Ever found yourself looking for an accessible restaurant in London and not knowing where to look? Last month we heard about a company based in the UK called OutOut. The company specialises in reviewing accessibility at restaurant, bar, and pub venues, and produces access reports on its website. It’s a fantastic way for disabled users to find places to eat and drink and to ensure that those places meet their needs. We fired some questions over to OutOut’s founder, Meera, to get the full scoop!
Big thanks to OutOut for sponsoring the October edition of our The World is Accessible newsletter!
1. In a few sentences, could you tell readers what OutOut is about and how it can help people based in the UK?
OutOut is a newly launched platform that helps people with disabilities, medical conditions & temporary injuries (as well as these individuals’ friends, family, and colleagues) find accessible restaurants, bars, and pubs in their local area. We partner with venues to carry out access audits and then we show you the results of these audits on our website. OutOut respects that accessibility means different things to different people, so we won’t tell you if it’s accessible or not, and we won’t give any accessibility ratings. We’ll let you find the venues that suit your specific needs.
2. What inspired you to create OutOut?
I suffer from 7 medical conditions, including EDS, Chronic Pain, and Chronic Fatigue and I use a walking stick when I’m out and about. I’ve seen a lot of inaccessible spaces including disabled access bathrooms being used as storage rooms, emergency cords being tied up, slippery floors, dimly lit corridors, and many other issues.
Digging a little deeper, I realised that this wasn’t just a “Meera Issue”, but it’s a very common issue across our community.
I needed to do something about it.
3. Are there any plans to expand beyond the UK?
Absolutely! We’re on a mission to consume (excuse the pun!)the UK, Europe, and USA. We’ll be across the seas shortly.
If you’re outside of the UK, we recommend signing up to our newsletter and we’ll be in touch once we land in your country.
4. How do you see OutOut serving the disabled community and what is your long-term vision?
Firstly, we’ve created a visually striking & fun brand identity. There are several platforms already live that help individuals find accessible places, but their lack of exciting branding makes users feel like they’re engaging with a charity rather than an exciting place to plan a great night out or converse with the community. We’ve changed this. We want you to feel included in society, and feel that joy when you book a table and plan a night out.
Secondly, we’re organising community meet-ups and social events. We want the community to enjoy nights out together.
5. How can readers get involved more with OutOut?
We’d love for you to follow us on Instagram, and Sign Up to our Newsletter.
By doing so, you’ll gain access to secret restaurant discounts, receive exclusive invitations for OutOut community meet-ups, and you’ll be the first to know about the latest restaurants/bars/pubs to join the OutOut website.
6. Any additional points you would like to share, or links you would like readers to be directed to?
Join: https://www.letsgooutout.uk/subscribe-to-our-newsletter
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/letsgooutout.uk/
Thanks once again to OutOut for getting involved.
Do you have a business or page you’d like to promote? Check out our Partners & Sponsors page to see who we’ve worked with so far, and use our Contact page to get in touch!
