The social model
Purple Pin adopts the social model of disability.
Many of the barriers to access and inclusion faced by disabled people are created by society and can be reduced or removed by society.
Disabilities may be visible or non-visible.
Most venues and events present potential barriers to access and inclusion that are not always visible.
We work with employers and service providers to identify and remove barriers, creating more accessible and inclusive spaces.
The Purple Pound
The 'Purple Pound' is the potential spending power of disabled people in the UK.
With some 16 million people in the UK having some form of disability, research from the University of Bristol and the Money Advice Trust estimates that the Purple Pound may be worth as much as £446bn per year.
Retail and hospitality sectors are missing out on a significant additional revenue stream if they fail to make disabled customers (and their friends and families) feel welcome and included.
The legal landscape
The UN Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities is an international agreement by member states “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity” (Article 1).
The Convention includes the right to access, on an equal basis, the physical environment and information (Article 9).
The UK ratified (agreed to abide by) the Convention in 2009.
In 2010, the Equality Act replaced the Disability Discrimination Act as legislation in England and Wales to protect people with ‘protected characteristics’ (including disabled people) from discrimination.
In relation to the protected characteristic of disability, employers and service providers are under a duty to make ‘reasonable’ adjustments to prevent putting disabled people at a substantial disadvantage (s.20).
Conducting an access audit is recognised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission as a measure that constitutes good practice in terms of compliance with employer and service provider duties under the Equality Act.
A design and access statement (DAS) is required in order for most applications for planning permission and listed building consent to be valid.
New buildings, extensions and material alterations to existing buildings need to comply with the requirements of Part M of the Building Regulations.
National Planning Policy Guidance provided in PPG15 recognises that disabled people should have dignified easy access to and within historic buildings. When considering “proposals affecting heritage assets”, planning authorities are required to consider the relative significance of the asset, the level of any harm that might be caused and the public benefit of any proposed works (NPPF, 2024).
Effective integration of inclusive design also needs to be considered when creating or reviewing policies and strategies for compliance and risk management in relation to the Health and Safety, Occupiers' Liability and Fire Safety legislation.
Guidance and good practice
British Standards (BS8300 and PAS6463) provide guidance and recommendations on how buildings and the external environment can be designed , built and managed to achieve an inclusive environment.
Further site specific guidance is also provided by governing and public bodies such as Sport England, Historic England, the Arts Council, and AUDE.
The RIBA Inclusive Design Overlay provides best practice guidance on the integration of inclusive design practice from the outset of any building design process.