Access To The High Street – What Do You Want To Ask MPs?

This Wednesday, BBS representatives are going to be attending an All Party Parliamentary Group, at Portcullis House, looking into access to the high street for young disabled people.

The APPG has been set up in the wake of a recent report from Trailblazers, named Short Changed, which came up with many interesting points about what high streets are doing right and what they’re doing wrong when it comes to disabled access. They found that there are some pretty serious questions to be answered about accessing the high street and this APPG represents a superb chance to do just that and grill MPs and a panel of industry insiders about these issues. And we’re invited.

Short Changed confirmed what we have long thought; disabled people, young and old, are being let down when it comes to equally accessing high street shops. Disabled people contribute £80 billion to the UK economy per year and since the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 it has been illegal for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably than any other customers. However, in practice this is often not the case. For instance, more than two-thirds or young disabled people surveyed by Trailblazers have been unable to access parts of an establishment owing to broken or faulty equipment and seventy percent said there was inadequate information about access on websites. On top of that, Short Changed found that only half of clothing retailers had accessible changing rooms. This is simply not good enough and we’re looking forward to getting the chance to ask MPs and industry insiders what they’re going to do about it.

Following the launch of Trailblazers report Short Changed at the start of the year the APPG was announced to discuss the report’s findings and Trailblazers asked BBS founder, Fiona Jarvis, to attend the meeting. Although not exactly belonging to the target age group for the APPG Fiona will bring a lot of experience and expert knowledge to proceedings and provide an extra, perhaps more mature, view on the issues to be discussed. But she also wants to use this opportunity to get across the views and questions of the entire Blue Badge Style community.

This APPG is a chance to let politicians and high street leaders know what they’re doing well and what they need to improve when it comes to accessibility. It would be a chance wasted if we didn’t ask you what you think and give everybody an opportunity to have their voice heard. So if you have any thoughts on accessing the high street – positive or negative (just not expletive) – then let us know and Fiona will endeavour to get everyone’s views across at the meeting. It’s rare that we get a chance to directly speak to difference makers so let’s make the most of it!