November 16, 2000 | Read Time: 1 minute
A new Web site, TheArcLink.org, offers a database of organizations that provide services to mentally retarded people in Indiana and New Mexico — and has the ambitious goal of eventually listing service providers across the country.
The site is a joint project of The Arc of the United States and two of its affiliates, The Arc of Indiana, in Indianapolis, and the Stone Belt Arc, in Bloomington, Ind.
Elbert Johns, president of TheArcLink, says that families often need help navigating through the complex maze of services that are available for people with developmental disabilities. The evolution of service providers over the past 25 years from a small number of large institutions to many small, local programs has also contributed to the sometimes overwhelming number of options from which families must choose.
“The other problem is that nobody plans to have a family member with a disability,” says Mr. Johns. “Everybody is surprised; nobody is prepared.”
In addition to the database of services, the site also offers a section where parents can share information about dentists, barbers, and others who have experience working with developmentally disabled children.
So far, Arc affiliates in 14 states have signed on to the project, and TheArcLink expects that information about services in Florida, Maryland, and Minnesota will be online by the end of the year.
For more information: Go to http://www.thearclink.org.
