Expanding Our Community - 2011

I have been the host of "Dialogues With Dan" for over Two and one half years, and over this time I have had the pleasure of speaking with many people of all types. "Dialogues With Dan" was started as a show about disabilities, and featuring people who are doing great and amazing things for them selves as well as helping others. Back in 1979 when I became a member of the world of disabilities I had no idea how huge it was. I had a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI),and this was only one disability out of many I learned that existed.

On a particular day many years ago I began the web site "Living with TBI", www.tbilife.com . On this site I have many of my writings; many of my poems, as well as other survivors; links to important web sites on TBI; a Q&A with feedback from others, and information about my books, and Brain Injury types. As the years have passed and my contact with people of varying disabilities has grown, I am seeing that disabled individuals are more alike than different. We are people first........individuals who happen to have a disability. We have likes and dislikes; strengths and weaknesses; things we are fond of, and types of books we enjoy to read.

Over the last year or so I have been trying to make my web site available for people of all disabilities. Granted, much of the info is geared for people with TBI, but I have added a bulletin board to include others of various injuries. Unfortunately, I am thinking that I might be typecast so to speak. People think I am only about TBI, and no more. O.K., the web site still says "Living with TBI", but I am moving toward the center, to include others of varying conditions. This might be equated to a political figure who wants to increase their constituency, and as a result finds themselves moving toward the center of political thinking.

I say "the more people we include in our lives, the greater chance we have to experience success or greatness".



Daniel Windheim