Barclays’ Mystery Shoppers and Accessibility: A Missed Opportunity for Genuine Inclusion
Barclays has faced criticism for its recent initiative to assess accessibility services by hiring mystery shoppers to pretend to be blind or deaf. This approach, which allowed participants to fabricate disabilities for £45 per visit, has been condemned by disability advocates as emblematic of a superficial “tick-box” culture.
The controversy sheds light on how businesses can either waste resources or achieve meaningful change through genuine efforts to embrace accessibility and inclusion.
Missed Opportunity to Create Real Impact
Rather than engaging individuals with real lived experiences of blindness or deafness, Barclays hired a market research firm, Ipsos, to recruit mystery shoppers who could fabricate disabilities. This approach not only undermines the credibility of the initiative but also fails to deliver actionable insights that could improve services for disabled customers.
Seema Flower, founder of Blind Ambition, criticised the move as a wasted opportunity:
“This is a terrible example of how the tick-box culture can infiltrate accessibility. It’s appalling – what a waste of time and money for the company and a wasted opportunity to make real improvements for disabled people. At a time when Lloyds Bank is doing amazing work to highlight the need for inclusion – such as running events at BAFTA and the House of Commons, where I was invited to attend and contribute – Barclays is busy ticking boxes to make it look like they’re trying to be more inclusive.”
The Business Case for Inclusion: Lessons from the Accenture Report
Barclays’ misstep stands in stark contrast to the findings of Accenture’s groundbreaking report, Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage. The report, published in partnership with Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), demonstrates the tangible business benefits of fostering genuine inclusion.
Key findings include:
- Higher Financial Performance: Companies identified as leaders in disability inclusion reported:
- 28% higher revenue.
- Double the net income.
- 30% higher economic profit margins compared to their peers.
- Boost to GDP: Accenture estimates that U.S. GDP could increase by $25 billion if more persons with disabilities joined the workforce.
- Untapped Talent Pool: Despite the strength of the labour market, only 29% of working-age Americans with disabilities are employed, leaving 10.7 million talented individuals underutilised.
Chad Jerdee, Accenture’s General Counsel, summarised the findings:
“This research is the first to correlate an inclusive workplace for persons with disabilities with financial performance. When companies create an inclusive culture, everyone benefits.”
Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs: A £230 Billion Opportunity
In a recent speech at the House of Lords, Seema Flower joined Gareth Thomas, MP and Minister for Small Business, to highlight the disparity in access to finance for disabled entrepreneurs. She referenced Lloyds Bank’s findings that 25% of entrepreneurs are disabled or neurodiverse, yet only 8% of loans are awarded to these groups.
This speech coincided with the launch of the Disability Finance Code for Entrepreneurs, a shared initiative by leading banks, including Barclays, to boost access to finance for disabled entrepreneurs. The code, supported by research from the Lilac Review, found that improving opportunities for disabled founders could unlock £230 billion in growth and jobs for the UK economy.
Seema Flower emphasised the missed potential:
“This is a missed opportunity of enormous proportions. Disabled entrepreneurs represent a vast, untapped market for banks willing to adapt their lending practices. Barclays, as a founding signatory of the Disability Finance Code, has a significant chance to drive change and join the ranks of forward-thinking banks like Lloyds, who are taking real steps to support disabled entrepreneurs and unlock their potential.”
A Call to Action for Authentic Inclusion
Seema Flower highlighted the broader implications of these findings:
“The Accenture report shows that inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s good business. By working with individuals who have lived experience of disabilities, companies can tap into an enormous talent pool and unlock financial growth. The rewards go far beyond compliance.”
She added that businesses need to move beyond symbolic gestures and engage with organisations like Blind Ambition to create impactful programmes:
“We have a real opportunity to drive change. For any business seeking to improve their inclusivity, we invite you to collaborate with reputable charities or experts like Blind Ambition. Together, we can develop initiatives that deliver genuine advantages for disabled people, foster innovation, and strengthen business performance.”
Why Blind Ambition is the Right Partner for Accessibility
Organisations seeking to embrace true inclusion should start by engaging with Blind Ambition, where lived experience and expertise fuel impactful change. Founded by Seema Flower, herself registered blind, Blind Ambition is an internationally award-winning disability consultancy established to tackle inequality and create real opportunities for disabled individuals.
Blind Ambition also offers mystery shopper services, conducted exclusively by genuine disabled individuals. These services provide businesses with authentic insights that drive meaningful improvements and ensure accessibility is more than just a box to tick.
“True inclusion isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about listening, learning, and taking real steps to create a society where everyone can thrive,” Seema Flower concluded. “The rewards are transformative, for both businesses and individuals alike.”
For practical, insightful advice and guidance on fostering inclusion, reach out to Blind Ambition today and take the first step towards unlocking the vast potential of accessibility and inclusion.
