accessilife

Accessilife is an online marketplace and directory dedicated to helping you find everything you need for accessible living, in one place

Team Size:
1
Location:
Australia
Founders:
Maria Jerez
Program(s):

The Problem

People living with a disability (or other accessibility need) invariably need a broad range of accessible goods and services to support their everyday living - anywhere from simple bandana bibs and adapted cutlery, to expensive pieces of highly specialised equipment. These goods and services are often indispensable and are all equally important to their users. They are supplied by a similarly broad range of providers (from small home based business to large international suppliers). However, the problem is that there is no central resource where these broad range of accessible goods and services can be found together in one single place. This is a large and long-standing problem, acutely felt by the people who experience it. The lack of a central resource adds unnecessary time and pressure to daily living, creates barriers to information, and impedes user choice and control. It also limits the ability for users to connect to a broader range of providers. This is also an issue for those providers - especially small businesses and providers that are not registered with the NDIS who are unable to access other traditional directories. accessilife addresses this problem by recognising the importance and need for ALL accessible goods and services, and giving them a special (and central) place where they can be found.

The Solution

accessilife is an online platform (website) where people living with accessibility needs will be able to find everything they need for accessible living in one central place. The site has four (soon to be five) key features: (1) Directory of Providers (registered and non-registered Providers, of all shapes and sizes); (2) Pre-Loved Items; (3) Accessible Vehicles (modified vehicles, and vehicles capable of being modified); (4) Community Board (community events, expos, conferences, research trials, fundraisers etc); and soon (5) Accessible Homes (accessible homes to buy, rent or holiday). accessilife is up and running in free trial mode. It was designed and developed at home (with no external help), on late nights and weekends, in between countless appointments and hospital admissions. Given my personal experience of the problem, accessilife has been completely designed with users in mind, primarily driven by what I have looked for and needed for my son and my family, as well as feedback from customer interviews and questionnaires. I have used my personal experience and customer feedback to select and structure the five features. I have also used this experience and feedback to create the user friendly, descriptive and specific 'accessilife categories' to help users actually find what they are looking for. The idea is that users (people looking for accessible goods and services, their families and carers) are able to search the site for free. They are also able to list their items on the site for free (ie. there are no current plans to charge for private user listings). The intention is for accessilife to make money by charging businesses (providers) for their commercial listings on the site. For example: - charging providers to list their business on the Directory of Providers; - charging businesses (ie. car dealers, or platforms such as car sales) to list their Accessible Vehicles; and - charging businesses (real estate agents, or platforms such as allhomes or domain) to list their Accessible Homes. accessilife has been intentionally created to be broader than just disability. It has been specifically designed for people living with accessibility needs, thereby spanning the disability, health and aged care sectors which have lots of synergies in this space, as they often need access to the same or similar goods and services.