Visible Stories

I have been a volunteer for a number of small to medium sized Not-For-Profit and Community groups over the years - and loved it! I met so many great people, all with their own special stories to tell.

I learnt so much as a volunteer! Not just how this or that charity worked, or all the steps needed to set up and register a Not-For-Profit. I learnt a lot about people. How and why they volunteered, why they felt good about helping others; having the love and passion for something and sharing their knowledge to others who were equally interested and passionate!

That's how Visible Stories came about. Each and every Community Group, Not-For-Profit, Sports or other Community group name - you all have Stories to tell the world. That world could be your local area, state or region or the whole world itself.

You could be wanting to let everyone know you have animals desperately seeking new permanent homes, or you are collecting funds to build or repair a church or sports field.

You may want to show the world where their donations have been employed - such as a new kitchen fit-out at the local Neighbourhood house or how "Rusty" a long-term rescue dog was finally adopted by a family who instantly fell in love with him, or his sad story of how he became an orphan seeking a new home.

I set up an early database system at an animal shelter, long before the idea of the internet as a tool for Not-For-Profits became a reality. I undertook a research thesis on Accessible Web Sites and studied marketing. And I continue to study - currently Usability Experience and Design mainly for websites.

Why am I doing this? Because I believe that everyone should have access to all the same information that is available on the internet and websites - regardless of what sort of equipment they are using to do this and for those who may have a cognitive or physical disability that may impede their ability to access all the information put out by that website owner.

While some of you may not be able to access everything here on the Visible Stories website - I am making constant changes in order for you to be able to do so. Please contact me at Visible Stories and let me know what it is you cannot access and I will fix it as soon as I can.

Each week I will post information that you, the visitor, will find interesting and useful. Not just for the Not-For-Profit communities - for all of you. Please feel free to send in any requests you may have- be it "How to take an interesting photo", to some useful snippet about charities or free programs to organise all those photos and videos on your computer!

All information will be checked to be correct and references will also be made available.