As a person with Acquired Brain Injuries, going out can be intimidating.
I start trying to work out the issues beforehand. Then arrival anxiety hits hard and if I found a reason not to go. I would not, no matter how crazy the excuse.
If I had absolutely no option but to go, I would be in a state of high anxiety and if given the chance would leave.
The WelcoMe App takes all that arrival anxiety away. It seemed so obvious when I first saw it. I had to find out more about it. I contacted Neatebox and spoke to Gavin Neate the CEO.
He sent me all the details and I read up on it. I asked about its use in venues in Ireland. He was coming over to Ireland and I arranged a meeting between him and my support group Headway, as I thought Headway would be interested. ABI survivors suffer from all the anxiety issues that the WelcoMe app stops.
Headway worked with Neatebox and became the first place outside the UK to use the WelcoMe app.
The app is downloadable on Apple or Android and it is free to the end user. Host companies pay a fee for its use. There is no reason not to have it, from an individual’s point of view. Signing up for it is simple. You follow the instructions on the app.
You tell it what time you are arriving and what assistance you need. You then get confirmation of your request. The company/venue you are visiting gets the request and on the day of the appointment you and the company get reminders. When you are 500 metres away, they get a reminder to tell them you are that close. So, you do not have to wait for assistance. If you’re running late it asks you what time you will be there and tells the company.
This WelcoMe app takes the arrival anxiety away for me and for that it is priceless.
https://www.neatebox.com/welcome-user
Author: Gary Kearney