New Zealand app empowers people with disabilities with decision-making

A new mobile web application named Volition is facilitating decision-making for people with disabilities in New Zealand, aiming to improve their communication and personal agency.

The Volition app allows users, termed "Decision Makers," to build a digital preference bank detailing various daily aspects, such as medical care and dietary preferences. Supporters and service providers can then access this information to accommodate individual needs better while promoting dignity and autonomy.

In New Zealand, approximately one in six people live with a disability. Around 50,000 receive government-funded support, and 100,000 rely on equipment and modifications. Many people with disabilities face challenges in having their preferences consistently acknowledged, particularly those with intellectual or communication impairments. The Volition app aims to address these issues by ensuring that decision-making power is centralised amongst its users.

Volition is accessible as a mobile web app that allows users to set up a profile to document their preferences, which can then be shared with family, friends, and service providers. This functionality is designed to maintain the consistency of users' choices over time. Access Advisors have audited the app's usability to cater to a diverse range of accessibility needs.

Jason Donovan, a member of the disability community participating in beta testing, shared, "Using the app would make my life easier because if I have to go to an appointment I can tell them what I want and what I don't want."

Service providers also benefit from the Volition app, which offers a consolidated platform for managing and recognising the preferences of individuals in their care. Fern Ryan, Chief Executive of ConneXu, a partnering disability support organisation, stated, "We are thrilled to partner with an organisation which will enable people to be able to communicate their preferences, needs, wants and aspirations through a portal in an app they will own. We believe the Volition app will be a tool which will contribute to many disabled people having more choice and control."

The app offers several features to enhance its usability and security, including multi-format preference recording, secure and encrypted data storage, and customisable permissions. Supporters can engage with preference records without compromising the autonomy of Decision Makers. Furthermore, the app allows for API integrations with service providers' existing Customer Relationship Management systems, streamlining operations.

Erika Butters, the Founder of Volition, emphasised the need for such an application based on her extensive experience in the disability sector. She said, "We've been talking about the principles of theory of Supported Decision Making for nearly 20 years, yet we haven't meaningfully shifted the experience of many disabled people. So we decided to get stuck in and build practical tools that can scale. Using technology to strengthen the voice and decision making capabilities of disabled people is inevitable. We're just one of the pioneers."