One of the greatest innovations to come out of the past five years is the creation of a more accessible environment for the physically impaired and disabled. Smartphones have helped tremendously, being designed to accommodate people with disabilities and apps have been created to provide support and tools to help improve accessibility.
We have taken a look at some of the latest apps for wheelchair users, and compiled a list of the most useful ones to have in your arsenal.
1. iAccess Life
iAccess Life is a platform for users with disabilities, wheelchair users, and users of mobility aides. It enables them to communicate and share their experiences at establishments around the world, and be able to find new places to visit and explore that can accommodate and are accessible to them.
Users can review and comment on locations and their suitability, as well as share what public accessibilities are provided. You can rate the parking, seating, entrance, and bathroom of these locations to share what other people can expect.
The app's aim is to help users with disabilities in their planning and to help create a better experience. You can use iAccess Life to plan a trip by searching for accessible hotels, restaurants, stores that meet your accessibility needs with their accommodations.
2. Wheelmap
Wheelmap is an app designed to find wheelchair-accessible places and rate them. The app is worldwide and has details on 30 countries and is available in 32 languages.
Wheelmap helps accommodate the needs of those who use wheelchairs as a mode of transport, and encourages users to join in and contribute information about places worldwide to create a better experience for everyone.
Apart from locating wheelchair-accessible places and rating them, users can update the information on entrances and restrooms of public places and upload images to show their quality and features. Whilst some countries have lesser information than others, the app is a great resource to have and always welcomes contributions from its community.
3. Wheel Fit
Wheel Fit is a workout app for Android designed for wheelchair users with a focus on boosting your mental and physical health. The app provides workouts and training plans to help keep your body fit.
The exercises and plans are created by professional trainers and are designed for all types of users. They feature multiple courses depending on the user's level. They focus on a variety of areas such as muscle and strength building, fat loss, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and many more.
The fitness app also includes multiple prescribed nutrition plans, including tools to maintain one's calorie count through the tracker and calculator. The plans cater to all types of diets including keto, paleo, vegan, and many more.
For more detailed apps that focus on nutrition intake, you can refer to our guide on some of the best healthy eating apps. Wheel Fit is dedicated to helping you maintain your physique and is a great tool to have when trying to commit yourself to a workout routine.
4. Google Maps
Google Maps is a great navigation tool that can provide very detailed routes and directions wherever you wish to go. The app is extremely handy as it is but in order to make it more wheelchair-friendly, a feature was introduced in Google Maps known as Accessible Places.
This feature makes wheelchair accessibility information more prominently displayed in Google Maps. When Accessible Places is switched on, a wheelchair icon will indicate an accessible entrance and you’ll be able to see if a place has accessible seating, restrooms, or parking.
However, this feature is currently available for users in Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Information about which stations and routes are wheelchair friendly isn’t always readily available or easy to find.
To make transit navigation easier for those with mobility needs, Google introduced a feature you may not have been aware of called Wheelchair-Accessible Routes. Once you activate this feature, it will show you a list of all possible routes that accommodate wheelchairs.
In order to access this, once you have selected your destination on Google Maps, tap Directions and then choose the Public transportation icon. Once you have done so, select Route options. In these options, you will find Wheelchair accessible. Once you select it, it will show you a list of all the possible routes suitable for your needs.
5. Uber
Uber is one of the biggest ride-sharing apps and for good reason. The app provides its customers with great and convenient transport service. While Uber is a great mode of transportation for those unable to do so by themselves, the company has enhanced it further with a feature called WAVs (wheelchair-accessible vehicles).
While all Uber vehicles are required to accommodate disabled people using walkers, folding wheelchairs, or other types of assistive devices, UberWAV is specifically designed to better serve riders in need of mobility assistance.
UberWAV drivers are also certified to help wheelchair-bound passengers. The feature is great for those that require specialized care and assistance. Check out our guide to the different types of rides Uber offers, if you want to know more.
If Uber is not to your liking, Lyft has also introduced a WAV service called "Access". The feature works similar to Uber's but it should be noted that Lyft does not disclose if the drivers are certified for wheelchair care or not.
Furthermore, Lyft's feature is not available everywhere, currently only present in a few selected areas so you should take care to see if it is available in your residency beforehand.
Creating a More Accessible World for Everyone
For the majority of us, we do not know what it feels like to be in the shoes of someone who has to live their lives with disabilities. That is why it is important to create an environment that is welcoming to everyone.
It is very crucial to consider accessibility in the design of apps and technology to help accommodate everyone. These considerations are necessary to create a future where everyone can stand together regardless of their differences.