Wellington Startup Launches First-of-Its-Kind App Aiding Disabled Users To Take Control Of Their Decisions

Wellington, NZ – April 1, 2025 – A groundbreaking new mobile web app is set to revolutionise the way disabled New Zealanders communicate their preferences and make decisions about their daily lives. Volition, a Wellington-based tech startup, is leading the charge in self-determination for the disability community with its innovative and free-to-use Volition app.

The Volition app allows users—referred to as “Decision Makers”—to create a digital preference bank covering key aspects of their lives, including daily tasks, medical care, diet, and personal environment. Supporters and service providers can then access this information to better meet individual needs, ensuring dignity, autonomy, and personal agency remain at the forefront of care.

Addressing a Long-Standing Challenge

In New Zealand, 1 in 6 people live with a disability, with 50,000 receiving government-funded disability support and 100,000 relying on equipment and modification services. Many disabled people find themselves sidelined in decision-making processes, often repeating their support needs and preferences over and over again —an ongoing challenge, especially for those with intellectual or communication disabilities.

The Volition app is changing that. By placing decision-making power directly into users’ hands, the app ensures continuity and clarity for both individuals and their supporters, reducing frustration and improving care outcomes.

How Volition Works

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Available as a mobile web app at www.volition.tools, Volition is designed for ease of use and accessibility. Upon logging in, users create a profile and record their preferences, deciding who they want to share their information with. They can invite family members, friends, and service providers into their “circle of support,” ensuring that their choices are honoured consistently over time.

Recognising the diverse accessibility needs of its users, Volition has undergone a comprehensive accessibility audit by Access Advisors to ensure usability for as many people as possible.

Jason Donovan is a member of the disability community and a Beta tester of the Volition app. When thinking about how he would use the app in his daily life he said, “Using the app would make my life easier because if I have to go to an appointment I can tell them what I want and what I don’t want.”

A Game-Changer for Support Organisations

Beyond individual users, service providers will also benefit from Volition’s streamlined approach. Traditionally, preferences and needs were recorded in fragmented, paper-based systems, making them difficult to track and act upon. The Volition app centralises and standardises this information, allowing organisations to enhance their standard of care and responsiveness.

Fern Ryan, Chief Executive of ConneXu, a disability support organisation partnering with Volition, expressed enthusiasm for the app: “We are thrilled to partner with an organisation which will enable people to be able to communicate their preferences, needs, wants and aspirations through a portal in an app they will own. We believe the Volition app will be a tool which will contribute to many disabled people having more choice and control.”

Key Features and Security

Volition is packed with features designed for ease of use and security:

Multi-Format Recording – Users can log their preferences through text, photos, videos, audio, and documents, ensuring accessibility for different communication styles.

Secure and Encrypted Data – Personal information is protected with robust security measures.

Customisable Permissions – Users control who can access their data and what information is shared.

Collaboration Tools – Supporters can contribute to preference records while maintaining Decision Makers’ autonomy.

API Integrations for Providers – Disability service providers can integrate Volition’s data with their existing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, streamlining service delivery.

A Vision for the Future

Founder Erika Butters, a subject matter expert in the field of Supported Decision Making with over a decade of experience in the disability sector, saw a critical need for a solution like Volition.

“We’ve been talking about the principles of theory of Supported Decision Making for nearly 20 years, yet we haven’t meaningfully shifted the experience of many disabled people. So we decided to get stuck in and build practical tools that can scale. Using technology to strengthen the voice and decision making capabilities of disabled people is inevitable. We’re just one of the pioneers.”

Volition officially launched on March 17, 2025. To learn more or sign up, visit www.volition.tools.

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