is still happening once you register and login.

The journey started two years ago when our Chairman Mike made a fabulous connection with Momentum Solutions Inc. They are the ones now hosting our current site, and helping us build a new platform -with all the bells and whistles of a great social networking site -with one big difference -lots of safety features to ensure our members have a positive online experience. Did you know that we screen every registration to make sure our members are who they say they are -and that they want to come online to make friends, find information, or to acquire new skills?

Did you also know that it isn't easy to blend forums, chat rooms, skill development activities and games into an accessible, secure platform? We gave the team at Momentum a real run for their money in taking on this project. But we believe it will be worth the wait. Especially since the new site will have separate sections for our youth members, parents and the professionals (healthcare and education) who work with these kids. There will be lots of links, resources, activities and of course role models and mentors to connect with for inspiration.

We are also adding a new social skills area and leisure education to help pur members structure their free time with rewarding activities.

Well -that should be enough to get things started. If you happen to follow this blog, ask questions, and share suggestions of what you think we should add. We will try and post every few days to let you know what's happening.

Stay connected. Stay safe!