Maximising Your Markets
Organisations that understand the impact of disability on their customers will reach a wider market. A UK survey found that a staggering 83% of people with disability had avoided a business, having been unable or unwilling to make a purchase. Common factors included inaccessible premises, rude or prejudiced staff and poorly designed products.
Businesses that fail to make their products and services accessible to people with disability, or don’t build their expertise in welcoming customers with disability, risk missing out on a great deal of business. Apart from the 20% of Australians who have a disability, family members, friends and colleagues will also avoid businesses that are not accessible. Research conducted by Tourism Queensland indicated that the majority of people with disability travel with between two and five others and, on average, 80 to 90% of all travel by people with disability is with a partner and/or family and friends. Accessible products, services and premises as well as appropriate customer service for people with disability have a substantial flow-on effect.
An Access Economics report forecasting consumer trends from 2001 to 2011 predicted that mature consumers are the largest growth market in Australia, accounting for half of all growth in retail spending in the decade. It’s clear that mature consumers are more likely to have higher disposable incomes, and statistics show they are also more likely to have a disability. The rate of disability increases to over 56% by age 65. If your business wants to tap into this lucrative customer base, it has to be accessible.
Westpac provides customers who are deaf with the opportunity to have an accredited sign language (Auslan) interpreter present in any face-to-face conversations at all Westpac branches nationally, free of charge.