The Ideal Lives Project Launches Web Site

ENID, OK - October 9, 2000 - The Ideal Lives Project is establishing its presence on the World Wide Web. The Ideal Lives Project is committed to meeting the needs of families & professionals supporting individuals with disabilities by providing information, personalized services & easy access to Internet resources. Our goal - to provide individuals with the tools needed to be effective advocates, provide personalized support, and ensure a meaningful lifestyle for the person they care about.

The Project is based on the belief that the time of parents & professionals is precious & cannot always be dedicated to seeking out the information needed to meet the challenges at hand. The Project web site supports this belief by offering three unique resources:

1. Biweekly columns - Three biweekly tip columns will be featured customized to the needs & interests of families, professionals & long term care providers. Along with each column, the site will also provide instant access to the "best of the web" by highlighting other high quality web sites & publications related to the column topics.

2. Personalized services - The Ideal Lives project believes in supporting the efforts of those on the front line. Through our site individuals, teams or agencies can obtain customized consultation service, assistance with the development of personal support plans, & disability research services.

3. Expert publications - Our on-site expert, Lisa Simmons, has developed several electronic publications geared specifically toward special needs parents, disability professionals, & long term care providers. These publications are available for purchase through a secure server on our web site, ensuring that all transactions are submitted with the utmost security possible. In addition, Ms. Simmons also recommends additional publications available on-line & has an affiliation with Amazon.com to facilitate purchases of other disability authors.

Ms. Simmons has 15 years experience in the fields of developmental disabilities, long term care, & family advocacy. She is a licensed teacher, certified Education Advocate, trained quality management facilitator, registered Music Therapist & Qualified Mental Retardation Professional. She has also completed additional training in Essential Lifestyle planning, dispute resolution, leadership skills, creative problem solving & innovative management techniques in the workplace. Over the last decade, Ms. Simmons has spoken on disability topics at regional & national conferences in addition to private consulting efforts, & authoring the informational e-books mentioned above.

The Ideal Lives Project web site, entitled Ideal Lives.com will be available to the public October 15, 2000. For additional information about the Ideal Lives Project or the services & publications mentioned in this article visit our web site or contact the Project by calling (580) 242-2273 or e-mailing us at lisasim@peakonline.com