A very interesting opinion piece from inclusive design consultant Rachael Marshall of the Inclusive Hotels Network. She very kindly came to talk to us about the purple pound (money spent by households with at least one disabled member) and the strong economic case for making hotels accessible to all, without detracting from their attractiveness to able-bodied guests.
The economic case also extends to the public realm, with her plaudits to Argent for their thoughtful Access Inclusivity Strategy for the Kings Cross development and providing an accessibility map on their website.
My talk explained about the purple pound as well as accessibility and inclusion and the work of the Inclusive Hotels Network. ... One of the questions...was whether there were any examples of really good public realm design. The example that always comes to mind first is Granary Square and the route to it from King’s Cross St. Pancras, evidenced by the number of visibly disabled people there every time I visit.
http://www.withernay.com/news/1042019brass-in-pocket
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