Personal Stories: Dr. Michael Arbitman

Eight years ago I was the VP of IT for a firm. I created software for the Bank of India and traveled there to implement the solution and train the staff. I contracted a rare form of pink eye that attacked my retinas leaving me blind. I have bene a diabetic since I was 1 and the blood vessels in my eyes thinned out throughout the years and there was not ample blood flow to repair them. It took my family and I two years to find all the resources I needed to live how I wanted to live.

Having a PhD in computer science and not happy with this solution, my business partner and I created Imuneek. It is a social networking resource website that instantly connects people to other people, organizations, support groups, doctors, news, events, and forums specific to their medical condition or disability, physical or mental.

The Lighthouse for the Blind acknowledged that Imuneek is one of only two resources in the country for blind parents and the only support group. The American Diabetes Association said that Imuneek was the only localized resource for juvenile type 2 diabetics. The Special Olympics said Imuneek was the only online support group where parents could attend virtual meetings so they would not have to travel with their children that have autism.

Last December we received our first round of funding and we were able to revamp our website. We are launching this month. We have grown from 1000 users to over 16000 users in several countries globally.

Last month I was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Lighthouse for the Blind and am in charge of their technology direction.

I have found myself to become an inspirational speaker for anyone going through a tough time. I have installed the belief that I am not a blind person using a computer, I am a computer user who happens to be blind.

To find out more, visit Imuneek.com