Shops Need ‘Mindset Change’ On Disabled Access

Millions of pounds a month are lost by UK shops and businesses because they are not accessible to people with disabilities, according to an awareness campaign.

Purple Tuesday, which says a “mindset change” is needed, is urging retailers to consider new ways of improving inclusion such as adapting sensory experiences for neurodivergent people.

Some 16 million people in the UK have a disability, and 90% of disabled people found their shopping experience was affected by a lack of accessibility, according to the Business Disability Forum.

Mike Adams, the founder of Purple Tuesday, says retailers and others who offer services need to make changes to the way they operate to attract disabled shoppers.

Purple Tuesday trains businesses and organisations to improve their accessibility and inclusion standards in shops, restaurants and public spaces.

Campaigners gathered in Piccadilly Circus in central London to watch the screens turn purple to celebrate Purple Tuesday, which is also marked in several other countries.

Mr Adams told BBC London: “In terms of the disability population, wheelchair users comprise 8%.

“So we need to think about how businesses can support the other 92% – people with mental health, neurodiversity, long-term health conditions – where some of the accessibility changes that are required aren’t physical ramps and lifts but are more mindset changes that actually cost very little or nothing.”

Jamie Kerroosh, chief healthcare officer at Boots’ Piccadilly shop, said the health and beauty retailer had partnered with Purple Tuesday in the past year to make improvements to increase accessibility.

He told BBC London: “We have done British Sign Language training for all of our colleagues – 52,000 people now with a bit more ability to talk to all of our customers, just simple phrases but still showing a warmer welcome.

“We have partnered with Purple to work on some inclusive packaging.

“That means for those customers that have got either physical challenges or those neurodivergent customers, we now have a bit more understanding through some research we did with Purple on how we can make opening products, using products a little bit easier.”

Purple Tuesday, which is in its eighth year, said research from the University of Bristol and the Money Advice Trust revealed the combined spending power of disabled households in the UK is £446bn a year.

Government research published in July on the accessibility of private-sector products and services for disabled people in the UK found that 88% of people with disabilities had to use workaround solutions, external or compromises when accessing retail businesses.

The Business Disability Forum said in its response to the research that businesses “are putting up barriers which prevent more disabled people spending more money with them”.

The advocacy group added: “Adjustments and accessibility here are really about removing a difficulty which gets in the way of someone spending money with a business.

“If the legal and moral case that every human being is valuable and of equal worth in society doesn’t land with businesses, the profit case certainly should.