Our Story
How Sociability grew from a university project into a disability-led technology company.
Where it all began
Sociability was founded by Matt Pierri, a Rhodes Scholar who moved from Australia to study at the University of Oxford in 2017. As a wheelchair user arriving in a new country, Matt quickly realised how difficult it was to find clear, reliable information about the accessibility of colleges, accommodation and other places around the city.
Frustrated by the lack of detailed accessibility information, Matt launched the Oxford Accessibility Project, a grassroots initiative documenting access across Oxford’s colleges and halls to help Disabled people make more informed decisions about where they could go.
From student project to Sociability
In 2019, the project evolved into a mobile app, and in 2020 Sociability officially became a company.
What started as a local project grew into a much bigger mission: making detailed accessibility information easier to find, understand and share, so Disabled people can decide for themselves whether a place meets their individual access needs.
Built with Disabled people
Sociability is a disability-led company shaped by the lived experiences of Disabled people.
Our approach recognises that accessibility is not one-size-fits-all. Rather than simply labelling somewhere as “accessible” or “inaccessible”, Sociability provides detailed information about individual access features, helping people make decisions based on what matters to them.
Growing across the UK
Today, Sociability features accessibility information for almost 20,000 places across the UK, from independent cafés and restaurants to shops, public buildings, workplaces and major venues.
Alongside our community, we work with businesses, local authorities and other organisations to improve the availability and quality of accessibility information and make it easier for Disabled people to plan with confidence.