About

Purple Tuesday 2021 is a change programme for organisations of all sizes from all sectors to get involved in, with the common goal of improving the customer experience for disabled people 365 days a year.

In the UK alone, the #PurplePound – the spending power of disabled people and their families – is worth a staggering £274 billion and is estimated to be rising by 14% per year, yet less than 10% of organisations have a targeted plan to access the disability market. This is not only a huge frustration for disabled people, but is also a huge missed opportunity for organisations who could be benefiting both socially and commercially by accessing the disability market.

#PurpleTuesday 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.

 Call to Action

Over 2,000 organisations have already committed to improving the customer experience for disabled people. Register your organisation to join us on this journey and celebrate your commitment to change on 2 November 2021.

Ideas of what businesses can do

Undertake an access audit of premises and services

Undertake an access audit of premises and services to identify the barriers disabled customers might face and what can be done to improve access and their experiences

Complete an Online Accessibility Audit

To identify where you can make improvements on your website to improve online accessibility

Provide customer service training

For your staff through face-to-face, online or blended forms of delivery to help your staff confidently communicate with disabled people, without fear of unintentionally offending them

Training and awareness

To help your staff to understand various types of disabilities, including those which are hidden or invisible

British Sign Language

Training your staff to learn some key words and phrases in British Sign Language to enable basic conversation with customers who use this as their main form of communication

Formalising quiet hours

To support customers who may have sensory and cognitive needs such as Autism and Dementia, ensuring all usual loud noises are either reduced or removed during this period, such as till beeping and music

Sign up your Eastbourne area business and let’s put the Eastbourne business community on the map!  Whatever the size of your business please join the Eastbourne access group, the Beacon centre and other organizations to make 2 November 2021 a success. Please let the access group know when you sign up!

Email admin@eastbourneaccessgroup.org.uk or contact us on facebook. To sign up for FREE please go to:

https://purpletuesday.org.uk/get-involved/register-to-participate/

Follow progress for the event on Eastbourne access group social media and the list of UK and local participants at:

https://purpletuesday.org.uk/supporters/participants/

To follow local updates on Eastbourne sign up see:

Twitter: @EastbourneGroup

Instagram: eastbourneaccessgroup

Facebook: Eastbourne Access Group