Data-led approach transforms information on disabled access
While far from perfect, accessibility for disabled people – on public transport, in places of work or leisure for example – has improved significantly over the years. This has brought benefits to over 20 % of Europe’s population who are affected in some way by a disability. The vast majority of these disabilities are not visible; many people with mobility issues for instance do not use a wheelchair. “One area that has not sufficiently improved however is information,” notes Handiscover project coordinator Sebastien Archambeaud, founder and CEO of Handiscover in Sweden. “Companies often invest millions in ramps and disabled bathrooms, but do not know how to properly inform the public about accessibility.”
Addressing disabled needs
Archambeaud has personal experience of this issue. He has a wheelchair-bound son, and has to take into account his specific needs when organising activities such as trips. Archambeaud was initially surprised to find that many leading travel agencies and hotel chains displayed faulty information, or offered very little in the way of granular data. “One mistake made by businesses is to associate all disabilities with wheelchair use,” he says. “I also found a misunderstanding about what was needed. A hotel might have a wheelchair ramp at an impossible angle, or a ramp without a fully accessible toilet. It was clear that there was a knowledge gap. I wanted to show that information about accessibility is more than just ticking boxes.”
Data-driven platform
Archambeaud launched Handiscover in 2015, initially as an online travel platform to fill this knowledge gap on disabled access. The start-up soon recognised that the best way to expand this innovation to scale was to move away from a consumer-based interface and towards a business-to-business proposition. In other words, Handiscover wanted to supply major travel agencies, hotel chains and other corporate clients with detailed, granular information on disabled access at their facilities. This could then be published on corporate websites, potentially reaching millions of customers across hundreds of countries. This however involved developing a completely new tech platform, which was the key objective of the EU-funded Handiscover project. “The COVID-19 pandemic provided us with the opportunity to really focus our attention on this,” adds Archambeaud. The pandemic also compelled the project to widen its potential client base from the travel industry to include retail outlets, office space and housing.
Navigable, accessible information
An important feature, a software widget, was developed towards the end of the project for shopping malls in Sweden. “We added a small accessibility button to their home page,” explains Archambeaud. “If you click on this, a navigable page full of information and data on disabled access pops up.” This contains everything from how many disabled parking bays are located at the mall and where, to the location of toilets, and how accessible these are. This data is accompanied by pictures, maps and directions, providing the granular information on disabled access that Archambeaud felt was missing. “From a business point of view, this sort of information gives companies the chance to showcase their social engagement,” remarks Archambeaud. “The tech platform also automatically generates management reports, indicating where improvements might be made.” The focus now is on scaling up sales and expanding the client base further. “We currently have dozens of corporate clients across a number of sectors,” says Archambeaud. “This EU project really enabled us to build something robust and super-scalable.”
Keywords
Handiscover, disabled, transport, mobility, data, navigable, corporate