Posted by
Emma White
Lush Cosmetics Guildford has been praised for the positive steps it has taken to improve accessibility in-store, following feedback as part of the Guildford Accessibility Guide project.
Led by Andrew Crawte of the Guildford Access Group, who has lived experience of cerebral palsy, and supported by Emma White from Experience Guildford, Business Improvement District, the Accessibility Guide is helping businesses across Guildford review and improve their spaces to make the town centre more inclusive and welcoming for everyone.
Andrew Crawte said: “As someone who has lived with cerebral palsy all my life, I know how important it is to have clear, accessible spaces when visiting shops and venues. It’s brilliant to see Lush Guildford listening to feedback and making real changes that will make a difference to so many people. This is exactly what the Accessibility Guide is all about – helping businesses understand how they can be more inclusive and giving people the confidence to enjoy what Guildford has to offer. A big well done and thank you to Becky and her team at Lush Guildford for embracing this so positively."
Becky Craggs, Store Manager at Lush Added: “At Lush Guildford, we always put our customers first and are constantly looking for ways to make our store environment more accessible for all visitors. Andrew’s visit was much appreciated as he could give us feedback based on his lived experience. When we forwarded the feedback to our head office, they were equally keen to make the recommended adjustments. As a result, we’ve replaced our fresh table with a narrower unit, making more space for customers to navigate the shop floor. These adjustments have been invaluable in creating a more inclusive store and we’re very proud to now receive a green rating in the accessibility guide.”
Emma White, Town Safety Liaison Officer at Experience Guildford, said: “I have been working on this project with Andrew since September last year, and I’m so proud to see it already having an impact. That said, there is still more work to be done. I really hope more organisations see the benefit of making improvements to become more inclusive, ensuring Guildford is a town that works for everyone.”
The Guildford Accessibility Guide is a growing resource and will continue to expand as more businesses join the project. The guide is available to view, download and print from the Experience Guildford website