Webmaster

My name is Carl Haislip, I·m a resident here at Bell House, and I·m the webmaster for our website. I access my computer with a head stick and lay on the floor, because it·s comfortable for me. Also, I have better control of my spasticity and can type much faster than if I was typing in my wheelchair.

I started building websites in 1998. I taught myself HTML, a programming language used to present content on the web, and became fascinated with how the web worked. The first website I built was the ·unofficial· Virtual Buddies page. Virtual Buddies is a non-profit that allows North Carolinians with disabilities to communicate via e-mail. After funding for the program ran out, members of the discussion group formed a leadership team. I became Co-Administrator and webmaster. Since I moved to Bell House, I·ve only been able to work with the Virtual Buddies whenever I can, but I do keep in touch with the friends I·ve made through the VB program.

Putting together the website allowed me to try new designing techniques that I·ve never done. Now, I used software that gives me an instant view of a page that I·m working on. I still use HTML to set colors for backgrounds in tables, but it would·ve taken me ages to design this website if I wrote it all out HTML. Because this website is going to represent Bell House, I challenged myself with the design. So I·m glad it worked out.

If you have any questions about our website, you can e-mail me at carl@bellhouseinc.org.