A Salford resident has created a new dating app with a twist, this one focuses on what’s beyond the eye.
Brogan Fox, 24, is a Salford resident and wheelchair user. Their experiences have helped shape their new app Able2Love, with a focus on getting to know each other. Most dating apps have a superficial look, disparaging some users, particularly the disabled, from using them.
Fox didn’t like the fact that many disabled people felt isolated and unable to use these apps so took the matter into their own hands. Developing an app from the ground up, Able2Love is the newest dating app around and created by Salford’s very own.
They said: “You go on tinder you can’t really filter by anything, it’s just looks. 5% of people in the UK have admitted they would consider or have dated someone with a physical disability. 5%. That’s just the UK.”
While studying at university, Fox decided they had enough of the shallow treatment on traditional dating apps and made their own site: “It’s all based off looks. It was literally as dumb as simple as I could make that. Why hasn’t anyone got up there? Why haven’t I thought of doing that? I figured I could do this app.”
Fox also discussed the problems that a lot of these sites can run into: “I looked everywhere. The closest thing to it is Dateability which it’s all the same problem. We have all these dating apps. There’s not enough users.
“People aren’t going to use an app that’s not got a lot of people on it. We’re up to 1,000 now. That’s only been a month and a bit.” While the amount of users can be one issue, the quality of them can be another. Fetishization of the disabled community is a problem, but one that Fox has addressed.
The sign up system for Able2Love will split between able-bodied and disabled individuals. It gives power to those who are disabled and allows them to filter out any negative aspects they have already experienced on other apps.
“It’s literally impossible for anyone to say anything you don’t want to hear. There’s a word filter, there’s a great little AI agent I’ve built where it’s just constantly scanning for anything, even for closed captions for video calls for the deafblind community”, they added.
Brogan Fox also understands that some members of the community may be apprehensive around dating apps. To help combat this Able2Help has a community aspect, free from the romance options and focused on fostering a welcoming community, reminiscent of Bumble’s friendship mode.
While Able2Love is finding success with the launch of their app, and hoping to expand, Fox had some advice for fellow disabled people in the dating scene: “The number one thing is make it crystal clear on your profile. I mean, abundantly, like over the top. Make sure if you’re going to have pictures in there, don’t make them shoulders up because that’s just as deceptive as anything else.
“Just show who you are in these pictures, but make sure there’s at least one picture of you with basically that sums up your disability in one go. Make it clear in your bio. Don’t make it the first thing. Write about you and at the bottom just say like wheelchair user don’t worry about it.”
