{"id":4050,"date":"2023-07-14T11:33:58","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T11:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/uk\/?page_id=4050"},"modified":"2026-03-25T12:58:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T12:58:40","slug":"news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/directaccessgp.com\/uk\/news\/","title":{"rendered":"Insights"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAccessibility: Retail’s Last and Largest Untapped Growth Lever\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Accessibility problems in retail parks are not accidental; they are a byproduct of the original commercial logic behind retail park design, and increasingly, they are becoming a major drag on footfall, dwell time, and long-term profitability, Large retail parks were originally designed around a simple commercial model: high-volume visits on<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Hidden Value of Accessibility Policy That Businesses Ignore\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Most accessibility policies aren’t worth the PDF they’re saved in. That sounds harsh. It isn’t. A policy that nobody implements is a policy in name only, and the gap between what an organisation says and what it actually does is where the trouble lives. Customers notice. Regulators notice. The press<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe \u00a317 Billion Opportunity Hidden in Website Accessibility\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Most websites don’t work for one in five of their users. Most businesses don’t know it. Most agencies don’t tell them. That’s not an indictment of disabled users. It’s a description of an industry that has, for years, treated accessibility as someone else’s problem. The cost of that quiet decision<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWhy Inaccessibility Is Costing You Deaf Customers\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Most businesses\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0lose Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers in a single, visible moment.\u00a0They lose them quietly, at various junctions of the visitor journey.\u00a0 Whether\u00a0it’s\u00a0inaccessible marketing, broken checkout flows, or ineffective customer support, the outcome is\u00a0the same: frustration. And that frustration shows up in the metrics businesses already track. Lower conversions. Weaker sales<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tHow Accessibility Prevents Micro-Apartments From Shrinking Further\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Micro-apartments have a floor they cannot go below, and that floor is set by accessibility standards. This is not a constraint to resist. It is the reason housing\u00a0remains\u00a0habitable for the population that\u00a0actually exists.\u00a0 Micro-apartments are like the fast food of the housing market. In certain\u00a0situations\u00a0they can be convenient, sometimes necessary,<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Off-Peak Gap: Why Accessibility Is a Hotel Revenue Strategy Not a Compliance Exercise\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Every hotel strategy meeting, across the UK and Europe, returns to the same three questions.  How do we extend the season?  How do we reduce the trough between peaks?  How do we build loyalty in a market with low switching costs?  This summer will take care of itself. Occupancy is<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tHow UK Holiday Parks Can Close the Commercial Gap They’ve Been Sitting On\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Introduction Disabled travellers are the most under-served audience in UK tourism, despite being one of its most commercially valuable.  Nowhere is that truer than in the UK holiday park and caravan sector.  For decades, disability charities, community groups and family networks have been block-booking UK holiday parks. Not because operators marketed to them.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRetail\u2019s Digital Revolution Has an Accessibility Blind Spot Which Is Costing Millions\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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E-commerce doesn\u2019t have a traffic problem. It has a completion problem. Customers are landing on your site, engaging with products, and then dropping off before purchase. Not because of price. Not because of competition. But because something in the journey is getting in their way. Most retailers don\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWhy Accessibility Is an Operational Advantage for Schools\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Many schools are currently paying the price for poor design. Bottlenecked corridors, wayfinding changes every September, amplified noise in classrooms, non-compliant restrooms, and poor furniture choices each result in friction for school managers. It shows up as: Lost teaching time during lesson changeovers Staff pulled away from teaching to manage<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe BBC Got It Wrong: How Schools Can Support Every ASN Student\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Recently, the BBC published an alarming article that\u00a0identified\u00a0a growing gap between the support\u00a0required\u00a0for ASN pupils and what schools are currently able to deliver due to limited support staff, resources, and limited guidance. The article also points out that almost 300,000 Scottish school pupils (about\u00a043%\u00a0overall) are categorised as ASN, with the<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRethinking Disability: Why We Advocate Socially but Experience Medically\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Anyone who knows anything about Direct Access\u00a0likely understands\u00a0that as a consultancy founded by people with disabilities, we take an empathetic, person-focused approach to accessibility and inclusive design.\u00a0 Of course, as a business, we also try to highlight how providing disability access provides social and financial value to our clients, but<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Competitive Advantage of ADHD-Friendly Workplaces\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Globally, ADHD is estimated to affect around 5\u20137% of children and approximately 2\u20135% of adults, although many studies suggest that the condition is frequently underdiagnosed, meaning the true prevalence may be even higher. Given the significant proportion of people living with disabilities more broadly, it is essential that organisations ensure<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWhat the BAFTAs Controversy Reveals About Policy-Deep Inclusion\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ordinarily,\u00a0an accessibility consultancy\u00a0would not comment on the\u00a0latest\u00a0hot-button\u00a0controversies\u00a0in\u00a0the world of show\u00a0business. But\u00a0the events\u00a0at the 2026\u00a0British Academy Film Awards raise questions that sit squarely within our professional remit.\u00a0\u00a0 Direct Access works with\u00a0organisations\u00a0to translate disability inclusion from policy into operational practice. Inclusion is not achieved through statements of intent. It is\u00a0achieved through preparation,\u00a0communication,\u00a0and<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMyths About Who the Equality Act Actually Protects\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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NOTE: A quick clarification before discussion runs away with itself. This isn\u2019t a partisan post. It\u2019s a practical one. As accessibility consultants, we work within the current legal framework every day. The point of this post is to explore what that framework actually covers and what changes might mean operationally.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tExploring the Incentives of Inclusive Rail Networks\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t
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As the UK rail industry charts a course toward modernisation, one critical factor continues to undermine performance and public trust: meaningful accessibility for disabled passengers. For Direct Access, we believe this is not only a question of compliance or public image, but a strategic opportunity to lead the way in<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead More \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

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