WAY2GO needs your help
Greetings, My name is Ronit. Me and some friends with physical disabilities have created an innovative social enterprise called WAY2GO. As physically disabled, we believe that accessibility cannot be defined in general terms, and that each person needs a different type of accessibility that would fit them. Imagine me as a wheelchair-bound disabled person who wants to spontaneously go out for coffee with my spouse. In the past, I would have thought several times whether to even get out of my home. It did not seem fair to me that in order to drink coffee with my husband, we had to open our diaries and call numerous places on the phone to check the level of accessibility in the place we wanted to go out to.
Disabled people in Israel are forced to search for the products and services they need in a variety of platforms. Whether through web search, by word of mouth and even by going to stores and suppliers in person. We, at WAY2GO, came to change all that. This project is a social initiative that works in the area of accessibility and aims to provide equality to physically disabled people. We at WAY2GO come to change the situation described above, by doing the work for the disabled people and their families. With the help of WAY2GO and the innovation we bring, those people can go out anywhere anytime. Our project has created a unique interactive solution for business mapping, covering various areas, such as food and drinks, tourism and entertainment. Each business is represented on a map using a dedicated pin, that is linked to the business' profile, describing through text and images the level of accessibility through predefined parameters (parking, level of access to the business and within the business, toilets for the disabled and more).
The project comes with a positive attitude for both sides. To the disabled person it gives, in one place, all the information they need regarding accessibility of businesses around them. The uniqueness of this project is that all the information is backed up by pictures taken without filters and with corresponding text, and it is gathered by the project's volunteers. Everything in prospect to restore to the disabled person the possibility of going out of their home spontaneously, by giving them the tools to decide whether the level of accessibility is sufficient for them or not. On the other hand, the project helps the businesses by exposing them to additional target customers and by adding to their services a social value. The project also helps businesses with modular accessibility solutions (i.e. Lego solutions) that give a fast answer to accessibility problems.
Our project has been on the air for several months now. We've visited many places and taken pictures with our mobile cameras (without filters), of the level of accessibility. We later use the collected data and information to update the way2go accessibility map, as well as all the internet media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and of course the way2go website, thus allowing every person with disabilities to always have all the information they need at hand.
We do not come to evaluate or judge the level of accessibility, but rather bring it as it is, with the understanding that accessibility cannot be defined, and that every disabled person needs a different level of accessibility. I appeal to you for help and support. We are a few disabled people who invested our money, time and effort to carry out this amazing project that shows a positive side and not a side of misery. A needed enterprise that connects people in positive ways. We believe that the way to make the project even more accessible is through a tailor-made application, in which the accessibility map will appear alongside all the other project's activities. We ask you to support this project and bring innovation to the world of accessibility because we too deserve the chance to go out of our homes whenever we want. We'll be happy to expand further in a meeting with you.
You can contact us:
wheelchairlife117@gmail.com
Ronit 054-9398399; Ilan 052-5351342
www.w2go.biz
Regards and thanks,
Ronit and Ilan Founders of WAY2GO
