Removing Barriers: What We’ve Learned on Our Accessibility Journey

We know that an equal and equitable future is only possible when accessibility is at the centre. Since January 2024, our Accessible Primark Programme has guided how we show up for colleagues, customers, and communities. In 2025, we built on our commitments by launching a 49-piece Adaptive clothing collection in collaboration with Victoria Jenkins, introducing sensory-friendly features into our kidswear offering, and set out to improve the store experience for disabled and neurodivergent customers, as well as strengthening partnerships with experts and advocates across the communities we serve.

Why Accessibility Matters

Charlie Magadah-Williams, Head of Inclusion & Community Impact, explains why accessibility is central to our inclusion strategy:

"Primark has always been a business that wants to be for everyone, and we know that many people experience disability, so we believe that removing barriers is an important part of this. We’re proud to have such a diverse range of colleagues and customers, and our accessibility commitments help us to continue to push ourselves to consider the experience that disabled and neurodivergent people have when they shop or work with us."

Rosie Valentine, Director of Internal Communications, Inclusion & Engagement, shares:

“Primark is all about making people look and feel good for less and focusing on accessibility ensures that everyone can love our products and shopping experience without barriers. It’s not a compliance requirement; it’s about doing the right thing and living our values to make fashion and everyday basics affordable for all. As we grow globally, accessibility strengthens trust and reflects our commitment to doing business responsibly.”

Shaping Our Culture

Charlie adds:

"The wonderful thing about accessibility is that once you start to make changes, you’re much more likely to notice barriers, and opportunities to remove them. Inclusion is one of the behaviours in our values, and this is one of the most tangible ways that I have seen this come to life. Colleagues from all areas of our business take responsibility and show their pride in the work we are doing. We have so much more to do, but we know we will achieve more together."

Rosie adds:

“I hope this work creates a culture where accessibility is embedded in everything we do, from our stores and digital platforms to internal processes. When we start to notice and remove barriers, we make Primark a better place for everyone, our customers, colleagues, and communities. I’m so proud of how we’ve turned intention into action, and we want to show that inclusion is achievable at scale, with genuine impact.”

A Global Perspective

Accessibility is not just a business priority — it is a signal to the industry. Dr. Shani Dhanda, Accessibility Consultant and Disability Rights Advocate, shares:

"Primark’s commitment is a clear signal to everyone that accessibility is not a niche concern but a core part of how a modern retailer should operate. When a brand with such scale leans into this work, it has the power to raise expectations across the sector and show that inclusion is achievable at pace, meaningfully and in a way that is genuine and aligned with a company’s purpose."

Shani reflects on what impressed her most:

"I’ve been impressed by how quickly things moved from intention to action, grounding decisions in lived experience and research. The willingness to test, learn and adapt shows a genuine desire to embed accessibility rather than treat it as a one-off project. I’m also genuinely in awe of how Primark manages to keep the feel of a small, close-knit organisation while operating on a global scale. It makes the work feel personal, even with such a huge reach."

And why collaboration matters:

"You cannot deliver meaningful accessibility in isolation. When brands collaborate with people who bring both professional and lived expertise, the solutions become more practical, more human and far more likely to have a lasting impact."

Making Fashion Accessible

Christine Holmes, Director of Buying, explains why introducing adaptive and accessible products is so important:

"Primark offers fashionable ranges to a broad customer base and introducing adaptive and accessible products strengthens our ambition to ensure that even more people can access clothing that meets their needs at truly affordable prices."

Christine shares the biggest learning from a buying perspective:

"When we first began exploring what an adaptive range should look like, it became clear that there were very few examples in the market. To get it right, we needed to work directly with the disabled community to truly understand customer needs and how those needs translate into adaptive features. Our partnership with Victoria Jenkins allowed us to connect with the right voices and gather invaluable feedback on early product development. As buying teams, we continue to refine and evolve our Adaptive offering through ongoing customer insight and innovation from our supply base."

Looking Ahead

Our journey so far has taught us a lot, but we know we still have more to learn. We are proud of the steps we have taken, but we know there is still much more to do. Together with our colleagues, customers, and partners, we will keep removing barriers and building a future where fashion is accessible to all.