Building a more disability inclusive Eastlight

This Purple Tuesday, we’re listening, learning and taking action to make our homes and services more inclusive for everyone.

Celebrated on the first Tuesday each November, Purple Tuesday is a global movement championing better experiences for disabled people as customers and community members, while recognising progress across all sectors.

This year’s theme, ‘Think Accessibility’, encourages everyone to recognise the barriers that exist and take practical steps to remove them.

To mark the occasion, our Chief Executive, Emma Palmer, will join Purple's Executive Chairman & Founder, Mike Adams, at London’s Piccadilly Circus, where the iconic lights will turn purple in celebration of disability inclusion. 

Recently appointed as the UK Government’s Disability & Access Ambassador for Housing, Emma will also meet with fellow Purple Tuesday partners to share learnings and explore how housing providers can make homes and services more accessible nationwide.

If you missed the story about Emma’s new role, you can read more here.

A fresh focus

Eastlight has proudly been the housing sector lead for Purple since 2020, and Founding Partner since 2023.

Following five years of close collaboration, we’re now working with Purple to develop a Disability Inclusion Framework and Action Plan – a roadmap that defines bold, meaningful objectives to guide how we support disabled residents across our communities.

By combining lived experience with data, we will strengthen how we communicate, deliver support and design inclusive services that truly reflect residents’ needs, helping to improve satisfaction and inclusion at Eastlight.

Customer voice is central to this work. Throughout November, Eastlight colleagues are listening to residents as they share their honest reflections on the challenges they face – and the moments of pride they feel in overcoming them each day.

Eastlight resident and Customer Influence Committee Member, Craig Clackett, says:

“Even simple things like getting out can be difficult – but when Eastlight’s electrician took the time to listen and understand, it made all the difference.”

Together, we’re turning these insights into action, so that everyone feels understood, respected and supported.