Skipton Building Society has announced it has joined the global Hidden Disabilities Sunflower which is centred around helping disabled people access the support they need, regardless of whether their disability is visible or not.

Almost a quarter of the entire UK population have a disability, with 80% of these invisible. This number is only set to increase due to our ageing population, many of whom makeup Skipton’s current or future customer base. As part of their membership the Sunflower logo will be made prominent in all of Skipton’s 87 branches across the country, and all branch staff members will undertake training to ensure they are prepared and supported to answer any questions customers may have, or simply to have a better understanding of what it means when a customer is wearing the Sunflower.

Justine Shaw, Group Chief People Officer and Sponsor of the Accessibility Alliance, said:

“Being accessible for all of our customer and colleagues is at the heart of everything we do here at Skipton to design and create our customer and colleague experiences, to ensure we provide the best possible service for everyone.

“We are delighted to announce the society is joining the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower , to raise awareness and provide support for colleagues and customers who have non-visible health conditions and disabilities such as autism, dementia, or hearing impairments. This alongside the training each colleague in our 87 branches will be undertaking will ensure we are prepared and supported to answer any questions that customers may have, or simply to have a better understanding of what it means when a customer is wearing the Sunflower."

Paul White, CEO, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, said:

“We welcome the news that Skipton Building Society has joined the global Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network to support its customers and staff. This will improve access to finance and advice for customers with non-visible disabilities and who may find it difficult. Staff are trained to recognise Sunflower wearers and offer them the help and the considerations they require.”

Learn more about Skipton Building Society.

 

Is your organisation a member of the Sunflower network?

Is your place of work Sunflower friendly? If not, why not suggest they look into becoming members of the Sunflower? We provide training and assistance to help businesses recognise the Sunflower to support individuals with non-visible disabilities and become confident in providing them with additional help or assistance.

Join an impressive network of organisations so our Sunflower wearers can find you as they plan their days out:

  • add your location to the Sunflower location map
  • provide details useful for Sunflower-friendly visits
  • demonstrate how accessible you are
  • tell your story through articles
  • and even reveal your Sunflower-friendly events

Become a member of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network.