Technology Opening the door to assistive technology
Neatebox’s mission is simple: to create a scalable and sustainable company that creates solutions to the very real challenges faced by our society, and aims to build smart solutions based on the challenges disabled people face every day. Smart technology has made total inclusion possible, however, this is only achievable if products meet the real needs of those who have been partitioned. Founder Gavin Neate’s background as a mobility instructor with Guide Dogs UK has led to him having a comprehensive knowledge of visual impairment and the wider disability sector along with an increasing interest in new and groundbreaking assistive technologies.
This foundation has been built upon to develop two key products. WelcoMe, a disability-aware customer service platform, which makes it easy to get personalised and accessible customer service at participating venues, and enables staff to deliver excellent customer service every time a user visits. And Button, a remote button push app, which enables citizens to use their mobile phone to infl uence any type of button – it can be used to open doors and
operate pedestrian crossings safely and confi dently. Source: Neatebox
Below: The WelcoMe service platform enables personalised customer service for disabled guests.
contact, a situation which is likely to cause anxiety in even the most experienced receptionist. Imagine being approached and told by your guest that they are living with Aphasia or Ataxia or Dyslexia. How might this knowledge be acted upon in the moment it is provided?
Light at the end of the tunnel In 1999, following a three year apprenticeship, I qualified as a Guide Dog mobility instructor. My role was to train and assess the mobility of my visually impaired clients and provide advice as and where it was required. Increasingly towards the end of the training programme, I would observe my guide dog teams from a distance and ensure that they would be able to cope with, and circumnavigate the inevitable instances of discrimination they would encounter. It was at this time in the early 2000s that I became
70% 75% 32
aware of the use of smart technology by my clients. The advent of “Voice Over” on iOS devices and “Talkback” on Android meant that many of them were turning up to train with their new guides while using their technology to interact with the world in a way
The percentage of disabled people reporting poor customer service in hospitality. Business Matters
that had never before been thought possible. The thought took its time to form but eventually I envisioned the advantages that could be gained by connecting my disabled clients, or indeed any disabled person, through their mobile device, with a customer service representative before their arrival. The thought gestated and by 2017 I was testing the Beta version of WelcoMe, the world’s first proximity aware smartphone based staff training tool with DoubleTree Hilton in Edinburgh. The trial proved it was possible to not only alert
a reception team of the intention to arrive but also, through a pre-populated profile, to provide staff with an overview of the individuals’ physical and social access requirements, providing top tips on interaction and links to further training provided by the nations’ top charities. The pandemic has created an environment where disabled people have never been more anxious to travel and arrive, and thus staff have never been more anxious or less prepared to receive them. WelcoMe is now available across all sectors and any
environment where a person requires customer service. Additionally it is now in service in locations such as the NHS, tourism, transport, retail, local government and leisure; however, our recent launch with Bespoke Hotels award-winning Brooklyn Hotel in Manchester has provided the best possible foundation to prove that it is possible to rethink service provision in hospitality from the ground floor up. Technology has a part to play in the present and
the future of service provision but, of course, the solutions we offer must be led by the problems we are living with, and not the existence of the technology itself as is so often the case. Years of personal experience led me to realise that staff awareness was not adequate and this led to the formulation of WelcoMe and what could prove to be one of the most innovative solutions in years. ●
The percentage of disabled people living with a hidden or invisible disability. We Are Purple
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
WelcoMe
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