Shaw Trust and assist-Mi partnership to deliver improved accessibility
12th September 2016
Today marks the start of a brand new partnership between the national charity Shaw Trust, and the disability access app assist-Mi, to enable revolutionary levels of assistance when clients are navigating their way to appointments at 5 participating Shaw trust offices.
Shaw Trust is a national charity providing employment opportunities, skills development training and health and well-being services across the UK, to help people to build their skills, find employment and create brighter futures. The charity provides support to people experiencing unemployment on both the mainstream Work Programme and the Work Choice scheme, a specialist disability employment support programme.
Five Shaw Trust locations are set to be in the pilot. Croydon, Mansfield, Stratford and Worcester are employment focused and between them provide support via the Work Programme and Work Choice Scheme, whilst the Tonbridge branch is part of ‘Live Well Kent’ and is aimed at improving individuals health and wellbeing.
The charity will use the access app to enable greater independence and support for those visitors who may otherwise find it challenging to travel independently. assist-Mi can offer support in accurately locating and navigating to a Shaw Trust branch. It also provides the user with confidence that the support they need will be ready and waiting on arrival, whether that be someone waiting at the front door to greet them, or being met at a car to assist with their bags.
Within office hours, Shaw Trust customers will be able to use the fully accessible assist-Mi app to notify the branches in advance of their arrival, that they are on their way. They can also request any additional assistance they may need, as well as getting directions and accessibility information on their desired destination.
Chief Executive of Shaw Trust, Roy O’Shaughnessy, said:
“assist-Mi is a useful tool to help improve accessibility and give people confidence that their needs will be met. We are delighted to be partnering with the assist-Mi team to help improve the experience of our clients.”
The pilot is set to last for six months and during this time staff of those branches involved will be encouraging clients to use the app if they think it could be of use.