PURPLE reigns!
Social business chief Kate Nash explains to MARION MCMULLEN how proud she is to see the world shining a light on disability rights
IT began as a campaign to raise awareness of disabled employees and now Purplelightup is illuminating the world.
“It’s wonderful,” says Kate Nash, of Purplespace. “Each year the event gets bigger and bigger and bigger.”
Buildings and landmarks around the world are being illuminated in purple light as part of Purplelightup – a global movement that celebrates and draws attention to the economic contribution of the 386 million disabled employees around the world.
Purplespace leads this movement and last year the campaign had the largest purple global footprint ever, with more than 300 organisations taking part and more than 250 million people following on social media.
Kate says: “Some of my favourite light-ups have been the London Eye, Niagara Falls was pretty impressive as well, and the Google Tower in South Africa.
It is just one of those great moments. We have beautiful purple lights the world over.
“It’s become enormous, each year more people and organisations get involved. Back in the day, we would be running around for 24 hours dropping in on events.”
She laughs: “It’s a curse and a blessing but Purplelightup has just captured the imagination of people worldwide. I wrote in my latest book that you cannot put toothpaste back in a tube. There are certain things that take on a life of their own and cannot be stopped.”
Kate says the campaign creates a space for meaningful dialogue and gets companies and people of all levels, manner and severity of disability talking.
She says some people are hesitant to talk to disabled work colleagues because they do not want to be “a numpty” by putting their foot in it and saying the wrong thing, but more companies are now making some major changes in the workplace and helping to break down barriers. Kate says: “A lot of disabled people would tie themselves in knots in the past about medical appointments and would feel their employer was doing them a favour rather than it being something to which they are entitled.”
Kate launched Purplespace in 2015 as the world’s first professional development hub for disabled employee networks, bringing together 850,000 disabled employees.
Her work has led to her being awarded an OBE for services to disabled people and she was appointed Ambassador to Disability Rights UK in 2013.
Kate herself has had arthritis since she was a teenager and has had hip and knee replacements, so she knows first hand the difficulties some people can face. Purplelightup has been honouring and highlighting the work of disabled employees since 2017 with iconic landmarks, such as Vienna’s Parliament and New Scotland Yard all going purple. Politicians have also made speeches in relation to #Purplelightup and disability inclusion in their respective parliaments. Purplespace say they are building disability confidence from the inside out and December 3 is also the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which celebrates the economic contribution of disabled employees. Kate says: “There is still a long way to go, but in the last 10 years we have seen a lot of employers doing a lot more, there has been a real change. Disabled employees are also sharing their stories and it’s lovely to be able to celebrate with Purplelightup.”