After an out-of-state business trip for a financial service company, Brett Heising remembers a time that he considers his aha moment in starting his business, Brett Approved.
His executive assistance often made travel arrangements and informed the hotels that Heising was in a wheelchair.
“They would say, ‘Oh yeah, we got ya, you know, not a problem,’” Heising said. “And then, inevitably, about 80 percent of the time I would get to wherever I was going and there wouldn’t be a roll-in shower.”
Heising was born with cerebral palsy that affects his legs and one of his arms. This makes it difficult for Heising to get around on crutches, so he prefers to use his wheelchair. After being unsettled by the accommodations on his last business trip, Heising did some thinking.
“I can’t be the only person with this problem, so I did a little bit of research,” Heising said.
Heising is not alone. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, approximately 56.7 million people have some kind of disability and about 12.3 million of those who are disabled need assistance in their daily lives.
Heising said he couldn’t believe how many people are physically disabled in the U.S.
“I was really surprised that nobody else had tried to do what I am doing which is launch a travel and entertainment website for people with disabilities,” Heising said. “I think really what drives me and what keeps me going is just the fact that I am trying to give back.”
His mission for Brett Approved is to do just that: give back to those who love to travel but choose not to because of their physical disabilities.
Brett Approved, once launched, will be a website targeted towards those who travel with physical disabilities, mobility challenges, or those who have loved ones with a physical disability.
“(The site) isn’t going to be a typical review, where we are going to bash things for not being accessible. We are not going to do that. We are doing to celebrate all of those places that are accessible,” Heising said.
Heising plans to have people give him reviews and start reviewing hotels in areas where the consumers on his website want him to go.
Heising works with a team of mentors at Seed Spot, a nonprofit incubator that focuses on supporting Arizona entrepreneurs. One of his mentors and co-founder of Seed Spot, Courtney Klein Johnson, sees Brett Approved as a website that will target those who love to travel but fall under the category of disabled.
“I think it is an incredible one website that everyone can go to and receive accurate information to help them live a life that is really meaningful and fun,” Johnson said.
Heising, Johnson and other mentors met weekly to go over his plans and what he needs.
“I honestly believe life is defined by experiences,” Heising said. “If you want to go to New York City and you’re in a wheelchair or if you want to go to San Francisco, or when we launch globally, if you want to go to Paris and you’re in a chair, so be it. There is no reset button.”
Heising’s idea creates more security, said Jennifer Longdon, a Phoenix native who uses a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury. Longdon is chairwoman of the Phoenix Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues and is also a member of the Arizona Independent Living council.
Longdon’s business requires travel from time to time, and she heard of Heising through a friend who knew about his project.
“(My friend) had listened to me complain about a recent business trip and my hotel travel,” Longdon said. “For six days I was not able to shower. It got to the place where I left my conference early to attend to my full hygiene. Can you imagine presenting, being in business, and not being able to shower?”
Longdon said she is 100 percent a Brett Approved supporter.
“Everyone I know who travels with a permanent physical disability travel with this extra level of anxiety about when I get there is my room really going to be accessible,” Longdon said. “I think that Brett Approved is going to allow more and more individuals with disabilities to travel confidently, travel with less stress and anxiety and hopefully increase our frequency as travelers.”
Heising plans to have people give him reviews and start reviewing hotels in areas where the consumers on his website want him to go.
Heising’s goal with Brett Approved is to give back and to really provide a resource that he thinks is lacking.
“The most successful entrepreneurs are born out of a pain point that someone has,” Heising said. “I had just reached my tipping point with traveling and showing up and there not being a shower, and instead of complaining about it I was like, ‘You know what, I am going to fix it.”
Editor’s note: Jennifer Longdon is the mother of Downtown Devil‘s news editor, Matt Longdon. He did not contribute to the reporting of this article.
Contact the reporter at chelsa.thomas@asu.edu
