As someone who finds the design process the most interesting part of a product, I thought I would publicly document the evolution of Compeer as it grows. My hope is that this will humanize Compeer and make it more personable to those who are interested in the app.

But first, a bit of background information.

What is Compeer?

Compeer is an iOS app that allows people to rate, review and search the ADA-friendliness of a location. Compeer splits reviews up into four category types: Cognitive, Hearing, Motor and Vision. Based on personal preferences, users can set which category reviews are displayed. Obviously, our target audience is people with disabilities, but we know that users without accommodation needs might find the app useful when planning events or hanging out with friends.

When / where is it available?

Oh-so-soon! We are working toward a Beta version right now. At this time, we are marketing it locally (Columbia, Missouri, USA) but anyone within the United States can use it.

How much does it cost?

It’s free! Seriously. And we don’t sell your information, either.

What devices are supported?

Compeer is designed for iOS 8 (iPhone / iPad). In a future blog post, I’ll explain our rationale for choosing iOS as our platform.

Who is working on this?

On nights and weekends, Tyten Teegarden (developer) and Emily Stewart (designer) are creating this as a personal, side project.

Are you getting paid?

At this point, nope. We believe so strongly in Compeer that we are doing this in our free time. We are making this because we cannot imagine it not existing. We are looking into crowdfunding options for the future, though.

Why the name Compeer?

Compeer (companion + peer) means “a person of equal rank, status or ability.” The name seemed to fit perfectly with our view on accessibility. I’m looking forward to sharing not only more about Compeer, but also cool accessibility / universal design things as well. If you have any thoughts or feedback, we’d love for you to please tweet us!

—Emily