Access Information
Giving people the information they need to decide whether a location is accessible for them can change people’s lives. Information is power, for everyone, but especially those with disabilities.
Benefits
In the UK, the spending power of disabled people and their households (the accessibility market), known as the purple pound, is worth £249bn
The over 50s, also known as the ‘grey pound‘, is worth over £320 billion a year to the UK economy
UK businesses are missing out on £1.8bn of lost revenue each month by ignoring the needs of disabled customers
Bad customer experience is costing UK companies £37bn per year in lost revenue
Globally, the accessible tourism market alone is an emerging market the size of China, with over 2.2 billion people (people with a disability and their immediate families)
This equates to annual spending power worth over £5.5 trillion
Over 50s account for a third of the population and half of all consumer expenditure. They hold 80% of all personal wealth and control 70% of all disposable income. Yet a mere 5% of all ad spend is directed at the over 50s. They understand marketing, they’re loyal, they have the cash and they want to spend it.
Disability:
There are nearly 14 million disabled people in the UK
- Approximately only 8% of disabled use a wheelchair
Elderly:
Over 50s account for 35% of the UK population
- This figure expected to grow to 50% in the next 5 years
- 18% of the population are over 65 (expected to increase to 25% in the next 20 years)
- this increased by 15% from 16.6 million in 1996
Why is being accessible great for your business?
Being accessible and inclusive means catering for all needs. Whilst this is not always possible, providing clear and accurate information means customers can make informed decisions about visiting your location. Even if there are some accessibility limitations to your location, awareness of these issues will encourage customers to visit your business and build trust and transparency between you and your customers.This can help avoid creating bad customer experiences and is a critical part of any successful marketing strategy. Not only is providing the right information the socially responsible thing to do to ensure you do not discriminate, as the statistics show, it is a great way to engage with all your potential customers.A recent survey by an accessibility charity found that:
– 95% of respondents said they try to find access information prior to visiting a venue– 86% have found a venue’s website information to be misleading, confusing or inaccurate– 92% when thinking about accessibility, say that they do not feel very confident about visiting new placesHow to make your destination more accessible & inclusive
We hope this provides a basic understanding around inclusion, the customer demand for improved information on accessibility, and some of the financial benefits involved. the next question is.If you’re interested in starting this journey, why not review the accessibility of your venue with a structured audit/survey. The gathered data can then be developed into a multi-format access guide to improve customer experience and boost your revenue.At any stage of your business journey, whether it is your first steps into being inclusive or if you want to enhance what great accessibility information you already have, then get in touch today!