Include Me is an approach to making Coventry and the wider West Midlands region an exemplar city for engaging disabled people and people with long term health conditions to be physically active.
As a council, and as part of our One Coventry way of working, we’ve been looking at how we can improve the way people with disabilities can engage with the services we offer.
We’ve been thinking about how we work together as individuals, teams and services across the whole of the Council, as well as with our partners and communities, to ensure the right support is available.
We have created specific programmes, with people with disabilities at the centre of these to ensure that through our One Coventry approach, our residents are getting the very best that the city can offer.
Staying active at home
Here are some links to ideas to help you enjoy being active at home:
- Activity Alliance - get active at home [http://www.activityalliance.org.uk/get-active/at-home]
- Sport England - Join the Movement [https://www.sportengland.org/jointhemovement?section=get_active_at_home]
Disability Shopping Charter
A new Disability Shopping Charter to recognise the importance and needs of customers with disabilities launched in Coventry in 2019.
The Disability Equality Action Partnership (DEAP) constituted by the Council, which is made up of the Council and disability organisations, universities, schools and colleges and individuals with disability. The DEAP has teamed up with the Business Improvement District (BID), have teamed up to improve access and shopping experience in the city centre for those with disability.
The Charter outlines commitments including recognising the ‘purple pound’ as a valuable source of income to the shops; introducing personal shoppers and staff training where possible; accessible toilets in stores with automatic pushbuttons, sliding doors and signposting; and disability logo stickers at the entrance of shops to offer a welcoming experience.
The initiative is for businesses to acknowledge how they currently support disabled people of all ages with both visible and non-visible disabilities, and how they can assist even further.
The aim is not only to improve awareness among retailers of the difficulties faced by disabled shoppers, but to also reinforce the message that they are fully committed to putting in any measures that are both practical and possible to improve access, freedom, and inclusion to city centre shopping. While it is not a compulsory measure for all businesses to comply with the charter, many recognise that their actions are advantageous to their business in attracting more disabled customers.
Disability Shopping Charter
All people with a disability have the right to visit and shop in Coventry, and access and support businesses in the city. After gathering information from a variety of groups, organisations and individuals with disabilities, it is evident that now is the time to do more. The common aim is to ensure the freedom and inclusion of all persons with disability across our city.
We encourage to/and:
- Recognise that the Purple £ is a valuable source of income to shops.
- Personal shoppers and staff training to assist disabled persons, including deaf awareness and sign language skills with displayed signs will be available where it can.
- Encourage shops to provide seating.
- Wider access for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
- Self-service area’s readily adaptable for wheelchair and mobility scooter with lowered counters or available assistance with packing.
- Recognition that all disabilities are not obvious, including deafness and neuro-disabilities such as autism. Offering help if someone is struggling.
- Accessible toilets in stores with automatic push buttons or sliding doors and signposting.
- Shop mobility scooters readily available in supermarkets and big stores, automatic doors and ramps provided where they can.
- Disability logo stickers at the entrance of the shop to offer a welcoming experience.
- Helpdesks and assistance bells available at shop entrance(s) for help opening doors where they can.
- Accessibility for the visually impaired:
- Clear, bold, large signs.
- Trip and bump hazards highlighted
- Availability of large print menus and receipts.
How to get involved
Include Me has been developed following a consultation with disabled people, disability organisations, national specialist organisations and existing academic and national research. This work was coordinated by the West Midlands Combined Authority [https://www.wmca.org.uk/].
Following the consultation period, a wide range of actions have been developed with the aim of creating a more inclusive environment and a better understanding of people’s needs.
Include Me puts disabled people and people with long term health conditions at the heart of the conversation.
It aims to create a collective momentum and a demonstration of a willingness to learn from and listen to disabled people. It’s about making a positive difference to disabled people and people with long term health conditions by giving them a voice to help improve access and opportunities across Coventry.