Accessible World

Greetings! I would like you to know what the purpose of this web site is, and a little about the people who make it a great site. Since I started this contraption, I guess I'll tell you a little about myself. I am a business-man originally from Mount Morris, Michigan. For the last few years I have been the CEO of Talking Communities. Before this I was involved in several adventures including working at a Center for the Blind, land development, teaching people how to own their own business, several years working with the homeless in Mesa, Arizona, and buying and selling real-estate. I also owned a successful machine shop in Michigan, and even worked on the carnival circuit. Sounds pretty good, huh?
I was the first one of my family to be diagnosed with an eye disease called R.P.
when I was 6 years old. This is an eye disease that slowly destroys the retina until you can't see anymore. I was able to hide the fact I was going blind for quite a few years. In 1979, I sold my machine shop, and drank my fortune away in just 11 short months. God must have had something for me to do, because in spite of all my efforts to destroy myself, I managed to start over again with the help of a lot of good people. Even though I have had a lot of success, I felt very insecure. The fact that I had to depend on others to do things that my loss of sight prevented me from doing for myself, made me feel like a parasite that the rest of the world had to put up with. Around 1990, I got a computer. It helped me to be able to do some things for myself that I couldn't do before, but it still fell way short of true equality.
I was about to give up again. About this time I got on the Internet. A friend of mine steered me to "Cathy's News-Stand". What a thrill it was to read a newspaper, and link to the wonderful world of information that I thought I had lost forever.
This was just a beginning. After surfing greedily for a purpose that would warrant my existence, I still fell short. That's when I linked to the E-church, an email list for blind Christians. When I watched other blind folks praying for each other, a spirit of belonging started to replace my isolation. I started to pray and the scales of self-pity were lifted from my eyes and I began to see the real reason for living. The time and effort that every one of you puts into helping each other has inspired me to quit sniveling and to do my part. In 1994, I bought a domain, and built Audio-Tips. At first it was a web site with streaming audio computer tips, tied together with an interactive e-mail list. In 1996 I discovered that you could talk on the computer in groups with a microphone and speakers. Since then we have been through a number of technologies. We have helped each other learn new computer programs, taught each other how to deal with disabilities, comforted each other through tough times, sang and played instruments for each other, built lifetime friendships, and even learned how to make a living on line. This took a lot of time and effort from several great people ... all of you! This isn't my site, its yours. I know you will make it the best community on the web and together we'll make this a better world to live in. Check out the talk rooms, and browse the rest of Audio-Tips to meet and experience the warm-hearted folks that really make Audio-Tips the best voice chat community on the net.
Since that time, I've moved to the position of CEO of Talking Communities. Have interviewed, and become friends of some of the great stars and legends of music and filmdom. Recently I launched a site called "whatshegonnadonext.com" and am embarking on a singing career.
Well, I am grateful to live in a place that offers so many opportunities for a character like me!
God Bless you, Every One! George Buys