A new online marketplace with accessibility built into the user experience has been announced. ‘EnableAll’ will transform the online customer experience for disabled people in 2022.
Announced on the International Day of Disabled Persons (3 December 2021), EnableAll is the brainchild of Mike Adams OBE, who is the CEO of Purple. This organisation is changing the conversation on disability.
Leading UK social care provider CareTech, through its Digital Technology Division, is backing the venture, which is set to roll out internationally early next year.
What EnableAll offers
Inspired by similar marketplace models such as eBay, EnableAll will connect sellers across industries with consumers looking for a convenient, easy, and enjoyable shopping experience.
The core difference, however, is that accessibility will be built into every step of EnableAll from the outset, enabling a user journey where no customer is excluded.
With built-in solutions that prioritise accessibility, the platform is designed to work with any assistive technology that individuals may be using.
From screen readers and magnification software to tools that support those with mobility impairments and colour blindness, EnableAll will help disabled users shop with ease.
The power of the ‘Purple Pound’
Currently, millions of disabled people are unable to fully access online shopping services, which also leaves retailers and online marketplace sellers out of pocket by not meeting all their customers’ needs.
A recent poll found that UK businesses lost out on almost £412 million during the pandemic because their websites were inaccessible. Furthermore, only 3% of the top million websites meet internationally recognised standards of accessibility. This is despite the combined spending power of disabled people and their families in the UK being around £274 billion and $8 trillion globally.
Mike Adams said: “Disabled people simply want to be able to access the online market in the same way as everyone else, and although change is happening, it’s not fast enough.
“The beauty of building a marketplace from scratch is that we are not tinkering around the edges of an existing behemoth; we’ve pressed fast forward and can launch with a product that is built around the needs of disabled people.
“EnableAll is ready to challenge the status quo, disrupt the online market and, through demonstrating the art of the possible, encourage more businesses to consciously choose to include everyone.
“We remain passionate about supporting organisations to improve their accessibility – now we are also excited to invite them to join us on this journey and unlock the benefits EnableAll will provide.”
To find out more about EnableAll, click here. Retailers can register their interest here.
