Purple Tuesday is a programme that encourages organisations to make changes to improve the customer experience for disabled people, 365 days a year. Organisations are asked to commit to making one small change, deliver and celebrate on Purple Tuesday which is held each November. I’m calling on Retford organisations to get involved in Purple Tuesday in 2021-2022, it may be that your organisation is already taking actions to improve the customer experience for disabled people. Purple Tuesday is an excellent platform to celebrate and promote those changes as well as providing support for your organisation. It’s free to register.
My son is disabled and uses a wheelchair, while access is pretty good in Retford town centre he sometimes struggles to manoeuvre around crowded shop displays, small steps are an issue for his wheelchair, tables in cafes can be too low. These are barriers which ultimately stop him from and us from entering a shop, venue or organisation. Therefore, those business are missing out on £274 billion of the purple pound, the spending power of disabled people in the UK.
There is already some excellent practice in Retford, Purple Tuesday is about shouting about it and building on it. Do your customers know you have a portable ramp? Do you have a chair for customers to sit on? Do you have quiet hours to support customers with sensory needs? Do you have plans to widen a door?
As a champion for fully accessible Changing Places toilets, I’m really proud Retford has a Changing Places toilet facility because I know it encourages visitors to our town which in turn benefits the local economy. And as we open up from the pandemic it’s really important how we welcome old and new visitors to our town. Making a small change can sometimes make a huge difference.
For more information about how you can get involved see www.purpletuesday.org.uk.
Retford Business Forum members are welcome to contact me by email to a_beevers@Btconnect.com. Please get in touch.
