You might find accessing the commercial world straightforward. Not everyone does. One in five people in the UK have a disability, so how do we make the marketplace more accessible for them?

Dr Leighanne Higgins and Dr Killian O’Leary are here to talk about their Marketplace & I project, which works with organisations to improve their accessibility for consumers through specialist training.

We find out how they use art and artworks produced by people with a disability and their families at the heart of their project – and which artworks really stand out to the project leaders; and how their work goes beyond shops and cafes to charities, universities, and councils, taking a broad look at issues.

Leighanne and Killian tell us why they are so passionate about ending exclusion from society, and how all of us might face accessibility issues as we enter old age. They show how things have evolved over the last decade when it comes to accessibility attitudes, and how organisations they worked with several years ago are now exemplars of change.

We talk about the difference between visible and invisible disabilities, and how needs differ when entering the marketplace. And we discover how public exhibitions of the artworks led to direct business engagement with key issues.

We look at the importance of creating a welcoming atmosphere, uncover myths surrounding the costs of accessibility, and see how employees can be inspired by training.

Plus, why is Jan not a fan of shopping? And why are we talking about Monsters Inc’s Mike Wazowski?

Find out more about the Marketplace and I project and some of the artworks here: The Marketplace and I

And details of their accessibility training workshops are here: Accessibility training workshops - Lancaster University

This is the website of the Jumbulance Trust, whom we mentioned in the show: Jumbulance Home

And the NeuroChatin podcast can be found here: https://pod.co/neurochatin