Company Corner: Sociability

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Company Corner: Sociability

At Patchwork Hub we’re driven by our mission to create a more accessible and inclusive world for all. As such, we’re also passionate about sharing the work of value-aligned organisations that share our vision. Continuing our Company Corner series, we recently caught up with Gem Turner - one of our previous Patchworker Spotlight stars - at Sociability. Sociability is an award-winning app that helps disabled people to find accessible places and the peace of mind to explore the world around them.

What is Sociability?

Sociability is an app that helps disabled people to find accessible places and the peace of mind to explore the world around them. We’re changing the way the world thinks about accessibility and making the world a more sociable place for all.

Sociability’s mission and main aims as an organisation

We’re on a mission to organise all the world’s accessibility information and to use it to remove barriers for disabled people everywhere.

At Sociability, we believe that knowledge is power in an inaccessible world. By giving disabled people detailed, accurate and reliable accessibility information in advance, we know that we can empower more disabled people to go out and about and do the things they want to in society with greater confidence and peace of mind.

We’re a disabled-led company, full of disabled team members – so we know the challenges that disabled people face first-hand. Indeed, Sociability was born out of the lived experience of our founder, Matt – a wheelchair user himself – and his struggles to find accessible places as an international student in the UK.

Today, Sociability seeks to empower disabled people everywhere to find the places that suit them – whilst also building a fun and supportive community of disabled people too!

Why are accessibility and disability inclusion important to your company?

Accessibility and disability inclusion are central to everything we do at Sociability because we are a disabled-led company full of disabled people. We believe that disabled people are talented, passionate and driven – but know that they often need things tweaked here and there to allow them to fully demonstrate this and perform to the best of their ability.

At Sociability, we’re on a mission to change how people think about accessibility and disability inclusion – in particular, to change these from nice-to-haves into must-haves for any successful and thriving organisation. By working closely with both disabled people (our users) and businesses (our clients), we’re helping to break down stereotypes, build better communication and drive sustainable change for all.

What do you think is the biggest challenge your industry will face in the next 5 years?

Ultimately, everything hinges on awareness. At the heart of our industry is the understanding that disabled people deserve to be able to access the world around them with greater ease, and that they want to do the things that non-disabled people do all the time. Unfortunately, today, this is still not a widely held or accepted belief – although it is rapidly changing.

The greatest challenge we’ll face over the coming years is to continue to push this message to more and more people so that, one day, we’re no longer asking for change – it is expected.

Do you have any tips/advice on how to create a more inclusive working environment?

At Sociability, the most important thing we do is listen. At the end of the day, our job is to listen to our users so that we can build the most impactful product we can. Similarly, within our team, it’s equally important to listen to feedback and to learn how we can better improve our working environment, processes and systems to be as accessible and inclusive for all.

What have you found most helpful in the progression of your company?

As a small but growing company, it’s been really important to find talented and passionate team members to help drive our work forward and push our reach and impact to greater heights. This is by far the most important part of our success to date and we’re excited to continue to grow and find others who want to join the mission and help change the world.

Sociability’s motto

Ask More. Get More.

Final words from Sociability

If you’re interested in what we’re building or would like to get in touch, reach out to us via email ([email protected]) or socials and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Separately, feel free to join any of our upcoming Mapping Days – it’s a great way to meet the Team and others in our growing user community!

Want to find out more about Sociability? Check out the links below:

Sociability’s Website

Sociability’s Instagram

Sociability’s LinkedIn

Sociability’s Facebook

Sociability’s Twitter

Published: 20th July 2023

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I found a job through Patchwork Hub – a senior level position with a leading financial services company. Throughout the process I felt supported by very dedicated people, both at Patchwork Hub and the company, and it was really refreshing to be able to openly talk about my health condition and not feel like I had to actively avoid the subject. Their support was simply invaluable.

Ditte Olsen

Patchworker

I applied for a job through Patchwork Hub and secured employment at a FTSE 100 company. That is so fantastic, not just for my bank account and CV but also my confidence. Without Patchwork Hub – both its accessibility and the support and understanding they offer– this would not have happened for me. A platform taking a proactive approach to raising awareness amongst employers, and approaching disability inclusion in a way where we're not othered, is transformational.

Rock Bell

Patchworker

Patchwork Hub are leading a critical culture change in work and health for employers as we move into our 'new normal'. Bringing together global businesses, charities and experts to create accessible work opportunities for those currently excluded by traditional work practises, and challenging assumptions around a hidden pool of talent.

Lord Dennis Stevenson

As a company committed to diversity and equality of opportunity, we are excited to be partnering with Patchwork Hub and are looking forward to further building our relationship with Beth and the business. This platform allows us to connect with highly-skilled individuals we might not otherwise reach. Patchwork Hub hosts a growing pool of very capable and diverse talent which offers businesses unique recruitment potential, while helping to strengthen a company’s social impact.

St James's Place

FTSE 100 employer

I secured employment with a FTSE 100 company through Patchwork Hub. I would like to thank Beth and the team for helping me through the recruitment process and being there to give advice and support throughout my placement. It was refreshing to be honest about my condition and know that the company was ‘disability aware’ and would be inclusive and understanding too. This meant that I was able to focus on my job, learn from my colleagues and feel part of the team. I would advise others to make the most of this unique platform, its placement schemes and the opportunities they provide.

Ben Pearse

Patchworker

Patchwork Hub is an incredible organisation, making great strides towards bridging the gap between employers and ‘the UK’s hidden talent pool’. This is not limited to the one million disabled people in the UK navigating access to traditional job roles but extends across society to all those facing barriers. Patchwork Hub is where employees, who are experiencing the challenge of skills shortages, can come to unlock this talent pool, equally supporting employers and employees, and enabling society as a whole to thrive.

Q5

Annabel Tonge, Q5 Director (Employer)

Patchwork Hub's work will be invaluable to anyone for whom conventional work is not feasible. Having been suffering with health issues over the last few months myself and coming from a family of carers, mental illness sufferers, and disability, I've experienced firsthand the impact Patchwork Hub has on real lives. As well as offering employment opportunities, the unique offerings of community and the upcoming freelancing platform really set Patchwork Hub apart. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how valuable work-from-home opportunities are, and Patchwork Hub has been ahead of the curve in their aim to provide working opportunities for as many people as possible.

Mia Testa

Featured Patchworker, Oxford University

Lauren Hazel Keane

Patchworker, Digital Marketing

Patchwork Hub is THE next-gen employment platform that's placing accessibility first - something that many companies in the same space should be looking up to.

WithVR

Gareth Walkom, CEO

Working with Patchwork Hub was an amazing insight into a startup leading the culture change in the world of work. Beth is extremely passionate and incredibly knowledgeable, and her start-up is providing critical information for companies looking to become more accessible and inclusive. The world of work has permanently changed following the pandemic, and Patchwork Hub provides a great insight into what the future of work should look like.

Lucas Jones

Digital Marketing Executive

I think Patchwork Hub's ethos is really remarkable and special. Especially during times like these (Covid), where the need for accessible work has become more evident than ever, shining a light on the work they do is doubly important. I can only see their mission becoming more and more essential as time goes on. during times like these (Covid), where the need for accessible work has become more evident than ever, shining a light on the work they do is doubly important. I can only see their mission becoming more and more essential as time goes on.

Natalie Vriend

Featured Patchworker, University of Oxford

Disability inclusion is not a chore or cost, it's a massive business opportunity. We're so thrilled to be working with Patchwork Hub as a disability-owned business and leader in this space, ensuring we are doing all we can to attract and retain diverse talent.

2Gether-International

Keevin O'Rourke, Managing Director | Startup Accelerator & Venture Fund (Employer)