Computer technology and the Internet have a t remendous potential to broaden the lives and i n c rease the independence of people with disabilities. Those who have difficulty leaving their homes can now log in and order groceries, shop for appliances, re s e a rch health questions, participate in online discussions, catch up with friends, or make new ones. Blind people, who used to wait months or years for the information they needed to be made available in Braille or on audiotape, can now access the very same news stories, magazine articles, government reports, and information on consumer p roducts at the very same time it becomes available to the sighted.
