We were lucky to catch up with Meegan Winters recently and have shared our conversation below.

Meegan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

There are two experiences that contribute to the idea and passion behind Able Eyes and AbleVu.

1. I was a special education teacher and administrator working with students on the Autism Spectrum from 2006-2017. One of the common characteristics for a person on the spectrum is difficulty with transitions, or doing things out of routine/new. During this time, I realized a need in the world; so many families that have a child on the spectrum or with a disability are lonely, isolated, and not having the same types of experiences as those families without a child on the spectrum or with a disability. I remember thinking “There are accommodations for people with physical disabilities in our communities through the Americans with Disabilities Act,” but we do NOT have accommodations for those with invisible disabilities. Being that the most recent CDC statistic is 1 in 36 children is now diagnosed with Autism, we HAVE to start thinking about accommodations to help these families and their children to be included as well.

2. One of my best friends, Jessica, had Muscular Dystrophy and used a power wheelchair to navigate through her life. Jessica and I lived together in college. Through this experience learned about some of the challenges for a person with a physical disability as well. Jessica and I used a lot of public transportation to get from place to place on campus. What I learned is that you can NOT just get dropped off someplace without knowing if you can get in the door or use the restroom.
Jessica passed away in 2015. After her passing, I left my career in the school to follow a dream that had been in my heart for years. What I do is because of Jessica, her life here on earth, and will honor her by impacting the lives of others through these platforms.

What if there was a tool or platform where people could see information about all public venues before visiting? That is the vision behind Able Eyes and AbleVu.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I spoke to how/why in the last question but will describe the products more below…

In 2017, I left my career in the school to pursue a dream that had been in my heart for years.

Our 1st company, Able Eyes is a virtual tour photography company. Imagine if EVERY business had a virtual tour, a tool that allows people of varying abilities an opportunity to see and explore a business from the safety of home prior to physically visiting. We want to empower people of all abilities to explore places virtually-“Know Before you Go”-to decrease the anxiety of the unknown, while providing new opportunities and experiences.

In January of 2023, we launched our newest company, AbleVu. AbleVu is most easily described as the YELP of accessibility information (without the bad reviews!). AbleVu is an accessibility information search platform allowing people of varying abilities an opportunity to explore various types of accessibility information provided by businesses. An AbleVu profile can include the following information:
-business name, description, and logo
-virtual tour (optional)
-photos
-text information
-list or accessibility features (only showing what businesses have, not what they DON’T)
-business hours, website, social information
-accessibility questions

The platform is free for users to access and economical for all businesses to participate ($299 per year). We believe in celebrating the businesses willing to be transparent without rating, judging, or grading accessibility based on ADA. In addition to the promotional benefits of being on the search platform, businesses can use their profile as an accessibility landing page on their website as well.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Authenticity! As an Assistant Principal in the school, I was faking who I was. I put unnecessary pressure on myself to act a certain way, dress a certain way, and present myself in the most professional, not true to myself, manner.

In that role, I put pressure on myself to wear blazers and high heels, not have tattoos, and never show weakness. I was a completely different person at work than I was at home. Over the past 6 years, I have learned the importance of being myself (my whole self) in all areas of life.

People can sense a lack of authenticity. Being my truest self is of the utmost importance and has improved my relationships across all areas of life, both personal and professional.

How’d you meet your business partner?

This is the story of Able Eyes to AbleVu:

In 2022, I applied for an international pitch competition, like Shark Tank, but specific to tech companies (now called Project 10K). I was chosen as a company to compete and had 5 minutes to pitch my company as a scalable and impactful company. Able Eyes was chosen and has since gone into partnership with Project 10K as Co-founders of AbleVu.

Information about Project 10K

“Our mission at Project 10K is to inspire, support, and catalyze the growth of 10,000 tech companies while promoting inclusivity and breaking down barriers in the tech industry. We aim to democratize tech entrepreneurship, enabling every visionary, regardless of their background, to transform their innovative ideas into successful ventures.” (https://www.project10k.com/).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AbleVu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goablevu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoAbleVu/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ableeyes
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoAbleVu

Image Credits
All are owned by AbleVu