Tim Young – Waikato
Smart Access
Accessibility advocate Tim Young has designed the Smart Access app to give people with different ability levels easy access to all the information they need to plan a safe trip.
Tim has recognised that the majority of public infrastructure isn’t accessible. Councils don’t collect and freely distribute data on accessibility features within cities, which means that ahead of a job interview or date, people with accessibility challenges need to visit the place first to scope it out, or take a risk if they don’t have time to do due diligence.
Tim is carrying out an accessibility audit of Hamilton city, and will be using TSB Good Stuff funding to launch a pilot of the app for users in this region.
He believes this app will allow community members to participate more easily in the job market, economy, health system, and wider community. It will provide community members confidence and self-efficacy to leave the house, which will translate into increased confidence in other areas of their life.