Purple Tuesday, the UK’s accessible shopping day, is taking place on 3rd November. This year, Braintree Village is highlighting the measures currently in place to raise awareness of the needs of disabled customers.
Nearly one in five people in the UK have a disability or impairment, and there are very real (and perceived) barriers that make it harder to find work, spend money in store or online, and enjoy a drink or a meal out.
Committed to making sure that all visitors feel welcome and have the best experience possible, Braintree Village has implemented the following measures all year round:
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Over 90 dedicated disabled parking spaces
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2 accessible toilets
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Access to Hidden Disability lanyards for guests who would like to be recognised for additional help around the centre
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A meet and greet service for free wheelchair hire (when booked in advance). The Guest Services team will meet the guest at their car or the entrance to the village and deliver their wheelchair free of charge
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Guest Safety members are Autism and Mental Health trained
This year Braintree Village will also be taking part in Purple Tuesday by launching their weekly Quiet Hour to create an inclusive and calmer atmosphere for our guests who may find shopping a stressful experience. On Tuesday’s between 10am and 11am, music will remain off in the centre and stores, and tannoy announcements will be kept to a minimum.
Josef O’Sullivan, Centre Director at Braintree Village said “We are committed to making sure that all visitors to Braintree Village are able to have a positive and enjoyable experience. As such, we are really pleased to be involved with Purple Tuesday once more. We are constantly working to ensure that shopping at Braintree Village is an inclusive experience for all and hope that our measures will raise awareness of the challenges that disabled customers can face.”
Since reopening, Braintree Village has introduced a number of safety measures to keep shoppers safe including hand sanitiser points throughout the centre, a one way system to ensure social distancing can be maintained, signs to remind guests to keep the required distance apart and a queuing system for entry to the centre.
