For Brad Whitmoyer, using computers isn’t just a pastime, it’s a way of life.

Whitmoyer has severe cerebral palsy that limits his movement and ability to communicate. He moves around with an electric wheelchair, and has used a computer mounted on the front of the chair to help him communicate since he was five.

He also uses the device to run his small web-design business. His first project was designing a Web site for a local church; he has since accumulated more than 40 clients. He has taken a few design classes, but is mostly self-taught through online search engines.

Impressively, he inputs all the raw coding using only his right knee.

His wheelchair-mounted computer screen communicates wirelessly with his office PC. Whitmoyer taps a button with his knee to start cycling through a grid of 190 letters, numbers and computer commands. He taps it again to select the “windows” key on the screen. With a few more taps of his knee, he opens a Web design program. With a few more taps, he selects an individual line of code, ready to edit.

The whole process takes about two minutes. He has perfected the process through years of practice, he said.

Cory Grywalski first met Whitmoyer about a decade ago.

Grywalski’s sister worked for Whitmoyer through a non-profit healthcare provider that assists people with disabilities. She noticed both had an affinity for computers and introduced them.

She asked, “Do you know Brad? He’s a cool guy, and a big nerd like you,” Grywalski remembers.

Whitmoyer, 25, is from Delaware while Grywalski, 28, lived out of town; they hung out a few times before going their separate ways.

Their interest in technology brought them together again last year in a roundabout way. For the better part of nine months, the two worked side-by-side last year developing a new Web site for the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Besides an affinity for computers, the two share another commonality: both are DCBDD clients and have disabilities that confine them to wheelchairs. Grywalski, who moved to Delaware in 2007 to work for the DCBDD, was born with a rare muscle and joint disorder called Arthogryposis Multiplex Congenita. While he has thick arms and a barrel chest that hints at his interest in playing wheelchair rugby and four-wheel mountain biking, his lower body in contrast is slimmer and largely immobile.

Grywalski works for the DCBDD helping troubleshoot and promoting office technology, while Whitmoyer is an independent contractor of sorts who did the nuts and bolts work on the Web site.

Whitmoyer designed the Web site from the ground up, typing in more than 23,000 lines of code. Grywalski, a DCBDD employee, oversaw the project and offered suggestions and institutional support.

The Web site went live last November, and earlier this month received a statewide award because of its design and ease of use.

Whitmoyer offered to design the Web site in exchange for office space; he gets stir-crazy when he doesn’t leave his apartment, and enjoys being able to work with other people. He is not a board employee, but he now has his PC set up on a table in the board office, where he goes to work every day.

DCBDD Director Bob Morgan said having an effective Web site helps his agency to reach people who are interested in the board’s services in a more efficient and direct way.

“He’s added functionality to it that we had no idea we could do,” Morgan said.

Grywalski and Whitmoyer’s desks are just 10 feet from each other, and they continue their work improving the Web site on a daily basis. Grywalski is currently working to promote the use of video chat software by clients and other boards of developmental disabilities around the state.

Through technology, people with disabilities are able to gain more independence, he said. For instance, Whitmoyer uses his chair-mounted computer not only to earn money by enabling him to work, but also to dispense medication, communicate with others and even control the TV and lights in his apartment.

Whitmoyer still receives a few hours of help and in the evening for meals and personal care, but thanks to the access his computer gives him to his healthcare provider if he needs it, he maintains a high degree of personal independence. He strives to someday make enough income from his business that he can get off government assistance.

“Help is like food,” Whitmoyer said. “If you don’t have enough, you starve. But if you have too much, you become obese.”

Grywalski and Whitmoyer also have a relationship that extends beyond work. They are neighbors, and often hang out in their free time. Grywalski said the two share a bond.

“We have a pretty good connection where I can tell what he’s thinking without him having to verbalize anything,” he said.

Whitmoyer’s disability can make it difficult for him to communicate verbally.

“I’ll help him answer questions for someone who’s just coming in the office,” Grywalski said. “If they’re just not getting it, he’ll glance over at me and give me a look, and I’ll know exactly what he’s saying.”

When asked, the two said they hope their efforts working for the DCBDD speak to the capabilities of people with disabilities.

“It lets other people know it is possible,” Whitmoyer said. “Once you show an accomplishment that you can do what you can do, the door is wide open.”

“And, you have to not be afraid to fail,” he added.

The two say they don’t want pity, just equal opportunities.

“We wouldn’t want to have this opportunity just because we have disabilities,” Grywalski said. “Give us the opportunity because we can do it better than anyone else.”

atobias@delgazette.com