The Purple Pound Lost: The Economic Impact of Ignoring Disabled Access

How poor accessibility in toilets, bars, clubs, and restaurants costs billions while excluding disabled customers

By Sean Ash 

Across the UK and globally, businesses are losing billions every year by failing to offer accessible toilets and facilities for disabled people. According to Scope, disabled consumers in the UK alone control an annual spending power, known as the “purple pound,” worth approximately £274 billion. When businesses do not make their premises, including toilets, accessible, they shut out a significant portion of this spending power (Scope).


From personal experience, the impact of inaccessibility is immediate and obvious. On a recent visit to Deal, I found that many places lacked suitable disabled-accessible toilets or even basic step-free access, which put me off going altogether. Similarly, when visiting the West End, I found many clubs had stairs and no lifts, making them completely inaccessible and excluding me from taking part. The same is true for pubs, bars, and restaurants, which so often have steps at their entrances or toilets located down flights of stairs with no lift access. This means they are not only shutting me out as a customer, but also losing money from countless other disabled people who would otherwise visit and spend money.


According to the UK House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, specific retail sectors miss out on hundreds of millions of pounds each month. For example, supermarkets are estimated to lose around £501 million per month, high street shops approximately £267 million per month, and banks nearly £935 million per month because of barriers preventing disabled customers from using their services (UK Parliament Report, 2024).


Inaccessible toilets in particular continue to limit opportunities for disabled people to participate in society and the economy. According to the Changing Places Consortium, there are over 250,000 people in the UK who cannot use standard accessible toilets and require more fully equipped facilities, known as Changing Places toilets, which include adult-sized changing benches and hoists. The Guardian reported that the absence of such toilets forces many families to cut short outings, avoiding businesses altogether, which leads to lost revenue (The Guardian).


On a global scale, the financial consequences of inaccessibility are even more stark. According to an analysis published by Retail TouchPoints, businesses worldwide lose an estimated $6.9 billion each year due to inaccessible websites and apps alone, a figure that would likely grow even higher if physical barriers such as inaccessible toilets and building entrances were included (Retail TouchPoints).


The Times has also highlighted how disabled-led businesses face an estimated £230 billion in lost potential economic contributions to the UK because of wider accessibility barriers, including lack of toilet and building access (The Times).


In addition to financial loss, businesses that fail to provide suitable toilets risk legal complaints and reputational damage under the Equality Act 2010. According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, disabled customers have the right to expect reasonable adjustments, including accessible toilets.


Ultimately, failing to offer disabled-accessible toilets and step-free access does not just break the law, it pushes away loyal and willing customers like me. With a potential UK market worth £274 billion annually, ignoring accessibility is a business mistake that few can afford.


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