We're delighted to announce that Asda is launching the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower and has carried out extra training for over 85,000 colleagues to help better serve disabled customers.

Paul White, CEO of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, said: “Grocery shopping can be an exhausting and stressful experience, even more so if you have a non-visible disability. So we are thrilled that Asda is rolling the Sunflower out across its 630 stores to support its customers and colleagues who have invisible disabilities. Sunflower wearers that visit Asda can feel confident that they will be recognised by staff and will be given extra care, time and assistance. This could simply mean giving them more time to prepare or process information, using clear verbal language, or allowing them to be accompanied at all times.” 

Find details useful for your visit to your Asda store on our updated Sunflower locator map. This is where you, our Sunflower wearers can discover where you can shop, travel or be entertained with the Sunflower by your side. Information includes details usefil for your visit including accessibility information about each one of the Asda stores.

New 'Quieter Hour'

To coincide with Purple Tuesday, Asda has also announced the rollout of it’s new ‘Quieter Hour’ in stores which will see store noises diminished to aid customers with certain disabilities. The new ‘Quieter Hour’ in their stores will last between 2-3pm Monday to Thursday and will see reduced noise levels in their stores to make visits more accessible for customers with additional needs.

Purple Tuesday 365

The supermarket also sponsors Purple Tuesday 365; an annual learning subscription service that helps organisations and their colleagues to access knowledge, and practical approaches to provide better everyday experiences for disabled people and their families. Asda’s sponsorship provides access to a monthly exclusive webinar covering contemporary disability-related topics to align with other national awareness events with all webinars recorded to share with their colleagues. The partnership also provides access to learning resources throughout the year to help Asda be better able to engage and communicate with their customers and colleagues. 

Mark Simpson, Chief Supply Chain Officer and Exec sponsor for Disability, said: ‘’We are proud to be an inclusive business for our customers and colleagues, that’s why now and over the past four years since its inception, we support Purple Tuesday. There are an estimated 14.1 million people with a disability living in the UK, and 80% of disabilities are hidden, so we hope that by introducing quieter times for customers to shop that we will be able to make our stores more welcoming and inclusive for customers with additional needs.’’ 

Mike Adams OBE, CEO Purple, said: ‘’Purple is absolutely delighted Asda is our Purple 365 partner.  To change the disability conversation requires organisations to take all their colleagues on the journey.  Through knowledge, understanding, new approaches and confidence. Asda is doing exactly that and is the ideal partner to take everyone else with us.  We are equally proud they are supporting Purple Tuesday.’’ 

If you are looking to extend your training and support your EDI objectives of your business and are a Standard, Professional or Corporate Sunflower Member, you will benefit from a 30% discount when you subscribing to Purple Tuesday 365.