Good Practice Guide: The Retail Experience

Contents

Introduction
Foreword
Who should read this guide
The costly truth
What can customers with sight problems see?
How to improve the shopping experience of customers with sight loss
Become an outstanding retailer
Guiding basics
Support from NCBI: working towards an accessible future
Acknowledgements and contacts

Introduction

This retail guide was produced by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the UK, with assistance from NCBI, to create a more accessible shopping environment for people who are blind or vision impaired. RNIB has given NCBI permission to reproduce this guide from an Irish perspective.

Foreword

Going shopping is an activity which most people take for granted, but for people who are blind or vision impaired it can create a range of challenges. Locating shop doorways, finding shop assistants to help and selecting and paying for goods can all pose significant difficulties.

Making shopping accessible and enjoyable for customers who are blind or vision impaired isn't difficult. It just requires retailers to consider accessibility issues in their planning and ask customers who are blind or vision impaired what works for them.

RNIB has worked with other visual impairment organisations to produce this guide to support the retail industry. The guide sets out good practice in meeting the needs of customers who are blind or vision impaired throughout the shopping experience.

The guide will assist large multiples and department stores as well as small independent retailers. We hope that you will use the guide to improve the shopping experience for your existing and potential customers who are blind or vision impaired.

Fazilet Hadi
RNIB Group Director Inclusive Society

Who should read this guide

The guide will assist large multiples and department stores as well as small independent retailers. We want to support you to make the services you provide more accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired and help you think of ways to consult directly with your customers who are blind or vision impaired about their needs and how you can best meet them.

NCBI accessibility statement

NCBI believes that people who are blind or vision impaired should enjoy full access to the world around them. This includes being able to shop for goods and services in ways which meet their particular needs and makes shopping an enjoyable experience. We are committed to working with the retail industry to achieve these aims.

Equality law

The Equal Status Acts 2000–2004 prohibit discrimination on nine grounds, including disability, in the provision of goods and services including access to and use of services to the public, whether for free or whether the goods are charged for.

It sets out the obligations on service providers to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities through making reasonable changes in what they do and how they do it. For more information see the section on exercising your rights.

The costly truth

Over 240,000 people in Ireland are living with sight loss [1]. Bottom line: how much of this substantial and lucrative market is your business missing out on?
¹ Deloitte Access Economics, 'The Economic Impact of Vision Impairment and Blindness in the Republic of Ireland', May 2011.
Key barriers to accessibility
Based on findings from a survey of 150 people who are blind or vision impaired in the UK²:

• 79 per cent stated that if a shop is difficult to navigate, it would stop them shopping there again.
• 96 per cent experienced difficulty reading signs.
• 95 per cent experienced difficulty reading labels.
• 73 per cent had to avoid obstacles in aisles.
• 89 per cent felt their shopping experience would be improved if the shop assistant would just read out their bill.

[2] One hundred and fifty members who are blind or vision impaired tell us about their experience of shopping as part of a telephone survey for Go! Shop, RNIB 2009/10. Visit rnib.org.uk/goshop for more information.

Small improvements to your services will not only benefit your business but will have a positive impact on the shopping experience for people who are blind or vision impaired and create loyal customers.

To make your services accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired, this guide will help you to address the key barriers to shopping experienced by customers with sight loss.

What can customers with sight problems see?

Being blind does not always mean that a person is living in total darkness. Many blind people and the majority of people with low vision can recognise a friend at arm's length.

Other people will be affected by eye conditions in different ways: some will have no central vision or no vision to the sides; others may see a patchwork of blank and defined areas, or else everything may be seen as a vague blur.

• Glaucoma can result in tunnel vision, where all side vision is lost and only central vision remains.
• Diabetic retinopathy can cause blurred or patchy vision.
• Macular degeneration can lead to a loss of central vision whilst side vision remains.

How to improve the shopping experience of customers with sight loss

RNIB has researched the shopping journeys of many people who are blind or vision impaired from the time they contemplate going to the shops to paying for their goods.

Implementing good practice standards at key barrier points in the shopping journey will transform the negative experiences of people who are blind or vision impaired into positive ones.

Getting to and arriving at the shops

'When there's a person like me who is blind or other people as well who are partially sighted, a staff member should come up to them and say "Would you like to be helped?", "Is there anything I can do?", "Can I show you anything or can I point anything out to you?" or "Would you mind being helped?"'

Many shoppers who are blind or vision impaired experience difficulty locating and navigating escalators, stairs, steps, lifts and ramps.

Good practice

• Apply colour contrast (a combination of light and dark, e.g. dark text on a light background) hazard strips to the edge of escalator steps, stairs and handrails.
• Provide accessible hand-held maps, e.g. tactile, large print or 'Map for All'.

If staff see someone with a sight problem who they think may need help, they should introduce themselves, make sure the person knows they are speaking to them, explain who they are, and ask if assistance is needed. Let them state what kind of help they may need.

Customer care

A person who is blind has a high degree of vision loss. About 5 per cent of blind people are totally blind – most can distinguish between light and dark. People who have low vision have a less severe loss of vision. It is important for your staff to be aware that not all people with sight loss carry a white cane or use a guide dog, and not all deaf-blind people carry a white cane with red bands. People who are blind or vision impaired do of course shop independently but others may need assistance.

Good practice

• Designate a clearly defined 'customer service' area adjacent to the entrance that customers know is monitored and that they can wait there for assistance.
• When your staff see a customer in need of assistance, they should introduce themselves, explain who they are, and ask if assistance is needed.
• Offer assistance to shoppers by guiding and helping them throughout the shopping journey.

Navigating and locating

'My friend picks, I push the trolley. The main problem for me is the fact that sometimes the staff in the supermarket leave the pallets in the aisles, or there might be something left on the floor. These are the kinds of things I can't see and will bang in to. Similarly, they might have a floor cleaner out – like a buffer – with a cable. You might be able to make out the machine because it's quite big, but the cable can trip you up.'

Getting around and finding the right products can be difficult, especially when goods are periodically rearranged.

Good practice

• Keep aisles as clutter free as possible with enough space for easy navigation, including with a guide dog or sighted guide.
• If using floor signs, fit sensors and position where they do not block the aisles.
• Make it easier for customers to find the Customer Services/Information stand. We suggest that the stand should be sited close to the main entrance.

Selecting clothing

'I got into the shop and all I could hear was a lot of indistinct noise. I thought I'd aim for the sides of the shop and made my way towards the sound of people talking. I asked them where the jumpers were. I didn't know if they were staff or customers. But one of them said, "Here are some jumpers". I said that I was blind and that I couldn't see and she took me to them – she didn't ask whether I wanted to be guided, she kind of held my shoulder. I later found out the woman I had asked was a member of staff – although she never said so. I asked her to tell me what jumpers there were for sale. She said there were some grey, black and red jumpers. I said I'd like a grey jumper and she said there were normal or long styles. She didn't offer to describe the style or designs of the jumpers – like whether they were high or low neck, the texture or anything. All she said was "there are long or normal styles".'

Some shoppers may need assistance with selecting fashion items. It is important to allocate suitable staff to ensure effective communication and a better understanding of your customers' needs.

Good practice

• Offer a dedicated service to assist with the fashion needs of men and women, including fitting, styling and colours.
• Provide a small selection of clothing for customers to choose from, including different ages and gender.

Selecting food products

'Another problem for me, shopping alone, is that I find it hard to read small details – so I'll miss out on being able to find the best bargains and the promotions because I can't see them. For someone with sight they'll be able to make comparisons between products in the same range. That's harder for me. I tend to stick to what I know no matter what, which means people like me tend to have to pay more for our shopping.'

Making sense of overhead signs, labels, pricing and packaging information is a major obstacle to fully accessing the services you provide. Accessible information should be available in store on sale items, special offers, benefits available to shoppers with disabilities and your refund and returns policies. Accessibility also extends to your website so you should ensure such information is also available online and that your website is designed to be compatible with access technology supported software.

Good practice

• Use large print text throughout the store but preferably not block capitals. The usual mixture of upper and lower case letters makes word recognition easier for people with impaired vision.
• All of your staff should know which products have Braille labelling, e.g. pharmaceuticals and bleaches.
• Introduce larger font sizes on packaging for important information such as expiry dates, cooking procedures, etc.
• Lighting should be diffused or directed away from shoppers to avoid glare, which can be uncomfortable or painful. All circulation areas and displays should be well lit with no significant changes in light level.
• Introduce colour contrast packaging which helps consumers with a visual impairment that will also suit the needs of mainstream shoppers.
• Introduce large print labels on clothing detailing relevant information (e.g. size, washing instructions)
• Introduce audio labelling on all products. This would enable people with an audio labeller, such as the RNIB PenFriend, to identify the goods they have purchased when they get home.
• If your staff provide assisted shopping, ensure your customer is advised of all relevant information on the goods they require such as different brands, varieties, prices, special offers, etc.

Paying for goods

'When I was at the checkout, they gave me my change, but in my opinion it wasn't given correctly to a person like me that's blind. Say, for instance, I gave them £20. In turn they should have said, "Here's a five pound note, a two pound coin, a one pound coin and a ten pence piece" and put it properly in my hand and said "put it away safe before you leave the store".'

Differing chip and pin machines with small screen displays, and having to quickly identify coins, bank notes and credit cards can be stressful and leads to queue delays.

Good practice
At point of sale, your sales staff should read out the final cost of the shopping bill, confirm the amount of money handed to them, and count out any change handed back to the customer, placing the change and receipt in the customer's hand.

Card and cash payments

'I usually pay by debit card. I'm happy enough dealing with cash, but I often use the cash-back service at the supermarket rather than making a separate trip to the cash point. The chip and pin machines are sometimes awkward because they don't all use the same layout.'

Good practice

• Ensure that your staff can process customer payments using chip and signature cards, if required.
• Introduce large-button chip and pin (PED) machines with a standardised number layout, with a raised button (or blister) on the number 5 to assist with identification.
• Assistance may be needed to place credit cards into (PED) machines and with locating the number 5 digit. Your staff should enquire if assistance is needed.
• Ensure that your (PED) machines do not incorporate additional or complex menu items and selections as part of the transaction.
• Your sales staff should be advised not to put crisp flat banknotes and springy receipts onto a customer's hand on top of coins. They very often fall off before the customer can close his/her hand on them.

On departure

'I then had to make my way back to the exit of the store unassisted. Overall, I felt the experience of shopping there an unpleasant one. I felt uncomfortable and anxious. When I asked for assistance, [the response] it was only half hearted.'

It makes good business sense for your customers to leave your establishment having had a good shopping experience.

Good practice

• Staff should guide customers back to the shop entrance and enquire whether transport is required, e.g. a taxi.

Become an outstanding retailer

Top five tips to make shopping more accessible today for customers with sight loss

1. Take a walk around one of your stores – are the aisles clutter free?

A step further: Talk to NCBI about an expert guided walk.

2. Ask your web experts if your website is easily accessible for someone using access technology.

A step further: Visit www.cfit.ie to get lots of information and advice about web access design and other useful facts.

3. Check your packaging – does it have clear font size and layout?

A step further: Check your packaging against NCBI’s Make it Clear guidelines or ask our experts to review it for you. Ensure it has clear layout, good visual contrast and a clear font. Visit http://www.ncbi.ie/services/services-for-organisations/making-print-and-multimedia-accessible-mcs/make-it-clear

4. Try to pay with a chip and signature card.

A step further: Ensure your customer-facing staff know what to do with chip and signature card payments and remind them about it through internal staff magazines.

5. Be 'cash clever' – tell customers how much to pay, and how much change there is.

A step further: Ensure your customer-facing staff confirm the total amount payable and count out cash handed back to all customers, including cash back amounts. People like to know which notes they are given.

Guiding basics

If your offer of assistance is accepted, ask where the person wants to go and how they would like to be guided. Ask if they would like to take your arm, and if there is room to walk side by side, stand next to them and let them take hold of your arm with their fingers in the crook of your elbow.

You can keep your arm pointing downwards or you can bend it, as long as you keep your upper arm straight. By walking hand to arm in this way the person you are guiding will be at least half a pace behind you, making it easier to tell when you are turning by the movement of your body.

Steps, stairs and slopes:

• When you approach steps or a slope, tell the person you are guiding whether the steps go up or down. Wherever possible, they should be on the side with the handrail. If you need to change sides, inform the customer of your intention then ask them to stand still and let go of your guiding arm to allow you to come alongside. Walk towards the handrail and show its position with your guiding arm.
• As you begin to go up steps, the person you are guiding will feel your arm move when you place your weight on the first step. This is their cue to start. As you climb the second step, they are on the first. Tell them when you have reached the last step, stop and allow them to find it with their foot. When they feel their arm resume its normal position they will know that you are both on the level again.
• Going down stairs is always more difficult so give the person you are guiding plenty of time to hold onto the handrail securely and gauge the edge of the first step. Otherwise the technique is the same for going up stairs. Walk one step ahead, stop at the bottom and tell them there are no more steps.
• If you're not as tall as the person you are guiding, arm movements are not so clearly felt, especially as they may have their hand on your shoulder. If you take your first step with the foot on the same side as your guiding arm, the movement is more obvious.
• If the person you are guiding has a guide dog, the dog may be a substitute for the handrail or they may prefer to use both handrail and dog, rejoining you at the bottom of the steps. Approach the person from the side opposite to the dog and do not take hold of the harness or lead, as the guide dog owner needs this to control the dog. Some people prefer to walk at your side without holding your arm. In some situations you can also walk in front and the dog will follow you.

Escalators, travelators and lifts:

• Many people who are blind or vision impaired prefer to avoid escalators so if you are approaching one, ask the person you are guiding if they are happy to use it or if they would prefer an alternative. When you are using an escalator, inform the customer when they are either approaching or on the stepping on/off threshold plate, guide them to the moving handrail and say whether you are going up or down. It is sometimes best if the person you are guiding negotiates the first step by themselves, as escalators are often too narrow to take people side by side. If possible, move ahead on the escalator once you have checked the person you are guiding is safely on it, so that you can help them off. If there is no alternative to using an escalator, you can ask that the escalator is turned off.
• Travelators should be used in the same way and you will need to say when you are reaching the end.
• It is not safe to take a dog on a moving escalator or travelator so you may need to find an alternative. The dog might need to be carried if there is no alternative. Discuss how you will do this or indeed if it is practical.
• Lifts are straightforward. Walk in side by side, if possible, and say whether you are moving up or down. Some people may prefer to be next to the lift wall so that they can steady themselves.

Support from NCBI: working towards an accessible future

Accessible documents

NCBI has created guidelines on producing written information that is accessible to everyone, called the Make it Clear guidelines. We can help make all of your documents accessible for your customers. We can convert your information into Braille, large print or audio as specified by your customer. Using our secure services, we can also provide confidential information on your behalf such as invoices, statements or loyalty card communications.

Disability awareness training

NCBI provides disability awareness to public and private organisations to encourage a greater understanding of the issues around disability and to promote the development of services that are accessible to all. The awareness programme includes practical information on eye conditions, teaching people how to guide a person with sight loss safely, providing information on good practice and advice on adaptations that can be made to assist customers with disabilities.

Accessible technology and websites

NCBI’s Centre for Inclusive Technology (CFIT) provides information, education and assistance in inclusive design and accessibility of websites and other information and communication technologies. CFIT promotes the accessibility of websites and online services, provides advice and assistance to designers and supports the inclusion of people with disabilities in design and evaluation. For more information visit www.cfit.ie.

Accessibility advice and auditing

NCBI’s access audits provide advice on access to buildings, the external environment and public transport. We will assess all of the features of your property and recommend practical solutions to overcome any potential issues. We conduct access audits of existing buildings and design appraisals of both new buildings and redevelopments.

Opening the vision impaired market to you

As a respected retailer, you will be proud that your offer is accessible to all and want customers who are blind or vision impaired to enjoy your services. At NCBI, we publish a quarterly newsletter with a circulation of 4,000 readers, which you may wish to consider in your marketing communications plan to target your offer at this audience.

Acknowledgements and contacts

Acknowledgements

This publication was developed by RNIB in partnership with key organisations which provide services and support to people with sight loss. We would like to thank the following people and organisations for their insight during the production of this guide:

• Niamh Connolly and members of National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI)
• Laura Matthews and members of Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID)
• Douglas Gilroy and members of the National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom
• Anthony Slater and customers of the Thomas Pocklington Trust.

Contacts

NCBI – Working for People with Sight Loss

Telephone: 1850 33 43 53
Email: info@ncbi.ie
Website: www.ncbi.ie

NCBI is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that provides support and services nationwide to people experiencing sight loss as well as a range of services to voluntary, public and private organisations to help them make their services accessible to people.

RNIB

Telephone: 0044 303 123 9999
Email: helpline@rnib.org.uk
Website: rnib.org.uk

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the UK's leading charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people with sight loss and to people who work within the sight loss community. RNIB’s Innovation and Development teams work in partnership with industry to develop accessible technologies and services across a range of sectors. Our focuses include shopping, finance and payment systems, travel, mobile devices and emerging technologies.

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