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The organisation, We are Purple states that the term ‘purple pound’ refers to the spending power of disabled people in UK households.

There are some staggering statistics regarding the purple pound, including the fact that:

• nearly three-quarters of disabled online consumers will click away from a website due to accessibility; and
• the purple pound equates to £249 billion a year to the UK economy.

It’s well known that inaccessibility forces disabled consumers to look elsewhere when purchasing consumer goods or services. Inaccessibility can vary from inaccessible websites, unsuitable products or inaccessible premises.  

There are 1.8 billion disabled people in the world, representing 17% of the world’s population. Therefore, it’s incredibly important for brands to start tapping into this mostly untouched consumer market to provide inclusive products to disabled people.

How accessible is the legal profession for lawyers with disabilities? Read this Oracle to find out more.

One example of a brand leading the way in this is L’Oréal. Earlier this year, the makeup giant L’Oréal announced it’ll be launching two new beauty tech products: HAPTA by Lancôme and L’Oréal brow magic. These items are due to be launched later in 2023.

The HAPTA makeup applicator device is designed to help people with limited hand and arm mobility. It uses vibrating technology, real-time sensors and smart motion controls to keep the lipstick upright when applying. Similar technologies have been seen in smartphones and other mobility aids for disabled people.

The device was co-designed with people with cerebral palsy, people with Parkinson’s, and Liftware, a start-up high technology company that designed eating utensils for disabled people.

Makeup should be enjoyed and used by all, and it’s unfortunate that disabled people have had to wait this long to be included in this industry. However, it’s fascinating to see L’Oréal using its technology incubator team to develop inclusive and innovative products for disabled people. They’re using the power of technology to further improve access and inclusivity of disabled people within the beauty industry.

I hope that many more brands take heed of this and incorporate the same approach into their business strategies. Most importantly, for law firms and other legal organisations to also do so.

We all know that the provision of legal services is consumer focused and we want to provide the best service for our clients.

In recent years, there’s been increased conversation on how the legal industry can use technology to enhance the practice and provision of legal services. Similar to how L’Oréal uses its technology incubator team to launch new innovative accessible products, law firms can do the same. Whether that’s when procuring new legal tech or reviewing existing technologies.

Still curious about legal technology? See how lawyers can use it in their everyday practice with this LCN Says

It’s incredibly important that the legal industry is able to deliver legal services to our disabled clients.