'We advise businesses how to improve on disability'
Sunnybank TrustA charity in Surrey has launched a consultancy group to help businesses improve their services for customers and employees who have learning disabilities.
The Sunnybank Trust, based in Epsom, aims to support adults with learning disabilities to take control over their own lives.
Its new Understand Us service is run by people with learning disabilities, who will work with businesses to help them become more accessible.
Chief executive Dorothy Watson said the project would provide "simple solutions" and training to improve the customer experience for people with disabilities.
"The voices and experiences of the learning disability community are now more relevant to employers and businesses than ever before," she added.
The trust said it believed opportunities were being missed by businesses, as many people with disabilities were choosing to stay away.
'Staff don't understand'
Ashley, who has Down's syndrome, runs the initiative's staff training workshop.
She said she had already run a workshop with the NHS to help its services.
"They worked with special needs families, and we had lots of [good] feedback," she said.
Jennifer, who also works at Understand Us, said she used to feel apprehensive about going to the bank as staff sometimes ignored her.
"I would be very nervous because the staff don't understand the disability I have," she said.
"I really recommend that bank staff have training with people who have learning disabilities."
There are roughly 1.5bn people who have a learning disability in the UK, with a spending power of £28bn each year, according to the trust.
It said that 75% of people with a learning disability, and their families, have walked away from a business due to a lack of accessibility or customer service.
The estimated number of adults in Surrey with a learning disability is expected to increase from 21,980 in 2023 to 22,971 in 2040, the trust added.
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