Mothers of children with disabilities receive huge boost following collaboration with technology platform
10 September 2024
Two Irish Mothers, frustrated by the lack of information on accessible amenities for their children with disabilities, have received a major boost with a collaboration with Able Active, the first recreational app in Europe that platforms a wide range of accessible amenities across the country.
Shamrock Squad, co-founded by Vika Gailite and Alina Barone, is a community of families with special needs, on a mission to make outdoors accessible for all needs.
They organise inclusive, sensory friendly outdoor activities to allow entire family units to interact, connect, share and learn from each other.
Able Active, a fully integrated and comprehensive app that signposts accessible recreational facilities for people with disabilities is the fruition of a long-term project, developed with support from the European Space Agency.
Able Active uniquely captures feedback and gradings on accessibility and inclusivity, based on real users’ experience, by distinct disability categories, ensuring that others with similar needs can trust the rating and have better confidence that their needs will be met.
Vika says,.
“Using Able Active as our technical partner has literally transformed how we do things and how we can reach more and more people. They can support how we plan, prepare and manage outings for families with special needs. As a community hub we know just how hard it is for families and groups of people with additional needs to firstly find tracks and trails that are accessible and secondly get full information on them”.
“Able Active is a fantastic tool for us. Its real time location is just perfect, particularly for neurodiverse people and those who have mobility issues. Other apps and search platforms don’t offer this so Able Active is truly groundbreaking. Before its launch we went on a group walk which we thought was 5 K but was instead 15 K. It was a very hot sunny day, and it was very traumatic for the children, particularly those with Coronary issues. We managed by taking lots and lots of breaks but if we had Able Active at the time it would have been so different. It would have been our signpost, literally”.
“It's brilliant and we love how it allows users to rate their experiences of places so we’re all continuously learning and gathering more and more information all the time”.
“It’s so important to that we can share any planned group outings we’re having as it helps to build communities of people with similar needs and allows for opportunities to make new friends and share some lovely experiences”.
Vika who co-founded Shamrock Squad with fellow Mum, Alina Barone says it was her own personal lived experience that exposed gaps around information on accessible amenities.
“I have a 14-year-old son who was born with heart problems and was later diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. Like all families we love going out and about but found it so difficult to find accessible places and routes. My Brother is disabled; I’m surrounded by people with disabilities, and it does allow me a unique perspective”
“We felt very isolated, it’s hard and that is when I had the lightening bulb moment. I felt there must be others in the same boat and then I met Alina and Shamrock Squad was born”.
“There are so many incredible hidden gems around the country, so we just decided to collate them. In Co. Roscommon where I live for example there is Cloonlarge loop in Kilteevan which is so easy to follow. It is an amazing place”
“Another little-known place is Coole park in Co. Galway which is home to a museum which gives people the opportunity to both immerse themselves in history and in nature”.
“We’re so excited now to be able to progress and widen our circle and include more and more people. To know where bridges are, is there a farm, is there a waterfall, is there an incline, a decline --all of this is now possible with Able Active, we can now evaluate can we do certain walks and routes; it’s an incredible app to have”
“One of the families who walks with us said to me “we feel safe with you” - that’s music to my ears as it shows what we’re doing is really worthwhile and making a difference”.
Founder of Able Active, Adrian Geissel says
“We are delighted to come onboard with Shamrock Squad. They have really researched and meticulously planned the routes and now we can help them in extending the reach of the walks and trails and to provide an interactive experience for their participants and ultimately, increase the impact from their work”.
“I am passionate about outdoors pursuits and sport, and passionate that they are accessible for all. People living with disabilities should have access to outdoor amenities and facilities suitable for their needs and Able Active provides deeper information that aims to inform and hopefully inspire greater participation for their enjoyment, health and wellbeing. This is so important for people who have varying levels of disability, many of which are hidden”.
“The wonderful thing too is that people with an interest in full inclusion for those living with disabilities can get involved, by identifying amenities they know to be accessible, in addition to using many available databases”.
“There is so much potential for collaboration and partnership across the entire range of amenities, organisations and events and this is only going to be an incredibly positive way forward for people living with a disability”.
“This only the start of a journey, where we look to present more options where people with disabilities can be active, based on the experiences of others with similar needs and in doing so, make being active a more inclusive experience, for all. “
ENDS
Notes To Editors
Able Active is free and available on the Apple Store and Google Play.
Able Active it is a fully integrated and highly user-friendly guide which maps tracks, trails and amenities and allows each user to determine if these routes are suitable for their particular needs, supported by the ratings and feedback from other users with similar needs.
It allows people plan their days around the various amenities from forests to beaches and gives ‘real time ‘live data on weather and pinpoints where safety equipment is located, crucial to ensure safety for users. It also allows for users to record, replay and repeat their own favourite routes which is very valuable.
People with disabilities can rate accessibility based on their experience.
This is vital for both peers and for the owners or providers of amenities in order for them to further adapt the facilities io improve their accessibility.
It is suitable for people who are mobility impaired, wheelchair users, people with autism, intellectual disabilities, deaf, blind, dwarfism, people who struggle with reading, including those who are dyslexic and those with speech difficulties.
Able Active leverages multiple public datasets, including the Sport Ireland “Get Ireland Active” trails and amenities and Environment Protection Agency “Beaches and Bathing Locations”, Irish Heart Foundation “Slí na Sláinte” urban trails and more, matching them with up-to-date weather forecasts, tides and nearby facilities.
Able Active secured part-funding from the European Space Agency under a call theme of inclusivity and accessibility in sport.