You know that the Ready to Stare team loves to travel! We love visiting new places, adventuring, going to events, and trying new restaurants. Accessible travel is very important to us. If you’ve spent hours on Yelp, Google Earth, and social media trying to work out whether a new place is accessible for you or not, this is the post for you! Friendly Like Me is aiming to be the one-stop shop for all of this info. This is extra important for Pride month as there is an added layer of caution when going out on the town because of the state of the world, anti-Trans legislation, etc. right now. You don’t want to have to worry about your basic needs! Let’s focus on having a great time this Pride month instead of worrying that venues and restaurants won’t meet our needs.
In their own words, Friendly Like Me says, “True inclusivity means that Pride should be accessible to all. But until the Friendly Like Me App there was no easy way for our LGBTQ+ friends and family with disabilities or larger bodies to ‘know before we go’ if somewhere has a ramp, an accessible bathroom, open-sided chairs, an elevator, or other essential specifics.
Did you know the CDC estimates that 26% of American adults have one or more disabilities? Moreover, 10% of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ also disclose experiencing limited mobility.
The Friendly Like Me App is Revolutionizing the US travel and hospitality industries with specific searchable accessibility data and business reviews for people with disabilities and people of size.”
Accessible Travel – Here’s what that Looks Like!
Friendly Like Me is here to make your life easier and cut down on your research time before you visit a new place. There are reviews for restaurants, bars, sports stadiums, events, concert venues, conference centers, major public gatherings, and more. If you don’t see a business you’re looking for on the app, you can be the first to review that business!
Leave a Review Yourself
When leaving a review the app will prompt you with important questions. Friendly Like Me says, “Once a place is reviewed, its scores become available to anyone on the platform, allowing users to see at-a-glance how ‘friendly’ a business is to specific communities, such as wheelchair users, or people of size. The app also delivers an ultra-personalized search experience, and identifies how close the business comes to meeting the user’s individual preferences via a proprietary ‘Like Me’ score.”
Business Pages
Once you leave a review for a new place or when you’re searching for a place you’d like to visit you’ll see their page that looks like this! Friendly Like Me says, “Businesses can claim their listings, create a profile of their accessibility accommodations, and provide specific instructions and extra information to potential patrons. Every day, more businesses claim their listings and highly engaged users review specific accommodations.
National parks and beaches are on target for being populated before this summer. Friendly Like Me is excited to collaborate with the plus-size and disabled communities and those who love them, all of who are already reviewing businesses rapidly. The platform encourages businesses to claim their listing and welcome new customers.”
Add Your Business – Accessible Travel
If you own a business and would like to share on Friendly Like Me you can click the “claim your business” button on their website home page! In a recent interview Friendly Like Me shared, “Companies may not realize how much business they are losing by not being accessible to individuals that represent a third of the U.S. population and over $20 billion in disposable income. It’s time for businesses to prioritize accessibility and inclusivity for all customers, regardless of their body size. With the power of this consumer-driven platform and our collective buying power, we will also be engaged with educating the business community about how inclusivity and accessibility are the greatest drivers of customer loyalty.”
Let us know if you try the Friendly Like Me app and stay safe and comfy this Pride month!