Dating Sites Focus on People With Health Problems - NYTimes.com

Image via WikipediaBy KAREN BARROW

Sherry Nevius, single and 52, is looking for a mate with all the important adjectives — caring, sincere, intelligent, funny. Oh, and one more thing: disabled.

Born with cerebral palsy, Ms. Nevius uses a wheelchair. She is independent and mobile, but would prefer to meet a man who could roll alongside her.

“That way we’re on equal ground,” she said.
Ms. Nevius has dated several perfectly nice able-bodied men, but none seemed willing to start a serious relationship.

“I think they were a little bit scared because they didn’t know how to treat me,” she said. She lives in Normal, Ill., a town with few single men around her age, let alone familiar and comfortable with disability.

“It’s hard enough to find someone with similar interests,” she said. “Finding someone O.K. with your disability just makes it harder.”

So this fall Ms. Nevius took her search online.

Several dating Web sites for singles with health problems have started up in the last few years.
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Clinton Township leads the way with speed dating for seniors

AARP Bulletin Today Sep. 9, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Singles searching for love and companionship sit at tables for two decorated with flickering candles and powder-pink tablecloths. They wear nervous smiles and name tags on pressed blouses and blazers. They're told the rules: When the bell rings, the ladies move to the next man. They have four minutes to chat and, if a connection is made, get the digits or dance to a live band later in another room.