Evri to promote disability inclusion within the logistics industry

Evri today announced a range of doorstep delivery improvements for people living with a condition or impairment and a major partnership with disability equality charity Scope.

New doorstep delivery preferences have launched this week to offer more options for those who might need longer, or who can’t get to the door to accept a delivery.

Evri estimates one in four home deliveries go to consumers with a disability and it unveiled a new ambition to become the most accessible parcel delivery company for consumers, colleagues and couriers with a condition or impairment.

Evri has entered into a three-year partnership with Scope, a leading UK disability equality charity. In the first partnership of its type in the sector, they will work together to promote disability inclusion within the logistics industry and join forces to create lasting and meaningful social change.

The strategic partnership will focus on creating a more accessible and inclusive workplace for both disabled Evri employees and disabled consumers. Scope will support Evri to audit their practices, understand what they need to do to improve and work with them to create and deliver training packages.

Evri will also donate £125,000 to support Scope’s mission to create an equal future with disabled people. Scope campaigns to transform attitudes towards disability, tackle injustice and inspire action. It supports over 4 million disabled people every year by providing information and advice via its helpline and online community and creating employment opportunities.

Evri’s delivery preference enhancements, informed by research conducted with the Research Institute of Disabled Consumers (RiDC), include the ability for disabled consumers to request more time to get to the door and to ring the doorbell instead of knocking. Consumers can add preferences to their account which will apply to every Evri parcel delivery and collection. In addition, Evri is testing a screen reader tool on www.evri.com to make its website accessible and inclusive with features such as colour changes and ADHD support.

This builds on Evri’s ongoing efforts in this space, including the introduction of its Workplace Adjustment Policy and Inclusive Language Guide for employees.

These commitments build on existing partnerships. Evri has worked with the RiDC since 2023 to conduct accessibility research and has previously worked with other organisations to conduct website accessibility audits and with other charities to create employment opportunities for disabled people.

Martijn de Lange, CEO at Evri, said: “Our own research shows that one in four people rely on home deliveries to maintain their independence or improve the quality of their life. We are launching exciting new product developments which will improve services for those with accessibility needs. I’m also very proud of the commitments we have made today which brings Evri another step closer to becoming the most accessible parcel delivery company. Over the next few years, and beyond, we are dedicated to making sure Evri better serves our communities and is an amazing place to work for all. We aim to make a positive impact on the lives of people with a condition or impairment and create a more inclusive and equitable society.”

Amanda Mitchell, Executive Director of Fundraising at Scope, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Evri. There are 16 million disabled people in the UK, reflecting a huge proportion of Evri’s customers and workforce. Our employment experts will be working with Evri to support them in becoming a more accessible and inclusive business for their employees and customers. We are encouraged that Evri is prioritising addressing disability inequality in its business and is committed to learning and improving its practices. It’s only by working together that we will achieve real social change and can create an equal future for disabled people.”

Catherine Cashman, Associate Director of Research at RiDC (Research Institute of Disabled Consumers), said: “RiDC is very pleased to be continuing its collaboration with Evri, which began in February 2023 with research aimed at understanding the needs and expectations of disabled and older people when using parcel delivery services. Thanks to RiDC’s pan-disabled consumer panel, we were able to provide Evri with valuable and actionable insights which they have since taken on board. We are now embarking on further research aimed at ensuring a high level of accessibility of Evri’s website. Our research is entirely based on the direct feedback of disabled and older consumers and so provides a voice for the significant proportion of Evri’s customer base who have a disability, health condition or access need. We look forward to this latest research bringing about further improvements in the accessibility of Evri’s parcel delivery services.”