In a world where accessibility and inclusion are increasingly recognised as essential, Gavin Neate’s Neatebox is leading the charge with innovative solutions designed to empower disabled individuals. Gavin has had an incredible journey; from training guide dogs to pioneering technology that addresses everyday barriers faced by disabled people. Central to this mission is WelcoMe, a personal shopping assistant platform now being rolled out in partnership with Curry’s across Ireland, enabling disabled customers to communicate their needs in advance and ensuring staff are fully prepared to deliver a supportive, personalised experience. This initiative not only aims to transform in-store shopping for disabled customers but also sets a new standard for accessibility and awareness in the retail sector

In an exclusive interview, I interviewed Gavin to find out more:

1. Can you tell us a bit about the origins of Neatebox and what inspired the company to focus on accessible, inclusive technology?

In 1996 I joined Guide Dogs for the Blind to become a Mobility Instructor. I was wholly focussed on training the dogs and people how to use them, but by 2003 I was getting more and more interested in the technology my clients were using to the extent I had introduced technology training in my classes. I could see a world of problems my clients lived with that could be addressed with well designed disability focussed solutions. This was the start of Neatebox and in 2015 I left Guide Dogs to focus on making these solutions a reality.

2. What are some of the biggest initiatives that the company has worked on or clients that you have worked with?

In 2009 I invented a quite remarkable piece of software that allowed disabled people to personalise their interactions with pedestrian crossings. Pressing buttons remotely and even extending crossing times and supporting their safe passage across the road. At the time I thought the transport industry would be supportive but I soon found out that disruptive ideas sometimes aren’t welcomed with open arms. I then started to focus on one of my ideas which was WelcoMe. In brief, WelcoMe allows disabled people to communicate their needs in advance of visiting specific venues. This allows for the personalisation of an experience and ensures that staff have the skills they require to provide the services their customer needs. This allows for personalisation of experience and has the benefit of reducing anxiety in the disabled visitor who is now very much in charge of the interaction.

3. What motivated the partnership between Neate-Box and Curry’s to launch the WelcoMe service across Ireland?

I was visiting Stafford and dropped into a Curry’s store for a browse. I started speaking to one of the managers there and mentioned disability awareness. He was very engaged and told me about their work with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard and also their introduction of “Quite Hours”. This prompted me to reach out to their head office where I spoke with their Head of Commercial Initiatives, Ainsley Sykes. He was keen to look at how WelcoMe could support their efforts to become even more accessible and offered a limited trail of the service across the Midlands and then London.

Initially it was hard to inform the public of the service’s existence and by the end of the trial we had not achieved the number of visits we had hoped. The feedback we had received was exceptional though, with disabled people massively appreciating the freedom and control WelcoMe gave them. This feedback encouraged Ainsley and his team to look at launching the service in Ireland where it was felt that there might be a greater opportunity to promote island wide and where there may be a greater uptake of the service. 

“If readers would like to put both WelcoMe and Currys to the test they can set up a WelcoMe profile at My.Wel-co.me and arrange visits to Curry’s from the 28th May. More information on WelcoMe and our work Wel-co.me.”

4. How does the WelcoMe personal shopping assistant work for disabled customers, and what makes the experience different from a typical shopping trip?

WelcoMe is a simple but effective tool. The disabled person fills out a profile specifying anything they would like staff to be aware of and take into account to make their visit more comfortable. This information is passed onto the service team at the location they are visiting along with general information on disability awareness. The visitor can also add in any information on what they are wishing to do or achieve which allows time for the staff member to research any products and prepare the best environment in which to deliver a service. An example might be someone living with Epilepsy. If they choose to disclose this in advance WelcoMe provides all staff at the location with information on what they should do if their visitor should have a seizure during the visit. For a guide dog owner they will be reminded on how best to act around a person’s dog, or if someone is blind, how to provide  ‘sighted guide’. Ultimately how much or how little is shared is totally up to the visitor who remains in control of the interaction throughout.

5. What are some of the key barriers that disabled people face when shopping in-store, and how does WelcoMe help to overcome these?

There are many barriers to anxiety free shopping but one key one is the anxiety caused at the thought of having to explain disability related needs. Indeed it is the thought of first point of contact discrimination that is preventing many from seeing shopping as pleasurable or even stopping them from shopping in person altogether. Studies have shown that 73% of disabled people have left a shop prematurely because of poor customer service which doesn’t just affect them but also the business itself. The Purple Pound is the term used to demonstrate the spending power of disabled people with the most recent figures estimating this to be in the region of £274 billion per year in the United Kingdom alone. Business can not afford to miss out on the income that good disability awareness and subsequent service delivery can generate.

6. Can you describe the disability awareness training that Curry’s staff will receive as part of this initiative?

The beauty of WelcoMe is that the disability awareness training is contained within the platform. As long as a staff member is able to sign into the platform they have access to the information required. Whilst WelcoMe can not, nor would it want to take the place of face to face training programs, we recognise that information taught in class can often be forgotten in time when not used regularly. WelcoMe acts more like an aide memoir for training received whilst also providing information on a specific customer’s needs pertinent to their visit that day. The information we do share however has been provided to use through all of the charities we support. This takes the form of overviews of conditions and top tips on how best to interact as well as links to videos and further training from the charities and organisations we promote.

7. What metrics or feedback will you use to determine the success of the WelcoMe service in Curry’s stores across Ireland?

This is a super question. Initially we are keen to encourage people to get to know the platform and how it works through visits to their nearest store. People may or may not spend money during their visit. Ultimately we are looking to prove that disabled people will shop in person if they feel that their needs are met and that they are given the tools by which they can feel in control of their interactions. Of course we are also wishing to prove to Curry’s that the disabled population have as great a need as anyone else to purchase electrical goods and that they are likely to return to businesses that prove they care about their custom.

8. How do you hope this initiative will influence other high street retailers in Ireland regarding accessibility and inclusion?

Personal Shopping has been successful for many years in other sectors, most notably in large department stores, but seldom, if ever, has the service revolved around the needs of disabled people. We aim to prove that this under served community has the ability to be a commercial differentiator within retail. 

9. Beyond retail, are there plans to expand WelcoMe to other sectors in Ireland, such as public services or the judiciary, as you have done in Scotland?

We launched WelcoMe with several companies in Ireland including Levi’s and Iarnród Éireann as well as with Headway Ireland and the Anne Sullivan Centre and it is our hope that awareness of what’s possible and with luck success with this Curry’s trial will lead to more people calling for the service to be offered. In the UK we have had super engagement from Councils, leisure centres, libraries, museums, art galleries, ferry service providers and even the Scottish Parliament and MSP constituency offices. I have a dream that WelcoMe could even one day be used to help disabled people vote in person should they wish to do so.

10. Are there any other organisations in Ireland that you admire for their work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), particularly regarding disability?

Oh most definitely, but also individuals who have influenced my desire to ensure that WelcoMe is available across Ireland. Our work with Headway Ireland was influenced by disability advocacy powerhouse Gary Kearney and having met Dr Caroline Casy of the Valuable 500 a few years ago I dreamt big as to what was possible. I am also a big fan of the work of Vision Ireland as well as companies like Conor Halpin’s, PRM Assist. Matt McCann of Access Earth is an inspiration to me as are Stephen Kelly of Ability Focus and Noelle Daly of Mobility Mojo. Special mention also to Niamh Kelly of Leaders for Accessibility who is one of the best networkers and proactive disability champions I know and Antonio Vieira Santos who is a mine of information and positivity. Ultimately Ireland has some of the best people in the business and I am super proud to call them friends and colleagues.