This website has often repeated that the purple pound is worth over £250 billion to the UK economy every year. So a cynical voice asks why are manufactures and retailers not appealing and selling to the one in five people in the UK who are classified as disabled?
Surely it makes good business sense? OK, maybe the moral and ethical approach is not overly concerning to business but surely they are attracted by the disabled spend?
Time after time, we witness the apathy of businesses (big & small) towards disabled people and ask ourselves ..why? Surely, even if not for the ethics, even if not for the morallity, why are you not catering for this huge minority?
Nermin Hassan, commenting for ‘Models of Diversity’ states, “A lot of women will agree on how wedding preparation is one of the most exciting yet tiring events in a female’s lifetime. But for wheelchair brides, this is excruciatingly much more exhausting, especially when having to choose that dazzling wedding dress.”
Nermin Hassan
“As a new wheelchair user due to deteriorating muscle condition called Muscular Dystrophy, I had never considered that choosing clothing one day would be an issue for me and other wheelchair users.
“So for disabled brides I realised I had many important questions to think about, the main examples being; how will the wedding dress accompany the bride’s wheelchair and not get in the way of movement by getting caught in the wheels? How comfortable and complimenting will the dress be for the disabled bride as she sits in her chair for hours?”
Julie McMillian trying on various wedding dresses to find her match
Wheelchair user Julie McMillian from the US opens up about how difficult it was to find a suitable wedding dress for someone who is always sitting down due to Muscular Dystrophy.
“I don’t think most people around the world associate marriage with people with disabilities,” she says. Adding, “I think that most people around the world do not associate disabled people with even dating let alone getting married!”
But perhaps things might be slightly changing. Maybe not in bridal wear but in the casual clothing sector. Fashion brands such as the American ‘Open Style Lab’ and ‘Tommy Hilfiger’ are now designing comfortable casual clothing especially for wheelchair users.
But back to the wedding! Have you ever looked at a Bridal Magazine (Brides, Perfect Wedding, Wedding Ideas) and seen an advert for a bride in a wheelchair? If you have please let us know.
Even Government seems perplexed by the lack of entrepreneurs realising what a huge market it is currently ignoring, They stated that thousands of high street businesses could effectively be turning away the custom of 1 in 5 people by not attracting disabled people.