Marketplace Accessibility in the Retail Sector: Incorporating Universal Design Principles to Identify Common Issues and Develop a Model for Change

Organization

Consumers' Association of Canada (CAC), Manitoba Branch

Published

2006

Summary

In an effort to better understand and begin to seek solutions to the challenges imposed by physical barriers, a project aimed at analyzing the presence and nature of physical marketplace barriers in the retail sector was initiated in April 2005. The purpose of the project was to assess and analyze the current state of retail settings with respect to physical barriers and to develop and test a survey tool that could serve as a stand-alone assessment tool for future analyses. The purpose of the survey research was to assess the current state of design features in retail settings and to test a proposed survey tool and to examine its feasibility as a stand-alone tool for future, independent assessments. Survey teams tested the survey in 16 different retail settings in three Canadian cities: Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Toronto. Surveyors included both consumers living with disabilities as well as consumers drawn from the population at large. Surveyors were instructed to complete the survey based on a specific shopping trip rather than an overall assessment of a particular setting. Based on the focus group and survey results it is evident that a stand-alone tool is feasible. The initial design and development of the survey posed several challenges, in particular the need to balance the assessment requirements of a complex issue with participant requirements for a tool that is clear and concise.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database