St David’s Cardiff is marking Purple Tuesday, an annual event raising awareness of the value and needs of disabled customers, with an accessible jobs fayre.
Purple Tuesday aims to promote accessibility and inclusivity for disabled consumers. Held this year on November 12th, St David’s will celebrate the day by hosting a jobs fayre with Maximus to promote job opportunities for guests with disabilities. Disability Confident employers in attendance will include Maximus Recruitment, AP Cymru, Autistic Minds, The Guide Dogs, and Thrive.
The fayre will be located on the lower level of the Grand Arcade in St David’s, close to the Swarovski store, with guests invited to drop by between 9:30pm and 3pm to find out more about inclusive and accessible jobs.
At the event, St David’s will also welcome local charities to raise awareness of their work and offer information and support to guests, with attendees including Sight Life as well as The Guide Dogs, Autistic Minds, Thrive, and AP Cymru.
On Purple Tuesday, St David’s will launch its new Diversity and Inclusive site checklist as it strives to continually improve guest experience.
As part of its drive to meet the needs of the community, St David’s implements several inclusivity and accessibility initiatives. This includes all staff undertaking disability training as well as introducing appropriate facilities such as stoma-friendly toilets with wall hooks, a colostomy bag shelf, wall mirror and the correct disposal facilities, and having a Changing Places space.
To provide a more inclusive retail experience, St David’s hosts a weekly quiet hour every Tuesday between 2pm-3pm where music across the centre and its stores is reduced. The centre offers a guide for autistic guests and has created sensory backpacks which are free to borrow from its guest services desk. They include a hidden disability lanyard, communication fans, autism books, ear defenders and sensory toys.
St David’s also has a Calm and Safe Space, developed with Autistic Minds, to offer people with sensory-processing differences a place to rest. The area includes human-centric lighting designed to work with the circadian rhythm of the body and a variety of seating and sensory toys as well as a breathing techniques artwork wall.
Helen Morgan, Centre Director of St David’s Cardiff, said:
“As a place which welcomes millions of guests, visitors, and staff each day, it is essential we meet the needs of our community and make everyone feel welcome, seen and heard. Purple Tuesday is an opportunity for us to celebrate the strides we have already taken but also to seek new initiatives so that we are always improving and supporting our guests.”
