A new campaign to promote accessibility and inclusivity in UK shops and services has been launched today by the government.
Disability champions will be recruited for key sectors in business including retail, hospitality, sport, construction and manufacturing to promote the benefits of being inclusive to their own industries.
There are more than 11 million disabled people in the UK and the spending power of their households - ‘the purple pound’ - is £249 billion. The new champions will be recruited to demonstrate the business sense of making products and services available to a group of people who are regularly excluded from many shops, restaurants, bars and other public places.
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Penny Mordaunt, said:
“At this time of year, Christmas shopping, Christmas parties and meals out with friends and family should be something everyone can enjoy and it’s completely unacceptable that disabled people often miss out.
There are some great examples of inclusive businesses that are passionate about driving social change. That’s why I’m asking them to champion a war against inaccessibility, and encourage other businesses to benefit from the purple pound - the spending power of disabled people.
Increasing accessibility is the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense too."