About
ConnectUp is an online platform that helps people living with disability and carers make new social connections through physical activity in their local area. It lets people discover others with similar interests, message each other directly, find events, groups, and meet-ups on an interactive map, and plan upcoming activities in a calendar.
Led by the University of Melbourne with academic, supporting, and participating partner organisations, ConnectUp was co-designed with people with disability and carers using citizen science, a research approach that brings community members and researchers together to identify issues, gather evidence, and develop solutions. Consumer advisors with lived experience helped shape the platform, including making sure it works well for people who are blind or have low vision.
The project responds to a real need: people with disability and carers report higher levels of isolation and lower participation in physical activity than the general population. Supported by a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant, ConnectUp launched in 2026.
Every place, activity, and experience a member shares also contributes to research on how to increase social connection, and gives community champions a platform to advocate for more inclusive places. ConnectUp shows how co-design with the people a product serves can lead to technology that is both accessible and genuinely useful.