your questions answered

There are three groups of people:

1. Searchers

We anticipate that many hundreds of thousands of Internet users will search the findingways.co.uk database.  They’ll be able to read detailed yet clearly and concisely structured information about the accessibility of public venues and facilities.

Please click here to see an example. (Coming soon)

And whilst many of our regular visitors will be disabled, elderly and parents with prams and pushchairs, we believe that the findingways.co.uk online database will be genuinely useful for all.

1. Reviewers

Anyone can be a reviewer!  All we ask is that you are honest that you are connected to the public venue or facility in no other way than as a ‘consumer’ and that you give us your feedback using the specially structured, easy-to-use online form.

Here’s what the form will look like. (Coming soon)

1. The public venues and facilities themselves

Public venues and facilities can add their details (and update them as often as they like) to findingways.co.uk using a fully automated online system, or enhance a listing which a visitor to their venue or facility has placed already.

Here’s what the system will look like. (Coming soon)

We at findingways.co.uk anticipate that businesses who take the time to list themselves will raise awareness to all about their business, will improve their image by being seen as inclusive and access-friendly and furthermore will ultimately increase the number of people visiting and sales.

Early research also suggests that the media are interested in promoting businesses who are getting involved with findingways.co.uk.  So you’ll be famous too!

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Findingways.co.uk will be fully optimised for the world's most used search engines.

Internet users searching for (for example) ‘accessible hotels in Newcastle’ will find our website.

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In early and mid 2007, we will be focusing on the UK wide leisure and retail sectors.

In time, the website will encompass many more categories but we will use these popular sectors to monitor usage and fine tune the findingways.co.uk offering. 

Research has suggested that users are crying out for a comprehensive, honest and genuinely useful online directory of accessible restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs, shops, museums, entertainment attractions and other public buildings. 

So this is where we’ve decided to start.

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This bit will take you three to five minutes or so to read.  So settle in and here we go!

Since the dark ages and before, disadvantaged minority groups, such as disabled people, have often been treated as second class citizens.

Their only shortcoming was to be lacking in some physical, sensory or mental competence that restricted them from carrying out some aspect of daily life that the majority considered to be "normal". 

But doesn't every human being have some form of a deficiency? Do we all have the freedom of a butterfly to go wherever we please and experience every aspect of life that our particular species desires?

Aren't we all, therefore, ‘dis-abled’ in some way?

According to Department of Works and Pensions, there are over 10 million disabled people in the UK with a spending power of over £80 billion per annum.

The Disability Discrimination Act, which originated in 1995, has over the years introduced legislation and obligations on businesses to make changes to their premises and services to enable disabled people to access them just as well as non-disabled people.

Although many businesses have complied, many have still to do anything at all, risking legal action being taken by disabled people, although no one really wants to go through the hassle of this.

Disability may take many forms and it can be complex for every business to satisfy the requirements of every disabled person.  However, those who have made an effort should be commended and rewarded for doing so by encouraging disabled people to use their facilities and services at the expense of those who haven't.

We believe that findingways.co.uk serves two core purposes:

1. As a business, you have the opportunity to tell your current and even more potential customers about your products and services, while at the same time making them aware of how you provide inclusive access to those products and services for a wider public audience.
2. All of us, regardless of whether we are disabled, elderly and a parent with a pram or a pushchair, will have the opportunity to share our experiences within those businesses, enabling us to make our own mind up as to the business’s suitability for our own diverse needs.

So, in summary, findingways.co.uk is providing a clear and honest service from a single easy-to-use online source.

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Steve Wilkinson

Steve’s career to date has been in the IT industry having worked for Reyrolle Parsons, Phillips, NEI Group, Jockey, Courtaulds and Northern Rock.

Steve has also run IT businesses and lives in Newcastle with his wife, Judith, and their teenage son, Matthew.

As a committed Newcastle United supporter, Steve has visited St. James’s Park since 1962 and first had an interest in campaigning for better disabled facilities at grounds in the mid 90s while experiencing difficulties getting to games. 

Steve is one of the founder members of NUDSA (Newcastle United Disabled Supporters Association) in 1998 and went on to serve on the National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS) Executive Committee. 

Steve is extremely well known as a capable and respected campaigner for numerous issues relating to disability, has had Spina Bifida since birth and is himself, a wheelchair user.

Nancy Haughey

Nancy’s career to date has been in Human Resources and Health & Safety and has worked for large organisations worldwide (France, Belgium, China and Scotland), gaining invaluable life experience.

For the past 4 years, Nancy has managed her own successful business, Enzo Solutions Ltd, and since setting up her business is now a fully qualified life coach, NLP practitioner and hypnotherapist.  She has made the local headlines on several occasions helping people live a fulfilling life.

Nancy is also happily married to John and has a 5 year old son, Luke.

With Nancy’s extensive travelling experience, meeting a wide range of people and cultures, she finds it natural to build rapport with people and gets to the core of what people really are and motivate them to be what they really want to be.  Nancy enables people to discover their true self and help them bring that step closer to where they really want to be either in business or as an individual.

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