Purple Tuesday is an annual awareness day focused on highlighting the difficulties disabled citizens experience when navigating our public spaces, the urgent need for more accessible shopping and service environments, and the opportunity that the built environment industry has responded.
Michelle, a wheelchair user, and Alan, who is neurodivergent, have shared their first-hand experience of navigating public spaces and transport systems that don’t accommodate their needs. Their story highlights how better design and inclusivity can make a tangible difference to the lives of millions.
Their insights are part of a larger conversation sparked by The Crown Estate and Grosvenor’s new report, Inclusive Spaces and Places: A Collaborative Approach to Inclusive Design, which calls for industry-wide action to improve accessibility in the built environment. The Crown Estate is also an official Purple Tuesday supporter.
Michelle and Alan’s story: facing daily challenges with accessibility and independence
I’m Michelle, a wheelchair user, and my partner Alan has neurodivergent traits. We try to manage our lives as best we can, but we face many daily challenges with accessibility.
Everyday things tend to be more difficult for us – even seemingly simple acts like getting on the bus can be challenging, as public transport doesn’t easily accommodate wheelchairs.
Disability can also be very expensive. Many items labelled for disabled people have vastly inflated prices, meaning we battle to get basic access to things that many people take for granted. My wheelchair cost £6,000 alone.
We live in Roehampton, near Richmond, and there are only a handful of places within this area that are truly wheelchair accessible. That level of isolation would be unacceptable for most people, but that’s just how we have to operate.
Going out in central London is generally tricky because it ends up being so much hassle – often, the stress of navigating places that aren’t designed for people with disabilities often makes us question if it’s even worth going out.
Sometimes, it feels like being treated as second-class citizens. We can’t do a lot of things independently because we need each other to get places or navigate public transport. This takes away from both of our levels of independence.
Those without disabilities don’t realise how much it affects your everyday life. It’s so important for buildings to be inclusive and for people to understand what this really means, not just to try and tick boxes that make them seem accessible for everyone.
This is a large part of why we wanted to get involved in The Crown Estate and Grosvenor’s Inclusive Spaces and Places report, which is trying to make buildings and the wider urban environment more accessible and inclusive for everyone. It’s been a refreshing experience to work with organisations that listen to lived experiences and are concerned about the difficulties we face daily.
As part of the report, Grosvenor and The Crown Estate worked with AccessAble and the Sociability App, which helps to provide pre-arrival information so people like us can know what to expect when we visit a place we’ve not been before. It means we can travel to new places in the confidence that our needs will be met.
This is great, as this information isn’t usually readily available, so we never know how accessible buildings will be in reality. Some places claim they are accessible, but they’re not – like coffee shops where we have to move tables and chairs to get across the floor or where doorways are too narrow for a wheelchair altogether.
It’s not all bad news, though – some UK tourist attractions are leading the way in terms of accessibility, which we can all look to as examples. The Tate Modern, for instance, is a place that’s really accessible compared to other galleries. Legoland is another good example of an attraction that caters to our needs, with larger entrances and systems to help people skip long queues if they can’t stand for extended periods.
Similarly, some supermarkets like Sainsbury’s and Lidl have wide aisles that make shopping much easier. These design aspects seem small, but they give you true confidence in the space.
Retailers and businesses need to listen to those who actually face these issues every single day and not just do the bare minimum required to meet standards.
Getting involved in this report has been a positive experience for us. The Crown Estate and Grosvenor took those with lived experiences, like us, on a site tour around spaces to get our opinions on current accessibility levels and where things could be improved. They took notes and listened to our suggestions, such as using different colours to label spaces for people with dyslexia. They are actually listening to our needs, and that makes a big difference. We also have another project coming up soon with them, where we’ll be looking at accessibility in shops.
Ultimately, it’s our belief that everyone needs to take responsibility, from those who design our buildings to those who occupy them, to make sure everyone feels confident to enjoy both public and private spaces. We’re looking forward to continuing to support Grosvenor and The Crown Estate to remove these barriers and create spaces that are welcoming instead of isolating.
Advancing accessibility this Purple Tuesday: building an inclusive future for all
Debbie Clark, Director of Thriving Communities at The Crown Estate, agrees: “Limited accessibility impacts a staggering portion of the population, with one in four of the UK’s 67 million people living with a disability and thousands more facing temporary mobility challenges each year. Despite this, Michelle and Alan’s story shows that access has long been viewed as an optional feature amongst many built environment decision-makers and too often still is.
“To ensure that we’re on a path to changing this, one of the most tangible shifts that need to occur at the outset of the design process – engaging the end user from the beginning, placing lived experiences at the heart of inclusive design. Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought, which is why we’re encouraging industry participation to drive collaboration and change.
“We have a long way to go – both as an industry and within each of our own portfolios – but this is a significant step towards creating an environment which truly prioritises accessibility.”
Amelia Bright, Executive Director of the London Estate at Grosvenor, adds: “When we started investigating the issue of accessibility and inclusion in the built environment, we found many barriers, but also a groundswell of interest in solutions.
“Working with innovators and those with lived experience, we’re proud that the recommendations in this report and working group have already gained the backing of so many in the industry. This is an important step in delivering on our commitments to support community wellbeing and business growth, which will help our buildings and spaces become more welcoming and successful long term.”
Purple Tuesday is being celebrated on Tuesday 12th November 2024. Find out about how you can get involved at the Purple Tuesday website.