Canadian Retailer - Winter 2014 - 21

5. Treat the front entrance

8. Bring universal design to employees

Front entrances are places where retailers
can make an immediate difference for some
customers, says Jeff Hardy, Head of Retail Design at Quadrangle Architects. Entrances with
a step or steep ramp can create difficulties for
some customers. "Even one step can be difficult for a person who is aging," says Hardy.
Doors should have power assistance. And
retailers whose front doors exit to the outside
should take extra care to create a stable surface
because, for many, the transition from dry interiors to wet exteriors can create challenges.

Customers have disabilities-everything from
mobility issues, to sensory challenges, to mental health problems. Employees have these disabilities, too. One of the ways retailers can make
themselves retain employees is to adhere to
principles of accessibility and universal design.

6. Add chairs to the store

As boomers age, they will need assistance inside the retail environment. One of the easiest
ways for retailers to help these customers is to
provide seating in the store. Athletes on crutches
and mothers with babies will appreciate a place
to sit, too. A mix of chairs-some with arms and
some without arms-will cater to different age
and body types. Retailers in malls or strip plazas
might want to negotiate with landlords about
getting more seating on the property.

9. Have an evacuation plan

McCannell says that businesses work hard
to create access into their stores. What many
businesses forget is to develop plans for how to
get people out of their stores in emergencies.
"They make it easy to get in but it's hard to
get out," he says.
Retailers should consult with the local fire
authorities about evacuation plans. What does
the retailer do if a fire breaks out? How do they
help people with different disabilities to get
out of the store? Are exits clearly marked in
a way that's universally accessible? Are there
multiple exit points in the store?

7. Audit the store's website for
WCAG compliance

A store's website is one place where universal design can have a huge ROI, particularly
with a demographic of customers with mobility issues who rely heavily on e-commerce for
their shopping.
Retailers in Ontario will need to make their
websites comply with the accessibility standards created by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.0. Retailers in other provinces will
want to follow suit because WCAG brings the
design of websites to a level that is accessible by the largest number of people. And
even though the Government of Ontario isn't
requiring businesses with fewer than 50 employees to align their websites with WCAG,
the universal standards of WCAG will help
them reach more desktop browsers and mobile devices.
Herrington reminds retailers that outgoing
communications, like a website, speak to customers, but they also allow customers to speak
back to the retailer. Use these touch-points to
request and receive feedback. "You want to
provide good customer service but you need to
get feedback. To get that feedback, reach customers through multiple channels," she says.

www.retailcouncil.org/training/retailersguides

Creating the right space for customers is crucial.
10. Train staff on how to serve customers
with disabilities

Herrington says that retailers need to train
staff concerning ways to serve customers with
disabilities to meet their needs.
"When somebody with a disability enters the
store, the employee should be prepared to serve
them with knowledge and compassion to ensure
that they receive excellent service,'" she says.

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Canadian Retailer - Winter 2014

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