Our mission
Everyone deserves a day out that just works.
AccessHub helps disabled people, carers, families and anyone who’s ever been caught out by a “we’re accessible!” website find places in Scotland that genuinely suit them — before they set off.
How it started
AccessHub didn’t begin as a business plan. It began at the kitchen table after my daughter was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) at three years old.
From then on, every day out became a research project. The phone calls, the emails, the “is it accessible?” question that somehow never gets a straight answer. Some places were brilliant and said exactly what they had. Others had a beautiful website full of photos and not one word about the things that actually decide whether we can come.
By day I’m an IT manager — I spend my working life getting messy systems to talk to each other. So building one friendly place where the practical details and the real visitor experiences sit together felt like the obvious thing to try.
It’s early days, and it’s very much a labour of love. But every review, every confirmation and every tip makes the next family’s Saturday a bit easier. That’s the whole point.
What we’re fixing
Finding somewhere to go shouldn’t start with twenty phone calls and a knot in your stomach. But that’s what it still looks like for a lot of people: a website that says “accessible” without saying anything useful, a photo of a ramp at the back of the building, or nothing at all until you arrive.
The information is usually out there — buried in a PDF, on a forum post from three years ago, or in the memory of someone who went last month. So we’re building one friendly place where it all comes together: the practical details about a venue, plus honest experiences from people who’ve actually been.
The point isn’t a bigger list of places. It’s getting out of the house with a bit less worry — and leaving the picture clearer than you found it.
What AccessHub does
Four simple things, working together.
Start from what you need
Tell us what makes a day out work for you — a step-free way in, a quiet space, a changing places toilet — and we’ll show you what fits.
Hear it from people who’ve been
Reviews and tips come from disabled visitors, carers, families and grandparents. Real experiences beat a marketing photo every time.
Get personal suggestions
Describe your access needs in your own words and pick an area. We’ll suggest places that could suit you, and say what’s worth checking first.
Pay it forward
Confirm what you found, flag anything that’s changed, and the next person gets a clearer picture before they set off.
How we stay honest
The rules we won’t bend, and why they matter more than a fancy score.
No percentage scores
A number can’t tell you whether the ramp has a handrail. We show you what’s known, what isn’t, and who said it.
No medical questions
You never have to tell us a diagnosis or explain anything. Just pick the access features you need.
No fake guarantees
Lifts break and refits happen. Anything essential is worth a quick call to the venue before you travel.
No hiding disagreements
If visitors disagree about a place, we show both sides instead of quietly picking one.
We never ask for a diagnosis, we don’t sell your access details, and anything you add to your “What I need” profile stays private to you. Public reviews show your display name, that’s all.
Who it’s for
Anyone planning to go somewhere. Wheelchair users and people who walk differently. Deaf and hard of hearing people. Blind and partially sighted people. People who need quiet, predictable spaces or more time. Parents, grandparents, carers, and anyone travelling with someone whose needs don’t come up in a brochure. You don’t need to explain or prove anything to use it.
Where the information comes from
Place basics — names, addresses, opening times, ratings, photos and rough locations — come from Google Maps, covering Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and the Highlands & Stirling area. It’s a growing list across 5 areas, and counting.
Access details and reviews come from the community: visitors who confirm a feature, flag something that has changed, or share a tip. Every detail shows who reported it and when, so you can decide how much to lean on it. One person alone can’t mark a feature as confirmed — it takes more than one voice.
It’s a work in progress. Some places will have a lot, some will have very little, and empty spaces are exactly why your experience matters.
Help make the next trip easier
Set up your “What I need” profile, save the places you like, and tell us how a visit really went. It takes a minute, and it’s how this gets better.