Owners of small businesses and high street shops are at risk of alienating disabled customers because they are failing to upgrade essential information, leading charities have warned.
SMEs are being urged to ensure their online accessibility guides are up to date so they do not neglect custom from the “purple pound” – the term given to the collective spending power of disabled households.
It is free for most businesses to update such information, which allows shoppers to plan their visit and know whether the location meets their specific needs.
Disabled households have a combined estimated contribution to the economy of more than £440bn per year, yet some are put off from visiting businesses or making shopping trips because they do not know if they will be able to access it.
With high streets struggling as businesses face increased rates, higher energy bills and increased hiring costs, guidance organisation AccessAble is encouraging businesses to create and update their own guides to include information about step-free access, as well as communication support, domestic abuse safe spaces and British Sign Language interpreters.
Nationwide has partnered with AccessAble to become the first major UK banking provider to publish detailed access guides of every branch and has called on other British firms to do likewise.
The building society expects guides for all its branches to be live by the end of May, with Virgin Money branches following by the end of the year.
“While there is no single solution to accessibility, ensuring people can easily find out whether they can enter your premises is about as straightforward as it gets. Start with sharing the facts,” said Nationwide’s director of retail Stephen Noakes.
Data from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC) found that 82 per cent of disabled people cite missing accessibility details as the biggest barrier to assessing whether a trip to a particular business would be problematic. Some 79 per cent said they struggled to judge the accessibility of a service in advance.
The charity Euan’s Guide allows firms to list their accessibility reports for free. CEO Antonia Lee-Bapty says it offers a straightforward way around the problem for those who need to know in advance, as well as for businesses to bring in additional customers.
“The solution is remarkably simple: 85 per cent of disabled people state that clear, accurate access information is the single most effective way to reduce this ‘time tax’,” she said.
“If you have a physical premises and a website, you must talk about your access online so people know what to expect. We are delighted to hear that Nationwide is leading the way by publishing disability access guides for their locations — a move we encourage all high street businesses to follow.”
Dr Gregory Burke, founder of AccessAble, added: “Clear, detailed accessibility information should be regarded as a basic consumer right, giving disabled people the confidence to plan and supporting dignity and independence – an approach we have developed over 25 years in collaboration with more than 1,500 groups of disabled people.
“Nationwide’s commitment to publish our detailed access guides for every branch is a significant step forward. The important next step for businesses is to ensure that accessibility information is also accurate, consistent and trustworthy.”