How Access Compass works

Access Compass helps you find disability support and how-to guides. You do not need an account. The app works with your device's text size, dark mode and motion settings.

Finding a service

Browse or search: Browse shows services and guides as cards you can read and filter. Search lets you type what you're looking for, such as a type of support, a condition, or a place name.
Filter to what you need: Narrow the list by category, so you can focus on the kind of support you're looking for, for a child, an adult, a family or a carer.
Your edition: Choose your edition with the switcher near the top of the app. Full local packs cover Northamptonshire, Luton, Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire. Rutland is a trial pack. Essex, Cambridgeshire and Warwickshire are small early editions. There is also a UK-wide Accessible Air Travel pack and an Australian pack for Victoria. Trial and early packs have clear labels, so you can see how much they cover.
Ideas to get you started: If you're not sure where to begin, the row of "Ideas" cards at the top (things like accessible days out, rainy-day ideas, free things to do, or autism-friendly places) apply a useful starting filter with one tap.

Reading a listing

Open a service or place to see what it does, who it is for and how to contact it. We show the source and check date when we have them. We also show how the source was checked. These labels use words, not colour alone.

"Verified by a person" means a named person read the source and checked the listing. It is the only label with a tick (✓).
"Source checked automatically" means an AI agent, an automated tool or a method we have not confirmed checked the source. No person has confirmed it. The listing's detail view names the method.
"Not yet checked: confirm with the service before relying on it" appears only on crisis, safety and safeguarding listings that nobody has checked yet. We still show them, so nobody is left without a way to get help, but please confirm the details with the service first.

Every other listing that nobody has checked yet is hidden until it is checked. If you follow a link to one, you will see "This entry is being checked." If you need help now, the 999 and Samaritans numbers are shown there too.

Listings use public information from each service. Details can change. Always confirm with the service directly before you rely on them. Access Compass gives information and signposting, not professional, legal, medical or financial advice.

How we keep listings honest

Every claim about a place's accessibility, such as step-free access, a quiet space, a hearing loop or a Changing Places toilet, is only shown when we can point to where it came from and when it was checked. A blank or "not yet checked" field is never shown as, or means, "not accessible": it simply means nobody has confirmed it yet. We would always rather tell you what we don't know than guess.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Every listing and guide has a "Suggest a correction" link, so you can tell us directly and we can put it right.

Using the how-to guides

Our how-to guides explain how to get support for children and adults. They help you understand a process and decide what to do next. Some guides also have a signed video version in BSL or Auslan.

Making it easier to use

Text size, dark mode, high contrast and dyslexia-friendly font: Open settings and you'll find controls to adjust the text size, switch themes, turn on a high-contrast or reduced-motion mode, and choose a dyslexia-friendly reading font.
Your access profile: Tell the app what matters to you once, and lists and results can adapt to your needs. This is stored only on your device.
Saved items: Save services and guides you want to come back to. Your saved items stay on your device.
Journey support: Open Travel to track rail, coach, airport, ferry or local-bus assistance and create a practical support plan. You choose which sections are included when it is shared.

Your data and our policies

There are no accounts and no tracking. Your settings and saved items stay on your device. We get a report only if you choose to send one. The app asks our server for each video's report count when it opens, then about every 5 minutes. This helps us hide an automatically found video if people report it. The request does not send cookies, saved items or the page you are reading. Maps, place search and weather use other services. Your device contacts those services only when you use those features. Our policy page covers privacy, cookies, data protection, security, accessibility and terms. Read our policies.

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