There are good days, there are bad days, and then there's the day the Boston Globe writes about your company and the people who use your app.
At Friendly Like Me, we are honored to be featured in the Boston Globe today, but the real win is getting the word out about how businesses can attract disabled and plus-size patrons by becoming accessible.
Our aim is to matchmake between accessible businesses and the people who need those accommodations. By working together to review places, we are not only crowd-sourcing accessibility information for ourselves, but we are also teaching businesses about the size of our market, our buying power, and the undeniable opportunity that being accessible is for business.
Our research shows approximately 100 Million US adults have specific access needs, and those needs are top-of-mind when making buying decisions.
An "access need" is an accommodation a person requires to take part in an activity. Amenities to meet these needs range from the obvious, (ramps, parking, elevators) to the very specific such as bright lighting, a family-style bathroom, or a chair designed for a person of higher weight.
With objective, amenity-based reviews, Friendly Like Me helps individuals communicate their access needs to businesses in ways they might not otherwise feel comfortable. It also opens the door to productive, helpful conversations about accessibility, and teaches businesses how to welcome us into their spaces--so everyone can win.
Read our story in The Boston Globe.