DisabledGo

DisabledGo
Name	DisabledGo
Type	Private
Industry	Accessibility services
Founded	1999
Founder	Graham Pullin
Fate	Acquired by Recite Me / Silktide (see coverage)
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Accessibility audits, venue guides, map data, consulting

DisabledGo DisabledGo was a United Kingdom–based accessibility information service founded in 1999 that produced detailed access guides for venues, transport hubs, and public spaces across the UK and Ireland. The organisation compiled physical-accessibility data to support people with disabilities, carers, and advocacy groups, and worked with public bodies, transport operators, and cultural institutions. Over its operational history DisabledGo engaged with numerous stakeholders including local authorities, healthcare providers, charities, higher-education institutions, and tourism agencies.

History

DisabledGo originated in 1999 amid growing activism by disability rights organisations such as Scope and Royal National Institute of Blind People that sought systematic access information for public life. Early clients included borough councils in London, regional development agencies in United Kingdom regions, and transport bodies like Transport for London. Through the 2000s the organisation expanded coverage to include venues promoted by VisitBritain and heritage sites managed by English Heritage and National Trust. DisabledGo developed partnerships with universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Birmingham, and University of Manchester to audit campus access. The company worked alongside disability-rights campaigns inspired by legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and later Equality Act 2010 compliance efforts. In the 2010s DisabledGo collaborated with private sector clients including hospitality groups represented by British Hospitality Association and retail operators with premises in central Manchester and Birmingham. Later corporate developments saw strategic changes involving accessibility technology firms such as Recite Me and monitoring platforms like Silktide.

Services and Products

DisabledGo produced detailed venue-access guides, bespoke accessibility audits, mapping datasets, and consultancy reports for public and private clients. Typical deliverables were venue reports used by tourism bodies like VisitEngland and public institutions such as NHS trusts and cultural organisations including British Museum and Royal Opera House. The company offered digital products embedded by municipal portals operated by councils such as Birmingham City Council, Leeds City Council, Glasgow City Council, and Cardiff Council. DisabledGo created data integrations consumed by travel platforms and transport operators including Network Rail, FirstGroup, and local bus companies. It also supplied campus-access databases to higher-education networks including the Russell Group and vocational sites managed by organisations such as City and Guilds.

Coverage and Methodology

Fieldwork teams measured step heights, ramp gradients, doorway widths, and circulation spaces at venues ranging from small independent cafes in Brighton to major stadia like Wembley Stadium and exhibition centres such as ExCeL London. Surveys followed structured templates used by auditors contracted from organisations such as British Standards Institution and regional access forums associated with Disabled Persons' Transport Advisory Committee. Data capture methods combined manual measurement tools with photographic evidence and structured interviews with site managers from entities like National Trust properties and local museums under Arts Council England. Geographic coverage extended across counties including Greater London, West Midlands, Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, and provinces of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland venues frequented by organisations like Tourism Ireland. The methodology emphasised repeatable metrics enabling comparisons across properties managed by operators such as Crown Estate and transport hubs administered by Heathrow Airport Holdings.

Accessibility Standards and Compliance

DisabledGo’s guidance referenced technical standards promulgated by British Standards Institution publications and guidance from regulatory bodies such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Audits considered building regulations in England and Wales, including requirements from entities like DCLG and planning authorities in unitary councils such as City of Edinburgh Council. The service aligned assessments with accessibility benchmarks used in public-sector procurement overseen by agencies such as Crown Commercial Service and accreditation frameworks from charities like Living Made Easy. Where digital access intersected with physical access, DisabledGo coordinated with web-accessibility standards championed by organisations like W3C and policy units within European Commission accessibility initiatives.

Partnerships and Collaborations

DisabledGo partnered with public bodies, private corporations, and nongovernmental organisations. Notable collaborators included transport authorities like Transport for London and West Midlands Combined Authority, tourism boards such as VisitScotland and VisitBritain, and cultural institutions including British Library and Tate Modern. University-level collaborations involved institutions such as Imperial College London and University of Leeds. The company worked with charities and umbrella groups including AbilityNet, Arts Council England, Scope, and Guide Dogs for input on user needs. Commercial partnerships involved place-management organisations like Landsec and accessibility-technology providers such as Recite Me and analytics vendors like Silktide.

Reception and Impact

DisabledGo was cited by local authorities, transportation planners, and disability advocates as a practical resource for making venues more navigable, informing wayfinding policies used by councils including Manchester City Council and Southwark London Borough Council. The guides were used by visitors, carers, and staff at cultural sites such as Royal Albert Hall and museums including Science Museum, London to plan visits. Evaluations by civic researchers connected DisabledGo outputs to improvements in inclusive-design initiatives promoted by agencies like Design Council and disability-equality programmes within universities such as University College London. Coverage in national media outlets and professional journals referenced collaborations with public bodies including Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and transport operators like Network Rail as evidence of practical impact on accessibility planning.

Category:Accessibility