Asda Is Starting a Shopping Morning for People With Dementia in Manchester

The Asda supermarket chain is launching a new "inclusive hour" to help shoppers with autism and dementia as part of its support for Purple Tuesday, Britain's first accessible shopping day, on Nov. 13, reports the Manchester Evening News . From 10 to 11 every Tuesday morning, eight Asda stores in Manchester will pilot an hour where locals with autism and dementia can have a more relaxing shopping experience. Asda has collaborated with the Alzheimer's Society to create and deliver Dementia Friends Awareness Sessions to colleagues, helping them better understand the disease and cultivate a more pleasant visit for customers. By year's end, 200 Asda colleagues will have become Dementia Friends. The "Inclusive Hour" will include eliminating many electronic distractions, such as music and display TVs, lowering lighting levels, and not making announcements.