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January 28, 2000
Web posted at: 9:45 a.m. EST (1445 GMT)

by Alexandra Krasne

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

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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."