For parents of kids with disabilities, there are countless Facebook groups to join, hundreds of resource websites to parse through, and several federal programs to apply for. But the information they really need is scattered across the web, making it difficult to track down at the right time.
Megan Cortjens saw this as a clear gap in the caregiving disability world. She started building Our Place, an inclusive community for caregivers navigating raising a child with disabilities or special needs. The goal is to put important financial, educational, and lifestyle resources in one place to help parents as their child grows up.
While Cortjens is based in Metro Atlanta, Our Place supports families across the country.
“A lot of the disability population is served by nonprofits that have a tremendous heart for this community, but struggle with the business acumen side,” Cortjens told Hypepotamus, meaning that their services are hard to find or overlooked by those most in need.
Users register on the website and share their biggest needs — whether that is connecting with state-wide funding opportunities, setting up an IEP (individualized education plan), finding job help, or navigating local service providers who work well with children with disabilities. Cortjens said the most requested resources are financial, be it private and public sources or personal finance tips to ensure that caregivers are navigating different stages of life most effectively.
Users join with a monthly subscription ($10/month) and are connected directly with the services they need most urgently at that moment. As Cortjens pointed out, those caregiving needs can change quickly and evolve as a child grows. The platform also has an expert page, where users can easily book time with therapists, CPAs, attorneys, and others who can help caregivers.
Building Our Place
For Cortjens, who grew her tech career at MuleSoft (acquired by Salesforce) and Atlanta-based SaaSOptics, building Our Place is personal to her and her family. Growing up with siblings with special needs, she saw firsthand how difficult it is to find the necessary resources.
And the need for a platform like Our Place is only growing. One in four American adults are diagnosed with a disability, and 75% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live with their parents or other family members.
Cortjens said she also hopes the platform will raise general public awareness and provide “exposure and knowledge about what families go through” when caring for someone with a disability.
Right now, Cortjens is looking for angel investors to grow Our Place’s development efforts and expand the support they can offer to families.
