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For someone with different accessibility needs, going out to dinner or grabbing drinks is anything but a simple process. While there are many businesses across the country that have accessible facilities in place, not all of them are designed to make their experience comfortable. This is also true for people with neurodiversities, such as autism or social anxiety. In these cases and more, a patron may want to know specific accessibility features of a business before visiting, all to avoid a wasted trip. Meegan Winters, the woman behind a new app called AbleVu, has embarked on a mission to make the world of local businesses more accessible to people of all abilities:
“I’ve been in the accessibility industry for years, and the one thing that I’ve seen it’s missing is a way for people of all abilities to enjoy local businesses as much as the next person. Whether it’s wondering how high the tables are in a restaurant or whether there’s an accessible stall in the bathroom. For a person with a physical or invisible disability, having decision-critical information about a business before you visit increases the chances that you’ll go instead of staying at home.”
AbleVu is a free map-based app that lets you search through a database of businesses across the United States who have completed their AbleVu profile and added their accessibility features. It also allows users to submit accessibility-related questions to the business, in case they are not answered through the profile alone. AbleVu supports virtual walkthroughs, photo walkthroughs, text information, as well as a section to show off accessibility features and/or programs.
Meegan and the AbleVu team are on a mission to help more people enjoy local businesses, no matter what their accessibility challenges may be. AbleVu has also begun certifying AbleVu Accessible Cities, which are cities throughout the country which have a high concentration of businesses with a high level of accessibility features.
AbleVu’s website has just launched and is available for free to browse local businesses at www.ablevu.com.