Purple Reach

Home
United Kingdom
Norwich
Purple Reach

Purple Reach is a Norfolk based disability consultancy that believes in the social model of disability.

Purple Reach is a disability consultancy service working with businesses and the community to make the world more inclusive and to enable disabled people to achieve their potential. We are here to work with businesses and third sector organisations to help them better their understanding of disability. Purple Reach is here to help you through services including: Consultancy, Training, Mystery Shopping and Access Auditing.

04/09/2026

Today is World Sexual Health Day.

Sexual health services should be accessible to everyone, but disabled people can still face additional barriers when trying to access healthcare.

Sometimes that’s a physical barrier, such as not being able to access the building or an examination room.

Other times, it might be information that isn’t available in an accessible format, or assumptions being made about somebody because they’re disabled.

And these things matter.

Accessibility needs to be considered across every part of healthcare, including the areas we might find a little more difficult to talk about.

Image: 5 medical professionals - at the front one medical professional is a man and is wearing a white coat and is holding a clipboard, there are 2 other people stood either side of him and have their arms crossed. Behind the medical professionals at the front are 2 other people - one is wearing green scrubs and is pulling on surgical gloves and the other is wearing green, has a face mask and is holding a syringe. In the background is a the outline of a globe.

03/09/2026

When was the last time accessibility came up in your staff training?

Not because something had gone wrong or somebody had raised an issue, but simply as part of how you do things?

That’s where we’d like accessibility to sit.

At Purple Reach, we deliver disability equality and accessibility training to help organisations better understand some of the barriers disabled people can face.

You don’t need your team to know absolutely everything.

It’s about giving people more understanding and confidence so that when somebody does need support or asks for an adjustment, they feel better prepared to have that conversation.

If accessibility training is something your organisation could benefit from, get in touch with Purple Reach.

Image: Tom is a man who is smiling directly at the camera. Tom is wearing glasses and has a beard. Tom's image is in a round frame which has a purple border. To the left and just above the image of Tom is a purple pattern. On the right hand side of tom are the words " is accessibility part of your staff training?" and just underneath the words is the text "training that helps your business become more exclusive".

02/09/2026

September is Urology Awareness Month

Bladder problems, kidney conditions and incontinence affect millions of people, but they’re still things we don’t tend to talk about very openly.

And that can make managing them at work even harder.

Something as simple as needing to use the toilet more frequently can become stressful if someone feels they have to explain themselves every time they leave their desk.

Having clean, accessible toilets nearby, allowing time for medical appointments and being understanding when somebody needs to step away unexpectedly can all make a difference.

Sometimes accessibility really does come down to creating a workplace where people don’t feel embarrassed about asking for what they need.

Image: person wearing blue medical gloves. One hand is holding the model of the inside of a kidney and the other hand is holding a pen and pointing at the model. The person is also wearing a white medical coat and a stethoscope around their neck.

31/08/2026

Throughout August, we’ve talked about:

- Welcoming assistance dog users
- Opportunities for young disabled people
- Inclusive emergency and evacuation planning
- The importance of staff understanding accessibility
- Why a lack of complaints does not necessarily mean there are no barriers

Accessibility is not limited to one policy, one department or one awareness day.

It is reflected in the everyday decisions an organisation makes and in what happens when a disabled person tries to use its services.

If any of this month’s posts have made you question how accessibility is approached within your organisation, Purple Reach can help.

Visit www.purplereach.co.uk to learn more.

Image: purple background. In the centre is the text "August at Purple Reach". Just above the text is the Purple reach logo.

28/08/2026

When a disabled person cannot access your organisation, you do not only lose one customer, employee or participant.

You may also lose their trust, their recommendation and the opportunity to understand what needs to change.

Inaccessibility can also create complaints, reputational damage and legal risk.
Purple Reach helps organisations identify barriers before they become bigger problems. Through training, consultancy and accessibility support, we help teams build their knowledge and make informed changes.

If you are unsure where the gaps are, that is a good place to begin.
Visit www.purplereach.co.uk to find out more.

Image: Tom is a man who is looking directly at the camera and is smiling. Tom has a beard, is wearing glasses and a blue shirt. The photograph of Tom is inside a circle frame with a white border and is against a purple background. Underneath the image of Tom is the text "what could accessibility be costing your organisation?"

26/08/2026

On International Dog Day, we’re recognising the assistance dogs whose work enables many disabled people to live more independently.

When an assistance dog is working, there are a few simple things to remember:

- Speak to the handler rather than the dog
- Do not distract, call or feed the dog
- Do not assume the dog must wear a particular type of jacket
- Ask the handler if you are unsure how you can help
- Make sure staff understand how “no dogs” policies apply to assistance dogs

A well-trained team can make the difference between someone being welcomed and someone having to explain or defend their right to access a service.

Image: photograph of a golden Labrador laying on grass, there is a tennis ball just directly in front of the dog. in the top left hand corner of the photograph is the text "happy international dog day" there is a purple background around the text.

25/08/2026

Is your organisation accessible - or are you sitting there thinking, “Do you know what? I’m not actually sure.”

It isn’t always easy to know where barriers might exist, particularly if nobody has raised an issue with you.

Accessibility can cover many different areas, from the way information is shared and how staff communicate to the physical environment and the adjustments available.

Taking some time to look at your current services and processes can help you understand what is already working and where changes might be helpful.

Purple Reach provides training and support informed by lived experience, helping organisations understand accessibility and feel more confident about what to consider.

Visit www.purplereach.co.uk to book a discovery call.

Image: Tom is a man who is looking directly at the camera and smiling. Tom has a beard and wears glasses. To the left hand side of the photograph of Tom is a purple panel with the words "How accessible is your organisation?"

21/08/2026

“We know we need to improve accessibility, but we don’t know where to start.”

It is something many organisations struggle with.

Accessibility covers more than the physical entrance to a building. It can include communication, events, recruitment, customer service, emergency planning, digital information and the way staff respond to disabled people.

Purple Reach can help you identify where the barriers may be and decide which areas need attention.

You do not need to have all the answers before asking for support.

Visit www.purplereach.co.uk to find out how we work with businesses, education providers and community organisations.

Image: Purple background with the image of a man with a beard smiling at the camera. The man is wearing a headset with a microphone and is wearing a shirt and tie. Underneath the image in a white panel are the words "want to improve accessibility but not sure where to start?"

19/08/2026

World Humanitarian Day recognises the people providing vital support during emergencies and humanitarian crises.

Disabled people can face additional risks during a crisis when emergency information, transport, shelters and evacuation arrangements are inaccessible.

Planning cannot begin after an emergency has already happened.

Disabled people and organisations representing them need to be included when emergency responses are designed. Information must be available in accessible formats, and plans must consider a range of physical, sensory, cognitive and communication needs.

An emergency response is not inclusive if some people cannot access it.

Image: photograph of hands all holding a model of the earth in their hands. There are green shoots of grass around some of the hands. Beneath the image is a yellow panel with the words "world humanitarian day" in purple writing.

17/08/2026

Disability awareness training should help your team deal with real situation - not simply give them another certificate to file away.

Purple Reach’s training helps organisations understand:

- The barriers disabled people may experience
- Their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010
- How to communicate respectfully
- How to respond to requests for adjustments
- How everyday processes can unintentionally exclude people

Our work is informed by lived experience as well as professional knowledge.

If your organisation wants to improve its understanding of disability and accessibility, visit www.purplereach.co.uk to see how we can help.

Image: Photograph of 2 women, one has long blonde hair and the other has short dark hair, is wearing glasses and has a scarf, there is also the side profile of a man wearing glasses and they are all looking at something on a table top, just in shot is also another person's hand. underneath the image in a purple panel are the words "Does your accessibility training work in real life?"

Address

Norwich

Website

http://www.purplereach.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Purple Reach posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Health & Beauty Business in Norwich?