LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WIDE WEB PLACES
ENTERING the world of online dating can be a challenging experience for some and life-changing for others, but what happens when someone living with a disability tests it out for the first time?
This is something local disability support organisation Wagtail Services investigated recently when four participants volunteered to take part in the social experiment.
With the assistance of their support workers, participants set up online dating profiles on a variety of different platforms in a bid to meet new friends or find a potential romance.
Scott Tiran, 26, who works as a gardener full-time, loves to mow and grow produce and also captains a touch football team in Toowoomba.
He said he wanted to participate in the experience as it was a unique way to meet people and while he encountered some challenges, he managed to make a couple of friends.
“In some ways this experience has built my confidence in some ways, in other ways it hasn’t, but I would tell other people in my shoes to give it a chance,” Mr Tiran said.
“You might feel a bit nervous about online dating, but it’s worth trying because it could work … I’m going to continue online dating and going to social events.”
On the flip side, Caitlin Mortlock, 19, who enjoys dancing, swimming and soccer, said online dating wasn’t for her.
“I wanted a boyfriend so I thought I’d give online dating a shot and see how it goes,” Ms Mortlock said.
“It didn’t really work out for me … a lot of the guys that added me were a bit too old for me and I was looking for someone closer to my age.”
But the search for love is not over for Ms Mortlock, who some time after the experiment, met her now boyfriend on a camping trip with friends.
The pair have been dating for a few weeks now and she said she’s very happy.
Wagtail Services support worker Bill Wade said the purpose of the research project was to identify which online services were best suited for people living with disabilities.
Participants were asked to score each platform on its level of friendliness, usability and trustworthiness.
“We did face some challenges, mainly that some sites used an over pressured sales technique and send out fake friendship requests to urge users to pay for upgrades,” he said.
“Overall, it was a beneficial exercise – some participants learned the value of patience and others were able to build their confidence.”
Mr Wade said Wagtail encourages other local service providers to conduct their own research so findings could be shared and future group meet-ups could be arranged.