07 Sep Basildon Council creating accessible retail for customers with disabilities
Representatives from our disabled community and related organisations were given an update on the new progress of the Inclusive Basildon Borough Scheme over a Zoom call this week with Basildon Council and Perito Ltd, who are specialists in inclusive environments.
The Inclusive Basildon Borough Project was launched by Basildon Council in January 2020, with the aim of making the borough more inclusive and accessible while also creating greater economic opportunities for businesses and organisations to unlock the purple pound.
As part of the project, an Accreditation Scheme has been designed to help tap into the economic power of shoppers who might not have the confidence or be able to fully access the borough’s high streets and businesses. It features a five level membership scheme that businesses and organisations can join which will help them on the journey to become more inclusive and accessible. In turn, it lets customers know where they can find various forms of greater accessibility in the retail market.
As well as the accreditation scheme, an app pilot is also currently being trialled. The app functions as a customer-service tool designed to help businesses provide a more tailored customer-service experience for disabled visitors by being able to prepare for their visit in advance of their arrival.
Chairman of the Housing and Communities Committee, Councillor Kerry Smith, said: “The Inclusive Basildon Borough Project aims to help create a place for everyone and some of our disabled community are telling us they are still nervous going out to public areas, like shopping centres, because they are unsure of what services are on offer from businesses.
“I’m heartened by the progress we’ve made so far in establishing the accreditation scheme and plans for the app which will create the opportunity for people to inform a business about their needs in advance of them visiting. We hope this will reassure people and give them more confidence about what to expect when they want to go shopping or visit our town centres”.
You can find out more about the Inclusive Basildon Borough project at www.inclusivebasildonborough.co.uk
