The Flagstaff Group’s, ‘Travel Trainer’ app has shown effective outcomes in teaching road safety to people with disabilities.
Executive Manager for Strategy Growth and Marketing at Flagstaff Group, Alison Turner, helped design and create the app.
Mrs Turner felt like the app was needed for people with disabilities as a way to increase the accessibility to transport.
“There are many facets when you have an intellectual disability when you’re travelling, so you don’t understand things like the speed of a car for example or distance,” Mrs Turner said.
The Flagstaff Group released the app late March and provides advice on road safety for any source of transport around the area.
It has encouraged people with a disability to be self-sufficient and has shown confidence building skills as a result.
“It’s definitely getting a few people thinking about different ways that they can travel,” Mrs Turner said.
“[It teaches] them to be … independent and not embarrassed about if they can’t ride a bike properly or if they don’t know how to get an opal card.
“It’s actually building their capacity and their confidence more than anything else.”
Source: The Travel Trainer App by the Flagstaff Group
A support worker at Flagstaff Group, Zac Treglown, is seeing this app be successfully deployed among participants he works with.
“It’s making their life easier and making that journey to and from work safe and they’re going to get there on time so I’m definitely happy with the results,” Mr Treglown said.
“Great results to and from work but also in personal life as well with the guys.”
With the help of AI (artificial intelligence) the app has used a personalised trip planner for any travelling whether it be walking or cycling, AI has customised that criteria for each user.
The app is in its first stage of release, with later updates planned.
“This is stage one of the apps, stage two will build on information and feedback from the community and what they want,” Mrs Turner said.
“We are looking at how we can make it more interactive in stage two.”
The Travel Trainer app has shown a positive turnout since its release and the Flagstaff Group plan to release further apps to create accessibility for all types of disabilities later this year.
