"To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with."
- Mark Twain -
James identified a need
James, who has six children, two of whom have special needs, has made it his mission in life to help others with special-needs children.
Originally from England, he came to the United States in 1991 to train for the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain the following year, until he suffered a catastrophic knee injury.
He missed the Olympics and stayed in the States working for Rolling Stone Magazine. When his son was diagnosed with autism, he became a stay-at-home dad.
After seeing what a difference the iPad made in his son's life, he started www.a4cwsn.com, a we site devoted to finding and reviewing apps for children with special needs.
"Who's going to buy an app that's worth $200 if you don't really know what it does," James said. "It's kind of asking people to basically pay upfront without knowing what these apps will do for your child."
James doesn't rate the apps, but displays them on his site so parents can make informed decisions about what apps they may want to purchase for their child.
The site was launched in February and reached the fundraising goal of $30,000 for the 50 States campaign in August. James also created a Facebook community of over 7,500 people who support his cause.
James feels the iPad technology is somehow triggering something in these children with special needs to help them learn. He has heard countless stories and seen first-hand what progress these children make in very short periods of time with the iPad.
"It is absolutely amazing and I don't have an explanation for it and I don't think anybody has an explanation for it yet, but it is certainly worth listening to and paying attention to if indeed the iPad was to cause all of that," James said.
James personally travels to each state, delivering iPads to the winners. He wants to make that personal connection and create a community of support for these families. His final leg of his journey should be complete before Thanksgiving.
"People don't understand that this is a tool or there are people like myself here to help people in a situation that need help," James said. "It's all about getting the message out."
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A4cwsn makes News in Alabama and Tennessee
WBRC News Oct 24, 2011
Website donates iPads to special needs children
Today two families, one in Alabama and another in Tennessee, received an iPad loaded with apps aimed at special needs children
Read more here w/video
A4cwsn Donates iPads to Special Needs Children
A4cwsn on WXYZ News Detroit
November 4,2011 Ypsilanti, Michigan
It’s a mission from the heart for Gary James.
He’s going to every state in the country to hand-deliver an iPad to a special needs child.
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A4cwsn on CBS News
November 14, 2011
Autistic children given a voice, thanks to iPads
(AP) POCATELLO, Idaho - Ryder McBride sat anxiously squeezing an empty 2-liter pop bottle as family and a few strangers filled his family's living room Wednesday morning.
Read more here:
A4cwsn on CBS Idaho News
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A4cwsn on Fox News 5 out of LasVegas
Nov 14, 2011
iPads helping children with autism grow, develop
Ava Nalty just received her first iPad. Gary James is traveling across the county to get the technology in the hands of children who suffer with autism.
read more here w/video:
A4cwsn makes news in LasVegas
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PM Nov 20, 2011
Nebraska Families Receive Priceless Gift
Lynette Trease is the mother of 13-year-old Nicole. She says, "She (Nicole) is just the light of our lives. She goes to school, she does not have any voice because she has been trached for three years."
Nicole is one of two children who received a free iPad
from an organization called Apps for Children with Special Needs. The other recipient is 20-month-old Madelynn Jensen.
Her mother, Jessica Jensen says, "We've been told to expect the worst in terms of what she will accomplish, but with the iPad we're hoping for the best. Gosh, just one word."-------------
50 iPads, 50 States, 50 children CONGRATULATIONS and Thank You Gary James
1. Alabama – Margie Slemp
2. Alaska – Noelle Sandiford
3. Arizona – Charles Hawkins
4. Arkansas – Tammy Hillis
5. California – Rebecca Cox
6. Colorado – Meredith Rozdiilsky
7. Connecticut – Jen Widlar
8. Delaware – Lori Newcomer
9. Florida – Sabrina McCary
10. Georgia – Fay LaFrage
11. Hawaii – Kelly Anderson
12. Idaho – Stephanie McBride
13. Illinois – Candace Carney
14. Indiana – Erica Rollins
15. Iowa – Soja Tobin
16. Kansas – Katia Pareira
17. Kentucky – Buelah Wuellner
18. Louisiana – Tara Millet
19. Maine – Courtney Phillips
20. Maryland – Rebecca Simon
21. Massachusetts – Stacy Shore
22. Michigan – Linda Bradmon
23. Minnesota – Beth Wilde
24. Mississippi – Rachael Whisenant
25. Missouri – Rebecca Cannon
26. Montana – Cindy Buckner
27. Nebraska – Jessica Jenson
28. Nevada – Susie Nalty
29. New Hampshire – Melanie Cornell
30. New Jersey – Corrie Gaspar
31. New Mexico – Rachel Kemp
32. New York – Karen Heald Bess
33. North Carolina – Pam Howard
34. North Dakota – Nanci Gale Wilson
35. Ohio – Melissa Bennett
36. Oklahoma – Nhora Magill
37. Oregon – Angela Doescher
38. Pennsylvania – Jennifer Boyd
39. Rhode Island – Laura Tirell
40. South Carolina – Kelli Morton
41. South Dakota – Michael Whiting
42. Tennessee – Joy Caffrey
43. Texas – Rumisha Rice
44. Utah – Jayme Richards
45. Vermont – Michelle Gagne
46. Virginia – Stacie Mikels
47. Washington – Deborah Walker
48. West Virginia – Carrie Shephard
49. Wisconsin – Kari Smith
50. Wyoming – Andrea Watkins
