MyMK are proud to have been part of the driving force behind this year’s Purple Tuesday activities taking place today in Milton Keynes City Centre. As well as a pop-up event in the shopping centres and the turning of key buildings purple, the BID is funding a year-long programme of accessibility training for businesses and has commissioned a City Centre wide accessibility survey.
Purple Tuesday pop up event
Local businesses and organisations have set up pop-up displays throughout centre:mk and Midsummer Place, sharing information on services for people with disabilities. Highlights include:
PACA (Parents and Carers Alliance MK) – Supporting families with disabled loved ones
HK Hair and Wellness – Fully accessible hairdressing services
Spectrum Place & Umbrella Project – Raising awareness for autism and neurodiversity
The Parks Trust – Showcasing improvements to accessibility at Furzton Lake
Camphill MK – Selling crafts created by adults with learning disabilities
Medical Detection Dogs – Training dogs to detect health issues
MK Theatre and Cineworld – Promoting accessible performances and resources
The event has been attended by disabled social media influencers and is being covered by BBC Look East TV on their lunchtime show and BBC 3 Counties on their evening news, as well throughout the day by MKFM.
Turning MK City Centre Purple
As part of the day’s celebration, buildings across Milton Keynes are lighting up purple to symbolise the city’s commitment to accessibility, including Purple Tuesday supporters Milton Keynes Theatre, Hotel La Tour, 12th Street, Xscape, Unity Place and centre:mk. BBC Look East will be featuring our Purple City on tonight’s evening news too.
Accessibility training for BID businesses
This year, MyMK BID is funding Purple 365, a year-long accessibility training programme for BID businesses. Delivered through the Purple Tuesday platform, this programme will feature monthly recorded webinars and resources, enabling staff across Milton Keynes to build skills and awareness that ensure outstanding service for customers with disabilities. The training will be available from December and log-in information will be shared among BID businesses.
AccessAble accessibility audit
Additionally, MyMK has partnered with AccessAble to commission a city centre-wide accessibility audit. The findings from this comprehensive assessment will inform the creation of detailed Access Guides for key areas within Milton Keynes City Centre. These area-specific guides, covering locations such as Xscape, The Hub, Station Square, centre:mk, and Midsummer Place, will highlight essential accessibility features like Changing Places toilets, accessible parking, and pedestrian-friendly crossings. The guides will also be integrated into our consumer website and updated annually, empowering residents and visitors with reliable, in-depth information on navigating the city according to their unique accessibility needs.
Tell us how accessible you are
MyMK is also inviting local consumer-facing businesses to tell us about what measures they have in place to make their business more accessible and inclusive to customers, such as a Hearing Loop Induction System, quieter shopping times, large print menus etc. The information will be added to the individual business’ listing on the business directory on our consumer website. Email us info@mymiltonkeynes.co.uk
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