This is a topic that is close to my heart for many personal reasons. That said, I cannot profess to being in any way an expert on the subject. I wanted to write this blog for several reasons, to try and raise awareness that not enough is done in the industry to be inclusive, to do more research of my own and also to have a platform to be really clear that I will do my best to be accommodating to everyone in my salon. I hope this blog will not come across as patronising in any way and, as always, I welcome feedback for areas where I can learn.
According to the BBC, there are around 7 million people of working age in the UK with a disability. So why is it that I rarely see any campaigns in my industry specifically targeting those people, making everyone feel part of the picture and included? A recent Elle Magazine piece, dated October 2020 tackled some of the questions I have, pointing out that some of the big brands are just now beginning to appear more inclusive in their marketing. But I’m interested in this issue on a grass roots level.
I know of people who have had to be carried into a salon for a basic treatment, due to lack of wheelchair access. I’ve seen conversations on forums where professionals are reluctant to provide extra time for those who may need it, because time is money and it will affect their bottom line. These are extreme examples, but at the very least should we not be doing something to let people know that we can (and will) accommodate differences should it be needed?
I am fortunate that my home salon is in a modern built house. It is ground floor, it has wide, wheelchair accessible doorways, I have an electric bed that can move in all sorts of different ways to accommodate different bodies. But I think herein lies another problem – for many abled bodied people, having a disability immediately conjures up the image of someone in a wheelchair. Many will not think about the people who may have an ostomy that they are nervous about, or the amputee who has not yet had a beauty treatment since losing a limb, or indeed one of the myriad conditions that are not overtly obvious. While of course, everyone is different, I know of more than one person who would love to have seen some indication on a beauty salon’s website or Instagram to let them know that they are inclusive of as many people as possible.
This is a piece of writing that I feel could go on and become rather epic! So I will wrap it up by saying that I am committed to learning, and also to including everyone I possibly can to try to make a small difference and ensure as many people as possible can access the treatments that they want to have.
