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At 18 months old Dana Jones was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). In her life, this has limited her physical strength and required her to be inventive and creative to accomplish daily tasks. This experience has created a passion for Dana to create a tool that could help her and others in similar situations.
During her time at Marist College where Dana earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. But she actually began working on her Company, Accessadoor a few years prior while she was attending Dutchess Community College. When describing her company, Dana explains that Accessadoor is a revolution in assistive technology, updating devices that haven’t changed in decades. It is a smartphone application and a compatible device that allows individuals to open handicap accessible doors from their phone versus having to manually push the traditional technology known as the “blue button”. This not only allows a wider segment of the population to open doors independently and have an increased sense of freedom, but it also updates technology to today’s time. We had the opportunity to chat with Dana to learn more about her journey and her plans for the future.
Her Campus: What inspired you to create Accessadoor? And when did this entrepreneurship journey begin?
Dana Jones: The Accessadoor journey began during my freshman year of college. Just like every student, your first year of college is full of changes and new experiences. One thing that always got in my way throughout the day was opening doors. The standard technology did not work for me and I often had to rely on others for help. One day I ended up getting stuck in a building because nobody was around to help, so I had to text a friend to come and open the door for me. That was my lightbulb moment. If I could use a phone to get help, why could I not use my phone to help myself? From there I started making connections with people who could potentially help make this idea a reality and worked with students at my school who possessed the development skills I lacked.
HC: Tell us about Accessadoor Smart Kit. How much does it cost and what is the installation process?
DJ: The Accessadoor Smart Kit is a retrofitted insert that fits right into the existing technology and retails for $99.99. The installation process is simple. The device is connected to the existing power supply of the current standard technology, whether it is battery operated or hardwired in less than 5 minutes. The device is then registered and it is ready to use. The goal was to make it as simple and affordable as possible for establishment owners to implement.
HC: We see that the pre-order form is live on your site, how are you promoting this? Are you happy with the response you have seen so far?
DJ: We are mainly promoting the pre-order form by word of mouth at this time. Whether we are attending conferences or on a call, we direct people to that page so we can gauge interest and place an accurate first order post-beta for the current demand. Given that we have not overly pushed pre-orders to date, we have received many and after recently attending the 2020 RESNA Conference, the number of interested companies and individuals is amazing.
HC: Tell us about the team you have built.
DJ: The team currently consists of a development and sales team along with myself. I met Jacob and Max B. during my time at Dutchess Community College and they handle all of the hardware and software development for the company. Max L. and Reed both serve as sales representatives for the company and will become more active once we launch to the general public. What I love is the whole company is student-run and having that fresh young energy opens us up to creative approaches and less tradition.
HC: Who has been the biggest support system for your small business?
DJ: Our biggest support system has been the other local entrepreneurs and the schools. They have all been there to lend a hand when needed or are willing to listen to issues we are having or to bounce ideas off of each other. Being a young entrepreneur, it can be challenging to find a support system and people that have a like mind that lets you in their circle, so I have been fortunate in that aspect to have that support.
HC: What has been the most rewarding moment in your entrepreneurship journey so far?
DJ: I think the most rewarding part of this journey has been the transformation over the years. Starting without many resources and piecing everything together to now having a real product that has the potential to improve the lives of millions of people is such an amazing thing to be a part of.
HC: What is your goal within the next year for Accessadoor?
DJ: Within the next year we plan to finish beta testing and launch sales to the general public. We are hoping to see a national spread of our technology and would like to see our units throughout the US. In addition, we are hoping to advocate and support movements towards making environments more inclusive for individuals of all abilities and helping to pass legislation for stricter accessibility laws. Something like that takes time, but small steps each day will make this world much more inclusive and universal for all.
Learn more and follow Accessadoor and Dana’s entrepreneurship journey here.