A Portal for People With Disabilities 

New site aims to provide information and resources to people with
disabilities and their friends. 

by Alexandra Krasne, PC World 
January 26, 2000, 5:44 p.m. PT 

While the Internet gives you access to a world of information, often people
with disabilities are left parked at the side of the road. 

But Heidi Van Arnem - commissioner at the Michigan Commission on Disability
Concerns--has been quadriplegic since the age of 16, and hopes to change all
that with I-Can online, a Web site she plans to launch in April. For her
efforts, Van Arnem will be named one of the Top 25 Women on the Web, an award
that recognizes leaders in developing and setting standards on the Web. 

On the I-Can site, browse through information on adaptive sports, how and
where to find a job, independent living, relationships, self-discovery, and
Social Security and public health insurance benefits. Topics on the site are
approached from the perspective of those living with disabilities, and aim to
address their specific needs. 

"I saw what nonprofits were doing," says Van Arnem, "and I don't think they
always saw the big picture. I want to make sure people with disabilities know
what's out there."  

In addition, the site will address one of the biggest problems she says
people with disabilities face: finding a place to live. An area of the site
called Homeseeker will offer descriptions of available housing, including
information on accessibility. 

Van Arnem's main goal in creating the site, however, was to make sure
everyone was included. 

"I want to make sure that anyone with any type of disability can navigate the
site," she says. "But I don't want to develop two sites, one for someone who
is blind, and someone who's not. It's hard enough to have a disability. I
want to make it easier." 

http://www.icanonline.net/
http://www.mrs.state.mi.us/cs/agencies/mcdc.html