title: Ability OnLine: children in hospital now in touch with the world.
abstract: Health prevention seeks to avoid the onset of disease or symptoms by eliminating or at least minimizing environmental factors that increase the risk of illness. This article describes Ability OnLine, an innovative program designed to reduce the isolation young people can experience in a healthcare facility or when confined to their home. The electronic bulletin board is a friendly platform for disabled and chronically ill children to easily communicate with their peers and adult and teen mentors.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McClure
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012944:Social Support