There’s an app for that: New travel app helps rate locations’ accessibility amenities

Everyone should be able to have an enjoyable travel experience. Unfortunately for individuals with disabilities, some of the details can make planning a trip a chore rather than fun. Locating accommodations and venues that have accessible amenities can be daunting.

Luckily, there is now a mobile app available to assist disabled travelers: Friendly Like Me. Frommer’s describes Friendly Like Me as an app “designed to make those remote reconnaissance missions simpler, supplying users with detailed listings that give the lowdown on a given place’s amenities for people with disabilities as well as people of size.”

Individuals with specific access needs usually have to confirm if hotels, parks, restaurants and sports venues can accommodate them. Disabled folks are often plagued with discouraging situations where amenities are unavailable, online info isn’t current, or accessibility is a construction afterthought. This is something that Friendly Like Me co-founder Elysia Everett Burns is hoping the app will eliminate.

“Disability is very individual,” she explained in an email with Frommer’s. “With this in mind, we designed Friendly Like Me to be an ultra-personalized search experience focusing on the individual set of accommodations required by a person, family, or group.”

Like many hospitality platforms, Friendly Like Me will allow individuals to leave comments, but the app will do the ultimate ratings.

“While comments and opinions can be added,” she said, “we are scoring based on questions like: ‘Is there an accessible bathroom, yes or no?’ ‘Booth tables that move, yes or no?’”

The app currently provides information for 3,000 U.S. sites and destinations. Burns told the outlet they “plan to expand to Canada, the U.K., and Australia in the coming months.” Burns mentioned that beaches, museums, bars, resorts, and other places across the U.S. are listed and growing. The app also reviews “all of the MLB, NHL, NBA, and NFL stadiums and arenas.”

Listings for the national parks are expected to be completed by summer.

The outlet stated the app currently provides accessibility info on amenities and services relating to mobility and size. Burns revealed reviews relating to sight, hearing, and autism are on the horizon.

Friendly Like Me is free to use, and currency available on Apple and Android. For more information or to download the app, go to FriendlyLikeMe.com.

Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her bylines include “person of interest” interviews, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything Beyonce.

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