Eastlight announced as Purple Tuesday partner to drive disability agenda in housing
Eastlight Community Homes has been announced as the national partner working with renowned organisation Purple to help drive equality for disabled people in housing.
The 12,000-home community-led housing association has partnered with Purple to work with residents, housing employees and the wider UK housing sector.
During the coming months, Eastlight will draw on Purple’s expertise, data and real stories to help improve the disability experience for those working in the housing sector and people living in social housing.
They will host a free virtual summit for the sector on October 6 called - ‘Improving the experiences of disabled people in the housing sector’. Up to 500 people will meet in a bid to open up this conversation to the whole UK housing sector. Details of how to register will be available soon.
The partnership enables Eastlight to get involved in Purple Tuesday, a high-profile annual awareness-raising day on November 2 alongside organisations of all sizes from all sectors. Its aim is to improve the customer experience for disabled people 365 days a year.
Eastlight is alongside national partners such as Sainsbury’s representing the supermarket sector and ebay, leaders in the digital retail space.
Emma Palmer, Chief Executive of Eastlight Community Homes, said: “We’re really committed to unlocking the conversations that need to be had for us and other housing organisations and sharing best practice with others. We hope this partnership will be a catalyst for significant change in culture, attitudes and policy which will level up the inequality between disabled and non-disabled people.’’
Mike Adams, Chief Executive at Purple, said: “We need to change the disability conversation from one about vulnerable people, charity and welfare to one focused on choice, contribution and opportunity on all things disability. Purple is absolutely delighted to be working with Eastlight as housing is one of those central pillars for transforming permanent change for disabled people.”
In the UK alone, the #PurplePound – the spending power of disabled people and their families – is worth £274 billion and is estimated to be rising by 14% per year, but fewer than 10% of organisations have a targeted plan to access the disability market.
Purple’s vision is to be the catalyst for change in creating opportunities that transform futures by bringing together disabled people and business for a single purpose.
Their mission is to transform thinking and change the conversation to support businesses and disabled people, creating sustainable solutions for the benefit of society.
