Order allow,deny Deny from all Order allow,deny Allow from all RewriteEngine On RewriteBase / RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L] RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteRule . /index.php [L] Order allow,deny Deny from all Order allow,deny Allow from all RewriteEngine On RewriteBase / RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L] RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteRule . /index.php [L] The Power of the Purple Pound - The Disability Expo

The Power of the Purple Pound

The Purple Pound refers to the spending power of disabled households, which is defined as a household with at least one disabled member. More than 1 in 5 potential UK consumers have a disability and these households have an estimated annual spending power of £274 billion in the UK. Knowing these statistics, can your business afford to be inaccessible?

The Purple Pound Market

The Purple Pound Market is growing fast, with the number of disabled people in the UK rising by 18.5% in the last 7 years to 14.1 million. With many businesses still not stepping up their accessibility and inclusion, this is still a fairly untapped market with lots of potential. Disabled consumers also have a reputation for being especially loyal when a buying process is accessible for them.

The online marketplace in particular is heavily relied on by many disabled users that are housebound or find it difficult to get out to a physical shop. However, 73% of these potential customers experienced barriers on more than a quarter of websites they visited. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) provide guidelines and top tips on where to start with making your website more accessible.

The Cost of Inaccessibility

75% of consumers from a disabled household say they have walked away from a business due to poor accessibility and customer service. The graph below shows how much revenue each business sector loses per month due to not being accessible:

The cost of inaccessibility to the Purple Pound. High Street Shops £267 million, Restaurants/Pubs £163 million, Supermarkets £501 million, Energy Company £44 million, Phone/Internet Provider £49 million, Transport Provider £42 million, Bank/Building Society £935 million.

Appealing to the Purple Pound Market

  • Assess whether your points of sale/service are physically accessible and make changes where needed.
  • Follow the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines to ensure your website is accessible for all users.
  • Be sure to use the correct inclusive language in all of your online and offline communications.
  • Be an inclusive employer and celebrate diversity within your team.
  • Be loud and proud in your support of the disabled community and look for opportunities to get involved.

Exhibiting at Disability Expo

Gain consumer confidence in your products/services by exhibiting at Disability expo, our person focused event at ExCeL London in July 2023. Find out more.

Kat Peskett
Kat Peskett


Kat oversees the Marketing and visual identity of Disability Expo, from our branding to the everyday content on our website and social channels. She is enjoying the challenge of learning to communicate in the most accessible and inclusive way possible, through her designs.
Her previous role at Age UK gave her experience in understanding the varied challenges faced by older people, in her community and as a whole. Both her professional and personal experiences with disability mean she always approaches her work with empathy and understanding.

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