I don't do a lot of pieces on health issues and I have never done one on disabilities. However, in my web surfing for my part-time writing gig I came across a website by a company that assists people with disabilities to get to and from wherever they want or need to go.

I once knew this cute one-armed cashier who could peel out of a parking lot in her big Cadillac like you would not believe. (Mind you, she smoked while she drove, okay? One arm, one cigarette and one steering wheel. . .YOU do the math.)

Seems I had all but forgotten how amazing she was when years later I met this cute blonde online who had been relegated to a wheelchair since some idiot plowed into her because the sun was in her eyes and  the stoplight had not been there two years ago when she was last

in the city. CRASH! This vivacious, young blonde was stuck in a wheelchair the rest of her life.

I would have had an attitude for the rest of my life. Not this girl. She was nothing more than sunshine on wheels. She wanted to be treated normally. (Naturally I took that to mean I should give her as much sh*t

as I give women who can walk.) Oddly enough, we got along specifically because of that. I'll never forget this one experience we had in a public chat room.

In a previous conversation, she told me she didn't often wear panties. It just made sense because of her situation. So when some clown--I mean some other clown-- asked her what her "hoo-hoo" tasted like, did I jump to her defense? Naaaaah. I simply interrupted: "I know what flavor it is! It's CHAIR-y!" That was the "start of a beautiful friendship" as they say in

"Casablanca".

(Y'all got it, right? Cherry? CHAIR-y because she doesn't wear panties and sits in the chair for long periods of time?)  The point is she wants to be as normal as she can be. So for people out there who are disabled but want to be as normal as possible, I thought I would share what I discovered about this one site.

(I still give that girl a hard time. I treat her just like any other woman. I even tell her that the strokes that reduced her language and math skills haven't made her noticeably less intelligent since she is, after all, a blonde. I think she is more disabled having me as a friend then anything else that has happened to her. . . but I digress. . .)

"This is a call; this is a call out, 'Cause every time I fall down, I reach out to you, and I'm losing all control now, and my hazard signs are all out" -- Thousand Foot Krutch

If you fall down and feel like you're losing all control then you might benefit from a visit to the website www.mobilityworks.com. It seems the internet can make life easier even for

those with disabilities.

Mobilityworks.com is a bright, professionally-presented, commercial website that focuses on making the disabled more mobile. In fact, they even have specific site pages for certain specific areas of the country.

They specialize in wheelchair vans and minivans as well as doing full-sized lowered floor conversions and scooter lifts. Additionally, they also carry such accessories as chair tie-downs, pedal extensions, individual hand controls and driver hand controls.

The home page is clear and provides departmentalized links regarding not only their new and used vehicles but also lifts and equipment, service, financing, and rentals. They also have specific pages to handle questions and to help potential customers locate a sales and service office near them.

In fact, according to the site, they have at least a dozen different locations in seven different places in the United States.

At the click of a mouse, internet surfers can search for wheelchair

vans, specials on the hundreds of vans they have in stock and even read about the commercial division. For those who like to actually speak to sales reps or have questions that cannot be answered online, toll free numbers are also provided.

They appear to offer products by several different manufacturers and claim that regardless of the specific

needs of any disabled individual, they can "find something that works". If you or someone you know is disabled you might be wise to let your fingers do the walking and visit www.mobiltyworks.com.

I hope that this site (and sites like it) can help someone you know live a more normal life. My previously-mentioned friend sometimes thinks I couldn't find her attractive because she is in a wheelchair. I tried to tell her she wouldn't be a charity case to

me but she WOULD be MEALS ON WHEELS. Look for us one day on the comedy circuit. Of course, it would be more of a "sit-down and stand-up" comedy act.

She has survived the loss of the use of her legs, survived strokes, near death, is losing her sight and her hearing and still she fights on with more strength and courage than anyone I have ever known. I try to tell her, only a blonde would want to be normal when she is really very special.

My name is Phoenix and . . . that's the bottom line.