News

October 5, 2020: For Immediate release: 360-Access Helps Businesses Reach the 61 Million Americans Who Live with Disabilities

Online service provides a platform for businesses to share accessibility features with the Disability Community

Pittsburgh, PA – (October 5, 2020) – Internationally, the disability market represents an annual disposable income of $1 trillion – $490 billion in the US alone. Those in the disability community not only desire, but need and deserve access to grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, retail stores, gas stations, entertainment venues, and more. 360-Access, a new online service offered internationally by disability/woman-owned technology company Abator, serves as a tool to help businesses communicate their accessibility information with potential consumers who have disabilities.

Created by Madonna Long and Joanne Peterson, both of whom live with disabilities, 360-Access is a web portal where businesses create an account and complete a simple survey documenting their accessibility factors, such
as sidewalk widths, bathroom accessibility, employees who know American Sign Language, and much more. Once a survey is submitted, it is then reviewed and accepted into the 360-Access database and available for
anyone to access at no cost. Visitors can register as a user at no cost to write reviews, verify collected data, get special offers, and receive invitations to events.

“The idea of 360-Access is to create a dialogue between businesses and people with disabilities,” said Joanne Peterson, CEO of Abator, Co-Founder, 360-Access. “When businesses provide accessibility information, it allows those with disabilities to plan accordingly prior to arrival. The disability community wants to spend money to partake in shopping, dining, and other activities. Additionally, during a time in which diversity and inclusion is a topic of importance, understanding your business’s accessibility can also inform a person with disabilities of whether or not your business is a viable option for them in terms of employment – so not only are businesses increasing their consumer base, but their employment pool, as well.”

To “map a business” with 360-Access, businesses must pay to set up an account, with a portion of each sale donated to disability organizations. Pricing is as follows:

Nonprofits: First facility is free, $29 per additional facility
Small business (up to 10 locations): $49 per location
Large business (over 10 locations): $149 per location

Upon completion of account creation and survey submission, businesses are given a 360-Access seal to use online or in print.

“Our goal is the universal recognition of this seal as an emblem associated with acceptance and accessibility for those with mobility and disability needs,” said Joanne Peterson. Map your business with 360-Access today.

About 360-Access
Founded in 2015, 360-Access is an online service dedicated to mapping the unique existing accessibility features of public spaces connecting people with disabilities (PWDs), their families, friends, caregivers, and associates to objective information.

July 23, 2020: Madonna, Marian, and Joanne on Rob Oliver’s podcast. Rob, a soon to be certified DOBE, asked us about the origin of 360-Access and our plans for the future.

July 16, 2020: Madonna and Joanne appeared on Las Vegas’s KLCW, introducing 360-Access to Nevadans .

July 9, 2020: Marian and Joanne on the Pittsburgh Technology’s podcast TechVibe, talking about 360-Access.

July 2, 2020: Rehab Management expanded on our press release.

June 30, 2020: Our first 360-Access press release!

Pittsburgh, PA – (June 30, 2020) – Over 54 million Americans live with a disability. Despite these staggering numbers and a discretionary spending budget of $490 billion, the disability community’s needs are often still misunderstood and unmet at restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and more.

That’s why Abator, a women-owned IT consultant company, is pleased to announce the launch of 360-Access, a revolutionary next step in the natural evolution of support for the disability community.

360-Access is an online service that allows businesses to submit dependable information regarding the accessibility of their establishment for those with disabilities to review on mobile and desktop devices prior to making personal arrangements. 360-Access will officially go live on July 26, 2020 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with a percentage of every 360-Access sale donated to disability organizations.

Founded by Joanne Peterson, CEO, Abator and Madonna Long, Vice President, 360-Access, both of whom live with physical disabilities, 360-Access is the first of its kind on the market. The software has been in development since 2015, and utilizes objective information directly from businesses to build its database.

Businesses simply complete a survey documenting their accessibility factors (i.e. ADA accessible table seating, employees fluent in ASL, etc.). The survey is reviewed and accepted into the 360-Access database and is then available to anyone using the platform.

“I met Madonna Long at a networking event where we both had trouble finding parking due to our disabilities, and from there the conversation expanded into something bigger than just us – it became about our entire disability community,” said Joanne Peterson. “Those with disabilities have long struggled to obtain objective information regarding accessibility. We want to change that – we want accessibility to be accessible. This isn’t about making businesses compliant; it’s about letting us know what you have so we can adapt appropriately.”

Creating a business account with 360-Access is a very simple online process. Businesses provide their facility’s accessibility features, address, and contact information. After businesses are accepted into the database, a 360-Access partner logo will then be provided to the business to utilize on their website to indicate their commitment to serving the disability community.

To learn more about 360-Access, please visit: 360-access.com