#PurpleTuesday and our commitment to improving accessibility

2nd November 2021

Today is #PurpleTuesday, a day which looks to improve awareness of the value and needs of disabled customers. It is a celebration of the  #PurplePound; the fact that disabled people put £274 billion into the economy each year. Showing our support and appreciation for our disabled customers, some of whom are also patients in our care, is of huge importance to us as a hospice.

We appreciate that, like many organisations, there is more we can do to improve accessibility in our charity shops both for people with visible and hidden disabilities. Starting with our brand-new superstore – The Warehouse – we have set out measures to ensure that everyone, including those with disabilities, have a positive shopping experience.

The Warehouse will have disabled parking bays, a ramp entrance, spacious changing room, disabled toilet and low level, ground floor shopping. We have also consulted with our Admiral Nurse Clinical Lead to ensure the shop is suitable for customers with dementia. From his feedback and Alzheimer’s UK guidance, we have included neutral flooring, clear signage and free ‘Dementia Friends’ training for all staff and volunteers.

As a ‘Disability Confident Employer,’ we have adapted our recruitment process to make it more accessible for those with disabilities. This includes a subtitled induction.

We appreciate that some of our older charity shops don’t match these high standards of accessibility, but we pledge to use insight and feedback from opening The Warehouse to advise future charity shop accessibility decisions.

Find our more about The Warehouse at www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/warehouse-announcement and email any feedback to [email protected].

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