After seeing his brother Steve, a year-old living with cognitive disabilities, try a handful of dating apps β to no avail β Anderson knew there was a problem to solve. So Anderson and his mother, Christine, launched Glimmer, a social app designed to be inclusive of users with physical and cognitive disabilities, which can include traumatic brain injury, Down syndrome and autism.
And that community is strong in numbers: According to the U. Census Bureau, there are an estimated Glimmer users are asked whether or not they have a disability, and can choose to show or hide that information on their profile. So far, 35 percent of Glimmer users have said on the site that they do not have a disability, while 65 percent declare that they do. As for why someone without disabilities might give this app a shot, Anderson credits empathy β and firsthand experience.
The app displays banner ads and is free to use, and anyone with a Facebook account can download it through the Apple App Store or Google Play store. In just more than a month, Glimmer has signed on about 5, active users worldwide, and that number is growing by a couple hundred downloads each day, Anderson said. Still, he notes that when it comes to an app that promotes meeting up face-to-face, success is dependent on the number of users in each market location rather than users scattered around the globe.
As Glimmer continues to grow, Anderson is looking at strategic partnerships that can help propel the app and its mission. They teamed with California-based Cubix. Anderson aims to move the business from his West Town apartment into some office space and and growing the Chicago user base to at least 5, He plans to use a mix of targeted Facebook ads, outreach to organizations for people with disabilities, and attendance at conferences and events think the Abilities Expo and Disability Pride Parade.
Nicole Schnitzler is a freelance writer. By Nicole Schnitzler. More in Business.
