Dateability offers people with disabilities a more inclusive space to find love, relationships and companionship

Modern dating apps have transformed the way people look for romantic partners, but many people with disabilities or chronic illnesses say mainstream platforms can expose them to discrimination and stereotypes.

As a result, thousands of people are turning to platforms such as Dateability, a dating app designed specifically for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions.

Twenty-nine-year-old Dan Chard from Bristol, who lives with the effects of a stroke, said people often see his disability before seeing him as a person.

Chard said he had experienced people ending contact after learning about his stroke, while others appeared to judge him solely because of his disability.

For him, one of Dateability’s biggest advantages is removing the pressure of deciding when and how to disclose his disability to a potential partner.

He said the idea that people with disabilities do not want or deserve romantic relationships or intimacy is outdated and harmful.

“People with disabilities have the same hopes, dreams and desires for love as everyone else,” he said.

Dating Can Present Additional Challenges

Twenty-six-year-old Daniel Peck from Cheltenham was diagnosed with autism 10 years ago. He said he can find it difficult to establish connections, maintain eye contact and cope with unfamiliar environments.

He said preparation and planning are important for him because he likes to know where, when and how a date will take place.

Peck welcomed Dateability because it allows him to discuss his disability openly and honestly with potential partners.

Tom Lewis, 43, from Taunton, who also lives with the effects of a stroke, said the app had helped him connect with people who shared similar experiences.

He added that the platform was particularly helpful because he is gay.

From Dating App to Marriage

Two Dateability users in the United States, Colin and Casey Lafon, recently married after meeting through the platform.

Casey said the app gave her the opportunity to meet her “best friend in the world.”

Colin said meeting his wife through the platform transformed potentially difficult conversations about health conditions into discussions based on understanding and support.

He said they developed a deep connection from the beginning and their relationship grew alongside their medical challenges.

Challenging Stereotypes About Disability

Dateability co-founder Jacqueline Child said people with disabilities and chronic illnesses frequently face discrimination on mainstream dating apps.

She said society often assumes that people with disabilities do not have romantic or sexual relationships.

Jacqueline and her sister, Alexa Child, launched Dateability in 2022 with the aim of creating a more accepting space for people with physical, intellectual and mental disabilities to form meaningful relationships.

Jacqueline said she had personally experienced discrimination on mainstream dating apps. Some people rejected her immediately, while others made offensive comments, including telling her she would never have biological children or describing her as a burden.

Alexa said the sisters want conversations about disability, intimacy and relationships to become less taboo.

Mainstream Dating Apps Also Taking Action

A spokesperson for Match Group, which owns popular dating platforms such as Tinder and Hinge, said the company had made significant investments in tools designed to prevent abusive behavior.

The spokesperson acknowledged that broader social prejudices can appear in different social environments, including dating apps, and said the company remained committed to addressing them.

For Dateability users, disability should not prevent anyone from finding love, companionship, intimacy or a meaningful relationship.