A NEW app called Snowball, developed by Dorset-based software agency b4b, is set to become the go-to app for disabled users looking for accessible restaurants, shops, and other services.

The app is the brainchild of former adult social care worker Simon Sansome, who became a wheelchair user in 2014 after sustaining a life-changing injury.

Simon said the idea for the app came about when he went out for dinner for the first time since his rehabilitation.

When he arrived, there were people sitting in front of the disabled entrance and getting in caused “quite a fuss”.

During the meal, he found the disabled toilets were only accessible via a flight of stairs.

This experience prompted some research, and the app was born out of his general frustration with how hard it was to find information about venue accessibility.

“Short of looking up local guides or going on each venue’s website, it’s not that easy to find out where is accessible in the local area,” he said.

“The idea behind Snowball is that all the information is in one easy place and, importantly, is compiled by other disabled users.

“Working in much the same way as Tripadvisor, it gives people a trustworthy source of information about venues that will be able to accommodate their needs.”

Initially, the app was also set to be called Ability Access, but Simon said he wanted the two to be completely separate entities.

He added: “I wanted something completely random that people would remember, as seems to be the naming convention for apps nowadays.

“But the name is also meaningful, as it will have a snowball effect – once people start getting involved and sharing their experiences it will grow bigger and bigger.”

Taylor Wilson, project manager at b4b, worked closely with Simon throughout the app build.

He said: “I led the build of the app from start to finish and it’s been a career highlight for sure. This app is going to make a real difference to people’s lives, and Simon has been fantastic to work with.

“We spent hours bouncing ideas around and discussing how the app would look and work. When we sent him the finished prototype he called me back within minutes to say he loved it.”