With what passes for Summer in Scotland underway, I am planning a break from The Wee Room for a few weeks. I have been lucky enough to be as busy as I want to be and to still be in touch with many of the people that I respect and admire. One such individual is Gavin Neate. After a long overdue catch up, I invited Gavin to share the important work he has done in advancing personalised accessibility for disabled people.

In our line of work, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge that is the need for societal change. We can be diverted by revisiting problems and issues over and over again. While there is a need to ensure there is a focus on the many challenges people face, it is also important to work towards solutions.

When I first heard about the WelcoMe App, I was blown away, like all brilliant ideas, it seems an obvious solution when someone takes the time to do all the complex work to bring it to life.

I will leave it to Gavin to tell you in his own words about how autistic and other people can demand better of the commercial and public services they access.

“For 18 years I worked for Guide Dogs for the Blind as a Mobility Instructor training blind and visually impaired people with their new guide dogs.

“It had become increasingly obvious to me that staff in any venue I visited with my clients were unsure or didn’t know what to do when faced with the complexities that this or any disability presented. It seemed impossible for them to remember the training they’d had if they were lucky enough to have had training at all. Indeed, in many cases where the disabled visitor had a hidden disability it was nearly impossible to meet the needs of their visitor unless their visitor self-declared their disability when they met.

As technology became more accessible and more and more of my clients were turning up on dog training classes with mobile technology, the thought occurred to me…

“What if the disabled person was able to train the staff member before they met them? What if a simple communication of button press on their mobile phone or tablet triggered training for that staff member and also their wider team before they arrived. Proximity based training where the information required was fresh in their mind.

“This service now exists, it’s free, and it’s growing in popularity across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It’s called WelcoMe.

“The service doesn’t require proof of disability, is 100% free to use, and once a profile is set up the member receives access to over 200 venues across the UK and Ireland including, shopping centres, libraries, hotels, leisure centres, museums, restaurants, train stations, ferry terminals, MSP Constituency Offices and a whole host of other venues.

“Currys Plc recently launched WelcoMe at 40 of their stores, initially across the West Midlands, and now, a further 20 stores across London.

“Those wanting to use WelcoMe to get better service fill out a profile at the WelcoMe website My.Wel-co.me and then click on “visit venue” at any one of the participating Currys’ stores or indeed at any of the venues on the platform.

https://www.wel-co.me/welcome-at-currys

“On doing this, the team at the store you are visiting receive information on what you want to accomplish on that visit AND information on specific conditions and top tips on how best to interact and communicate with any disabled visitors.

“Within 24 hours the visitor can provide direct feedback to the team helping them to become even more confident around disabled people and improve their service delivery even further.

“The Currys’ trial lasts until the end of August with the business looking for 50 WelcoMe visits to prove that disability aware face to face retail experiences are of interest to consumers.

https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2024/7/8/currys-boosts-shopping-experience-for-those-with-disabilities-as-it-extends-welcome-trial-to-london-stores

“To get involved follow the link below and feel free to contact Gavin or Allan at the WelcoMe team at Hello@Wel-co.me.”

There you have it, a great example of tech for good, imagine the possibilities. But, and it’s a big but! This is a use it or lose it solution. I encourage anyone who feels they or the people they support or live with would benefit from being able to prepare a service and request specific support ahead of using it, to learn more.

WelcoMe….Failte…. Bienvenida….Willkommen

The Mistake Mechanic.

Sweet Sixteen…