First of all, I'm happy to be here and it's nice to "meet" everyone.  I have noticed through lurking that this is a very kind and giving community and I look forward to being a part of that.

I apologize in advance for bringing this up.  I'm SURE it has been discussed dozens of times.  My problem: I have no references because I have never taken part in the hobby before.  Let me say that I ABSOLUTELY understand the need for reference checks for safety purposes.  I would be checking and checking some more if I was in that position.  That said, how does a newbie get started without references?

Also, I should mention that I have Cerebral Palsy and use a wheelchair to get around.  I'm very comfortable with my disability but I have run into situations in "real life" where some folks are not as comfortable so I wanted to cover that issue immediately.

Thanks everyone!

Erin

PS Jordan Kay, should I ever meet you I'll refrain from eating your contacts. *laugh* (I got a kick out of that story.)