Inaccessible physical environments continue to constrain many individuals with disabilities. The St. Louis-based company We Hear You, however, is opening new doors to accessibility solutions—literally.
We Hear You, which received recognition from Arch Grants in 2023, initially developed an AI-equipped American Sign Language Translator to provide ASL translation in public places. But the feedback from that experience inspired a new idea that would continue to dismantle accessibility hurdles: the Hero Door Opener.
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“Many people in the world struggle to open a door, whether it’s an aging population, immunocompromised individuals, or medical professionals pushing a gurney in a hospital,” CEO Pierre Paul says. “The problem is very widespread, and we feel that the Hero Door Opener will revolutionize accessibility.”
The product uses a fob-enabled door opener so users can open doors by just pushing a button. It’s lightweight, portable, and works with any conventional wall button. Users simply screw in a wall bracket that’s then mounted to their door and then slide the Hero onto the door. A separate device, the Push receiver, can also be attached to existing automatic doors to make them compatible with the Push Fob, as well as the Push Door Opener app that’s available for iOS or Android devices.
Parts for the Hero are assembled in St. Louis and California. It costs $1,750 for the Hero opener and $29 for the fob, while Paul says most automatic door openers are at least $3,000—not including electrical services to hardwire products. Individuals who purchase the product can also receive an Americans with Disabilities Act tax credit for a 50 percent reimbursement.
The idea for the product emerged while Paul was enrolled in a diversity, equity, and inclusion certification program through Cornell University. There, he met Carden Wyckoff—a woman with muscular dystrophy who hosts the podcast “Freewheelin with Carden.” Inspired by her story, Paul wanted to create an app or fob to open doors. With the help of a $100,000 grant from Arch Grants, staff were able to build the Hero and put it on the market.
The invention has attracted a number of partnerships, including a Wyndham affiliate hotel in West Virginia, as well as companies like Victoria’s Secret and several sports stadiums. In fact, the Push receiver was recently installed at Busch Stadium near Gate 2. We Hear You, which works out of T-REX downtown, is also partnering with Peter Berg, the head of accessibility at the University of Illinois Chicago’s campus, as well as the Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts, and St. Louis’ Starkloff Disability Institute, among other locations.
Over time, We Hear You hopes to continue finding new improvements for the Hero through user feedback. Paul says the company would like to expand its offerings by adding motion-detecting sensors to the Hero, which would help those who live in historic buildings where it’s difficult to alter infrastructure.
“We aren’t just building for the community, but with the community,” says Paul. “We are building with the community to make the world more accessible.”
