Shops and disabled people

[day-break]

Disabled people would yes

[andrejuan]

There was a time when most shops had a chair by the counter. The owner of the shop served you, and cared about making you a satisfied customer (usually).

Retailing is now more a science, we are herded like sheep to get the most money from us.

 

When supermarkets make shopping like a long walk, with no rest options, you may as well use local small traders on an actual street and maybe one might still have a chair :-)

[Jpeters]

Disabled people would yes

 

Strawman.

 

The majority of people in the country, the customer base for these shops. Not many people would need seats around the shop, so it wouldn't be good business sense to dot seats around.

[onewheeldave]

You think the majority of people would swap choice of products for a chair?

Disabled people would yes

Additionally, most non-disabled people are going to have a friend/relative who is disabled, or perhaps sufficient sense of social responsibility to appreciate that they see the value of the odd chair for those who need it.

[Jpeters]

Additionally, most non-disabled people are going to have a friend/relative who is disabled, or perhaps sufficient sense of social responsibility to appreciate that they see the value of the odd chair for those who need it.

 

We aren't talking about disabled people as a whole (which number millions), but people who specifically able to walk through short aisles (let's say 20 metres long) as well as walking into the shop itself, but unable to walk through a long aisle (let's say 40 metres long). That is quite a specific group of people.

[onewheeldave]

We aren't talking about disabled people as a whole (which number millions), but people who specifically able to walk through short aisles (let's say 20 metres long) as well as walking into the shop itself, but unable to walk through a long aisle (let's say 40 metres long). That is quite a specific group of people.

 

Chairs in stores would be for that group, plus any others that would benefit from the opportunity to sit for a while, such as-

 

the elderly, mothers with heavy shopping, disabled people who, despite being able on some days to walk 40m are not able to on that particular day, etc, etc.

[ECCOnoob]

The last thing any shop wants is people sitting down for a while.

 

If you are on the shop floor they want you wandering around looking at the goods and buying.

 

From the larger stores they will argue that they have instore restaurants and coffee shops which allow customers an opporunity to sit down and have a break (....providing you are spending more money on their catering of course...).

 

As I have said before, the unfortunate fact is we are not in 1950 any more. The days of sitting down whilst a sales assistant gives you personal attention and fetches and carries your goods are long gone (with the execption of the rare and extremely expensive boutique stores). Those who still want that, can pay the price.

 

We also have advances in technology now, with the advent of internet shopping, home deliveries and click and collect which are all available to those who struggle getting around big stores or have limited mobility.

 

With respect to those unfortunate enough to have any sort of mobility issue, the clear fact is that the majority of shoppers (particuarly in any sort of store that has an aisle layout) want to be in, grab their stuff and out.

 

Any business with an 'Aisle layout' = high volume, high footfall, high turnover and very self service. It is not conducive to offering seating areas mid store nor to having groups of people sitting around. Clusters of people sitting around reduce retail floor space, reduce the amount of goods on offer and would get in the way of those customers wanting to get on with their business.

 

Unless the DDA changes and provides more mandatory rules, shops will do absolutely no more than they have to. Footfall, sales and the needs of the majority will always outweigh the needs of a few.

Edited December 26, 2016 by ECCOnoob

[Olive]

There's an increasing need to make our neighbourhoods more accessable to not only the disabled, but for the older, frailer population, the numbers of which are rising every year. If we want people to be as independant as possible for as long as possible, we need to make going out a less daunting prospect.

 

There's actually a sizeable population of people who aren't classed as disabled, but struggle over longer distances. Its these people that need encouragement to keep active rather than give up the ghost and slide down that 'slippery slope of inactivity' (technical terminology, honestly!).

 

Its a no-brainer, the benefits of keeping active and socially engaged are well known, and its hardly rocket science to have a bit more seating in public areas, if it makes getting out of the house seem like less like tackling a triathlon.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Olive

[Anna B]

There's an increasing need to make our neighbourhoods more accessable to not only the disabled, but for the older, frailer population, the numbers of which are rising every year. If we want people to be as independant as possible for as long as possible, we need to make going out a less daunting prospect.

 

There's actually a sizeable population of people who aren't classed as disabled, but struggle over longer distances. Its these people that need encouragement to keep active rather than give up the ghost and slide down that 'slippery slope of inactivity' (technical terminology, honestly!).

Its a no-brainer, the benefits of keeping active and socially engaged are well known, and its hardly rocket science to have a bit more seating in public areas, if it makes getting out of the house seem like less like tackling a triathlon.

 

I agree that people need to keep as active as possible for as long as possible, but the thing is, if a supermarket allowed me a little rest half way round, I would then be able to tackle the other half, whereas with no rest at all, I am more likely to go with internet shopping and get even less exercise.

[medusa]

Very very few shoppers want them. The vast majority of customers would prefer the floor space to be used for stock so that we have a wider range of products to choose from.

 

Well, I'm one of the ones who can no longer make it around a large shop, even if I park right outside the doors, so I haven't been in a supermarket or other large shop for months because I know that trying will result in frustration, pain and a feeling of defeat (and I will still not have whatever I went in for).

 

If they don't deliver to me then they lose my business purely because I can't stand at checkouts or do ever longer aisles looking for items.

 

---------- Post added 27-12-2016 at 21:45 ----------

 

We aren't talking about disabled people as a whole (which number millions), but people who specifically able to walk through short aisles (let's say 20 metres long) as well as walking into the shop itself, but unable to walk through a long aisle (let's say 40 metres long). That is quite a specific group of people.

 

Actually no, you're talking about a group who can manage little aisles and COULD manage longer if they had somewhere to rest before starting it, but who don't feel able to start taking on the whole length of the shop repeatedly to pick up a few items.

 

---------- Post added 27-12-2016 at 21:49 ----------

 

Chairs in stores would be for that group, plus any others that would benefit from the opportunity to sit for a while, such as-

 

the elderly, mothers with heavy shopping, disabled people who, despite being able on some days to walk 40m are not able to on that particular day, etc, etc.

 

The biggest issue I can see is that if you have one chair, what happens when you have one person already sitting down and an elderly person who is struggling comes up. Who decides who is actually the right person to be allowed the chair? Does that mean that one chair becomes 2, becomes a seating area, becomes a lost area for sales?

 

I'm not arguing one way or the other BTW, I can see both sides of why it currently doesn't happen. In my opinion it's shortsighted of retailers to exclude those with disabilities and those who lack stamina due to age or injury, but it's their own bottom line that they answer for and I'm not going to try to argue that there should be changes in the law to force retailers to provide seating areas every few aisles.