Disabled World Community Information for People with Disabilities
Author: Thomas C. Weiss
Published: 18 Feb 2009 - Updated: 13 Sep 2026
Publication Type: Informative
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This information describes the Disabled World online community, a free international resource launched in May 2004 and based in Canada that serves people with disabilities, seniors, family members, friends, and veterans. Founded and built from the ground up by Ian Langtree, a former mechanic from Darwin, Australia who once fitted adaptive vehicle equipment, the site grew from humble beginnings into a wide-ranging platform covering health information, sports, news, forums, blogs, photo sharing, chat rooms, groups, employment listings, and a dating area. The community operates on the Social Model of Disability, which shifts attention away from individual impairment toward removing the everyday barriers that people with disabilities encounter. Its value lies in the breadth and depth of content gathered in one place, the free membership that lets members worldwide share experiences and practical tips, and a family friendly rating that helps parents keep younger users safe, making it genuinely useful for people with disabilities, seniors, and the wider community who want both information and connection.*
At a Glance
- 1 - Membership at Disabled World is completely free. This allows people from anywhere in the world to join and take part.
- 2 - The site added an Employment Category for jobs and vacancies. It helps people with disabilities and seniors discuss work opportunities.
- 3 - In a single month the founder created 213 new information categories. He also added 700 new articles across health, sports, and many other topics.
- 4 - The News Section offers worldwide coverage with RSS feeds, video, and audio. It groups reporting by region, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Asia, and the Australia and New Zealand area.
Topic Definition
- Disabled World Community
The Disabled World Community is the interactive membership area of an international disability website where people with disabilities, seniors, family members, friends, and veterans gather to share information and support one another. Members can build personal profiles, post in health and disability forums, keep a blog, upload photos, join or create interest groups, use instant messaging and chat rooms, and leave messages for friends, all free of charge. Grounded in the Social Model of Disability, the community treats disability as something shaped by removable social barriers rather than by personal impairment alone, and it functions as a worldwide meeting place that pairs practical health and disability content with genuine social connection.
Overview
A press release about Disabled World written on February 21st, 2009 by Thomas C. Weiss, M.A. One of the things that many people with disabilities like me want from a Disability Website is a community to participate in that includes others who experience disability as well.
The search for an Internet site with everything related to People with Disabilities, Seniors, Family Members, Friends and Veterans led me to numerous places around the web. In my search I discovered a number of very admirable websites aimed at various aspects of the lives of people with disabilities. Some of these websites approached different topics in regard us; others did not. None of them presented information in such wide-variety and depth as Disabled-World.com
Humble Beginnings Lead to Great Things
The Disabled World website is based in Canada and was launched in May of 2004 with the intention of providing a very much needed International Online Community for Persons with Disabilities. Ian Langtree of Montreal, Canada tells me he runs the entire site from home. I am amazed at the efforts he has put into Disabled World. Just this month, Ian tells me, he has created 213 new categories for information related to people with disabilities, seniors, and veterans, and added 700 new articles. The information available at Disabled World already includes a staggering amount of articles on Health Information, Sports, and many, many more topics.
Ian is a rather modest gentleman who is originally from Darwin, Australia where he worked as a mechanic. He used to work fitting hand controls and other forms of adaptive equipment on vehicles. Ian Langtree was aware of the need for an interactive website for people with disabilities of all ages, from all walks of life. From the very design of Disabled World to script coding and article research - Ian has built Disabled World from the ground up. Membership at Disabled World is completely free, allowing people from all over the world to join and share their experiences, information, and ability to provide tips and assistance to others.
People from around the world post articles and information, news, assistive device reviews, disability sports articles, helpful tips, forum posts, travel information, and much, much more. Disabled World believes in the Social Model of Disability. The Social Model changes the focus away from any impairment a person may experience, instead focusing on removing barriers persons with disabilities face in every day life. When I discovered Disabled World, I promptly joined - there is no better place on the Internet for a person with disabilities such as myself.
Disabled World - Family Friendly
Understand that Disabled World is rated as a Family Friendly Site. It is also an Associate Member of The Internet Content Rating Association (IRCA), which is an independent, non-profit organization whose main goal is to empower parents to protect their children from potentially harmful content on the Internet. My wife Wendy and I are about to become grandparents, and our children are just as pleased as we are that Disabled World is aware of the need to keep their site safe for everyone who participates. It is a great comfort to know that I can participate at Disabled World without worrying.
Ian truly cares about the people who come to the site. If there is a subject that you are interested in related to Persons with Disabilities, Seniors, Family Members, Friends, or Veterans that is not already in their extensive collection of information - just ask! Disabled World is more than happy to research material relating to articles or products.
Disabled World News
One of my favorite features at Disabled World is the News Section. News from all over the world related to us is available from this area, complete with RSS feeds! Health and Disability news including up-to-the-minute, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories from around the world can be found at Disabled World. News stories focusing on Medical Breakthroughs, advances in the field of medicine, science, and disabilities are available too.
I am a member of the Baby-Boom generation and news regarding Social Security and Medicare interests me. News about health conditions related to Seniors does as well, and articles, videos and news information on these subjects can be found at Disabled World. Often times other nations around the world have information about these issues that is informative as well, and Disabled World News presents this information in useful formats.
Disabled World Health and Disability News Roundup
Disability World News - Worldwide news items concerning disabilities and health which will be of interest to readers around the world with disabilities and/or health conditions - including the latest items of interest to seniors and baby boomers in regards to Social Security and Medicare.
Health and Disability News UK - Health news from Europe, the United Kingdom, Scotland, and surrounding countries of interest to the elderly, persons with disabilities, and those with health conditions. Includes DDA laws and accessibility information.
U.S. Disability and Health News - News updates relating to disabilities, health concerns, and items of interest to seniors and retirement in America. Includes articles and laws on the ADA, Social Security, and the American healthcare system.
Australia and New Zealand - Health and disability news articles for the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific region of the world. Includes articles regarding Social Security, Centrelink, disability, and the Australian old age pension.
Canadian Health News - All the latest up to date news regarding Canadian health and disability including the Canadian healthcare system, Canada Pension Plan and retirement, plus disability benefit monthly payments and claims.
Asian Disability News - Our Asian disability section discusses health and disabilities news from the Asia Pacific region including China, Japan, and Indonesia. Topics covered include disability discrimination, health news, and updates from government sources.
Disabled World Community
One of the things that many people with disabilities like me want from a Disability Website is a community to participate in that includes others who experience disability as well. Disabled World has a Community Area that is very well presented and developed! I am highly-pleased with the Disabled World Community, where I have established a personal profile that I can share with others. There is a great deal to do in the community at Disabled World. You can:
- Leave offline messages for your friends.
- Read and post in the Health and disability community forums.
- Upload your photos to share with other members.
- Chat directly by instant messenger to your online friends.
- Create and update your own health and disability blog whenever you feel like it.
- Create your own group or join groups of people with the same hobbies, disabilities, and interests.
- Meet new interesting people in our Disability Chat rooms.
- Create a public profile and blog with your own web address.
- Create polls for members opinions.
- Play fun classic arcade games.
People come from all over the world to participate in the Disabled World Community! The community is free of charge (one of my favorite things). Recently, Disabled World added an Employment Category for people who want to discuss employment opportunities, jobs, and vacancies for people with disabilities and seniors.
Disabled World Dating
Disabled World Dating - Wendy and I have been married for some time, but not everyone has. Disabled World understands that many people are looking for someone to love. There is a free Dating area at Disabled World for people who are looking for that special someone in their life. There are many articles related to disability dating tips and first date advice too. You can get to meet a number of interesting people through the Disabled World Dating area, meeting them before you actually date them.
There is also a list of Local Dating Services for Women and Men at Disabled World. You can find information on dating services for persons who are deaf or blind. What is most important is that you remember - personality is what matters, not disability. Love conquers all.
Advertising on Disabled World
Disabled World Advertising - The ability to advertise on Disabled World is very popular. Premium advertising placements on major pages is available. Tens of thousands of people visit Disabled World every single day. The advertising on Disabled World is not purchased, or created through artificial traffic generating or inflation means. What this means is that all of the visitors to Disabled World are highly qualified potential customers. The best part of advertising on Disabled World is the fact that the cost of advertising is a fraction of the price of advertising on other sites, giving you more for your advertising dollar.
Disabled World Has It All
The realm of Disability information on the Internet is large and growing. While there are sites on the Internet that provide information related to people with disabilities, none of them have the vast variety of information, community, news, Dating, and the ability to share with others that is provided by Disabled World. The very depth of involvement and level of information to be found at Disabled-World.com is highly impressive, and a demeanor of caring and personal interest in the people they are there to serve makes Disabled World truly unique. I very highly recommend Disabled World for those seeking a website related to People with Disabilities, Seniors, and Veterans.
Thomas C. Weiss, M.A.
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)
When was Disabled World founded and where is it based
Disabled World was launched in May 2004 and is based in Canada, where its founder runs the entire site from home.
Does it cost anything to join the Disabled World community
No, membership and the community area are completely free, allowing people from anywhere in the world to join and take part.
What is the Social Model of Disability that the site follows
It is a framework that shifts focus away from a persons impairment and toward removing the social and physical barriers people with disabilities face in everyday life.
Who can benefit from using Disabled World
The resource is aimed at people with disabilities, seniors, family members, friends, and veterans who want information, news, and a community to connect with.
What kinds of content can members find on the site
Members can access health information, disability sports, news with RSS feeds, assistive device reviews, travel tips, forums, blogs, and more.
Is the website suitable for families and children
Yes, it is rated as a family friendly site and is an associate member of an internet content rating organization that helps parents protect children online.
Does Disabled World offer regional news coverage
Yes, it groups health and disability news by region, covering the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Asia, and the Australia and New Zealand area.
Can businesses advertise on Disabled World
Yes, premium advertising placements are available on major pages, and the site states its traffic is genuine rather than artificially generated.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: What stands out about Disabled World is the personal scale behind such a large undertaking, with one individual running the entire operation from home while maintaining a demeanor of genuine care for the members it serves. The platform reaches tens of thousands of daily visitors, and its advertising model deliberately avoids artificial traffic inflation, meaning the audience is real and engaged. For baby boomers and older readers, the coverage of Social Security, Medicare, Canada Pension Plan, Centrelink, and comparable programs across several nations adds practical day to day relevance, while the community features such as forums, blogs, groups, and chat give members a place to connect rather than simply read. Taken together, the mix of information, news, community, and connection is what makes the resource distinctive for anyone navigating life with a disability or supporting someone who is.*
Author Credentials: Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a CNA Thomas has providing care for people with all forms of disabilities. Explore Thomas' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.
* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.