Purple Tuesday: What could make shopping more accessible?
Purple Tuesday is a yearly day to highlight the
importance of seeing disabled people as a valued customer who should be able to
shop and spend their money like everyone else. Here is what the Purple Tuesday website says:
Across the UK, the Purple Pound – the consumer spending power of disabled people and their families – is worth £249 billion and is rising by an average of 14% per annum. Worldwide, the Purple Pound equates to a staggering £2.25 trillion, yet less than 10% of businesses have a targeted plan to access this disability market.
Purple Tuesday is about creating a step change improvement in the awareness of the value and needs of disabled customers. It is about making the customer experience accessible. Participating organisations will make public commitments (a minimum of one new activity or initiative) to ensure sustainable changes are made. For organisations, this will result in the opening up of products and services to the disability market.
Over the years I have experienced so many things that haven’t been accessible, even if this is just a lack of understanding from staff. However, I once had an incredibly positive experience where the member of staff asked if it would be beneficial to describe the clothes to me. As someone who is partially sighted and uses a long cane, I was blown away with this request. Here’s a video that BBC Radio Leeds made about my experiences.
Why isn’t this the norm? It’s disappointing that this kind of thing is such a novelty and that so much more work needs to be done.
Yesterday Hannah (@hdeakin) shared her inaccessible shopping experiences on the community.
What are your shopping experiences like? Do you find it accessible? What more could be done? Let us know in the comments below!
Comments
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I`m very fond of retail therapy! It makes me feel I am helping the local economy and very, very rarely shop on line. I like to get out into the community.
I`ve done all my Christmas present buying. I have made many, but the materials had to be sought. I love The Works..BUT it is a difficult shop to get round in a wheelchair. Likewise Card Factory...another shop I like to buy things in...Primark again...likewise.....these and other shop fill their aisles with extras at Christmas time. That`s why I like to get organised early.
If I cant get in a shop and I REALLY want something I cant get elsewhere, my carer will go in for me. But why should these shops bar me and other wheelchair users? They don't deserve my money.
As is said in the above article, some shop assistants...a lot really....go out of their way to get me the things I cant reach or find.
Purple Tuesday? I didn't know it was happening. I went out last Tuesday, shopping and never saw a sign or poster about it.
Do the shops know about it? We need to send them information, so they can promote it. It`s no good shouting about the troubles we have accessing what we need, if no-one has been told beforehand.
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as with others, I am all done for my Xmas shop apart from my other half it's just not feasible to wait until December as I know I won't be able to access stores to be able to get anything.
What would be most helpful os if they had a few hours a week some during the day some in the evenings that they set aside as quite or disability hours where they shut the store to able-bodied shoppers to make it easier for disabled shoppers to be able to get into, around and attract required assistance to be able to experience the joy of the Christmas shop but also normal weekly shopping the rest of the year.
Things like access to toilets, I have continence issues so wear nappies when out of the house unless 100% sure I know where the toilets are and I can access them - being able to change my nappy when needed the store I'm in rather than having to travel through the shopping/town centre to find an public toilet or even worse stay in my mess till I can get home - would also help people with Crohn's or similar.
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Levelled entrances. I have written about this before but we really need to focus on this issue. The shops in town including the local supermarket are easy to access even if there are stairs inside. In town, there is a McDonalds that is on the high street. It is easy to access.
But this is a area that needs improvement. There is work to be done. Older shops could really do with a makeover. And I think that we need to basically push. I was in a shop yesterday afternoon and I paid attention to the layout of the store. It was quite narrow. -
Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts on this! Some really interesting suggestions!Scope
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During today`s retail trip, the store assistant in Superdrug had to move display stands so I could get round. He was lovely about it.
In M&S there is a notice on the disabled toilet door `NOT ALL DISABILITIES ARE VISIBLE`.
We`re getting there!
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Can we ban all of ths numptys who park in blue bays without a blue badge and rude ignorant people who shout at you if they dont think you "look disabled"? I would be more inclined to go out if i wasnt subject to verbal abuse and hostility.
More disabled parking space actually on the high street not just in carparks would be great so we could access all the shops not just shopping malls and supermarkets.
Could larger shops have a few seats dotted around the shop floor for those of us who can walk a short distance but need to make frequent stops. -
I have a blue badge and am a full time wheelchair user, so also have a large notice on the rear window of my WAV asking people not to park too lose, or I cant get in/out. Not many oblige.
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please read my new post `wonderful interest/accessibility`
thanks x
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