Rakun Talk: Breaking Barriers for Neurodivergent Communication

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, especially in public. But I do want to open up about my AuDHD* so that I can potentially help others out there who are like me.

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*AuDHD is not a typo, it’s autism and ADHD.

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Something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently is how, for many neurodivergent individuals, the ability to speak is a day-to-day difficulty. Some people are entirely non-verbal, while others battle to speak or find the words in stressful situations (like me). Ordering a coffee in an unfamiliar, busy coffee shop is sometimes enough to leave me speechless. If I’m lucky, I can put a few words together but I will talk much slower and it takes a lot of my energy to try and focus. It’s even worse if the coffee shop is in a foreign country, where I don’t speak the language or I’m not confident enough to use the words and phrases that I do know. 

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‍I took the time to talk to fellow neurodivergent travelers, and I learned that these are just some of the everyday situations that cause so much anxiety for some individuals that they become non-verbal:  

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- Paying at a restaurant, but not wanting to bother the busy staff

- Needing to check in at your hotel in a foreign country, but being too scared that no one will speak your language 

- Trying to find a bathroom in a public place, but being too anxious to ask someone

- Needing medical help but feeling too overwhelmed to talk

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Of course, these situations might sound familiar to people who are not neurodivergent; who perhaps have speech or hearing impairments, who don’t feel comfortable using a second language, or just don’t enjoy talking to strangers. The common theme is that, for whatever reason, talking isn’t always easy or possible. 

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This is why my team and I have developed a new app called Rakun Talk, a digital communications card. Today is launch day, and I'm beyond excited to share it with you!

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You can design your communications card in any way you like; you can use one of our pre-defined cards or create a personalised one for yourself. You can add your name and your condition (if you feel comfortable sharing that with others), and specify what you need help with or what you want. You can even add a photo and give the viewer different options to click in response. For many neurodivergent people, this is an incredibly useful way to communicate and help people understand your needs better, without having to say a word.

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Our goal at Rakun is to make the world more inclusive, starting with travel.

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‍‍Give Rakun Talk a try!

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Let's unmask and embrace difference,

Pete

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