Wheelchair access in shops

charleyzee

Many thanks for that - will call them after the Easter weekend!

charleyzee

After discussing this on Facebook, I have learnt that my local Dunelm Mill is not unique - rude staff, over-stuffed shelves, and cluttered aisles. A friend raised the issue of fire safety & I would like to report the store for breaching fire safety regulations. Does anyone know who I report them to? I can't seem to find any contact details for my local fire service - even their own website has no contact details!

fogartyblue.

Retail shops rent their stores.

They are in business to sell and as such need to display as much stock as they can.

They certainly can't afford to have aisles 6' wide as that is valuable trading space.

Yes I know that those in wheelchairs do have problems, but you should also consider the stores themselves.

They try to cater for the majority which unfortunately does not sometimes include the disabled in chairs and come to think of it those big electric scooters.

The shops have to try to reach a balance between stocking the shopfloor and leaving adequate space for customers.

Personally I wouldn't be too pleased if I went in a shop that you could roller skate around in yet had very little stock on display.

As for the original poster stating that New Look in the Trafford Centre was terrible, I will have a word with my sister in law who is the manager there next time I go in.

You can't please everybody all of the time.

OneYorkshireLass

fogartyblue. wrote: »

Personally I wouldn't be too pleased if I went in a shop that you could roller skate around in yet had very little stock on display.

^ That's Zara!

blossomhill_2

I am often appalled at the lack of compliance with DDA by stores that use the counter space and space just in front of it to stock extra goods - often rolls of wrapping paper (esp Boots at Christmas).
If I come across it I email the manager - some email back and say they will bear it in mind when they redesign the store - to which I send a very sharp "you are breaking the law NOW - get it sorted" and check next time and see they have stopped it
Claires stores are so small they may be exempt as small premesis only have to do what is reasonable, and under DDA they can offer reasonable adjustments, so something like a helpful member of staff coud be their get out

Fogarty - I am afraid I disgree with your points, the store have to comply with the law, not strike a balance or please everybody, your SIL may need to read up on DDA, it as been a legal requirement for many years now

charleyzee

We're not asking for six foot aisles - that would be ridiculous. We're simply asking for the same access that able-bodied people have.

There is a line to be drawn between having shelves fully-stocked and having them over-flowing into aisles where they are blocking access and breaking not only disability laws but also fire safety regulations. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes it the store owner's responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone who uses the premises and the immediate vicinity. A specific requirement of this law is that, in any public space, including shops, ‘Exits must be clearly marked with exit signs and they must be kept clear and readily available’

I'm suspecting a troll actually, as I find the comment about New Look slightly suspicious! With that in mind, I won't waste any effort responding further.
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carlislelass

our Dunelm has 3 steps to the entrance then another 4 halfway between departments...no wheelchair access at all.

fogartyblue.

charleyzee wrote: »

We're not asking for six foot aisles - that would be ridiculous. We're simply asking for the same access that able-bodied people have.

There is a line to be drawn between having shelves fully-stocked and having them over-flowing into aisles where they are blocking access and breaking not only disability laws but also fire safety regulations. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes it the store owner's responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone who uses the premises and the immediate vicinity. A specific requirement of this law is that, in any public space, including shops, ‘Exits must be clearly marked with exit signs and they must be kept clear and readily available’

I'm suspecting a troll actually, as I find the comment about New Look slightly suspicious! With that in mind, I won't waste any effort responding further.

Yes the laws are there, but the reality is that stores have to trade.
It is a juggling act if you are the store manager. You can please the disabled in chairs and those scooters but at what cost?

The manager has to reach his targets and whilst he/she may attempt to comply with every regulation under the sun, it is not always entirely possible.

Some disabled in chairs that I have met, do have a bee in their bonnett about what they are entitled to and shout loud enough about it.

All I am saying is that the 'majority' of people have to be accommodated for which sometimes does not include the disabled in chairs! It's the practicality of running a retail store.

Be a bit more sensible and understand that there are two sides to every coin!

As for being a troll - I am not!
And as for New Look, yes my SIL is the store manager for the Trafford Centre outlet. She lives just across the road, under the M62 in a little place called Davyhulme!

kingfisherblue

Fogartyblue, whilst I understand your point about the majority having to be caterred for, presumably if a wheelchair user cannot access aisles within a store, neither can a parent with a pushchair or pram.

Parents and disabled people are both customers with money to spend. Why antagonise them?

(Incidentally, I used to work in retail before I became my son's carer - our shop was small, in an old building, and was an independent without the funds to spend lots of money on it. It didn't stop us from keeping the aisles clear and tidy, even though we were only able to carry out all duties, including shelf stacking, cleaning, etc during the hours we were open - no one was paid after 5.30pm)

charleyzee

Carlisle Lass: "Our Dunelm has 3 steps to the entrance then another 4 halfway between departments...no wheelchair access at all" That is ridiculous nowadays, isn't it ?! Not only does this totally prevent access to disabled people, but also many of their customers are parents with pushchairs. I can understand if the building is listed or something but I doubt a Dunelm Mill would be listed... I know it won't make you feel any better but, from a discussion I've had with friends on FB, the rude apathetic staff in my local store seem to be typical of every branch!

Fogarty: 'the disabled' represent 18% of the population so we are hardly a minority! Add to this the number of parents trying to navigate pushchairs around a store, I think you may find that it is you who is in the minority - especially in your narrow-minded views of 'the disabled in chairs'.


As for your comment, "Some disabled in chairs that I have met, do have a bee in their bonnett (sic) about what they are entitled to and shout loud enough about it", I feel terribly sorry for you that you have met so many nasty disabled people - though perhaps it is your attitude to the 'disabled in chairs' which trigger this response?! I am certainly not asking for extra entitlement - I am merely asking for the same rights as I had when I was able-bodied, rights which I am entitled to by law. Indeed, as I'm sure any of us 'disabled in chairs' will tell you, we compromise daily and do not moan – I have been walked into, sat on, elbowed, ignored, stared at, and shouted at – I do not shout about it. I simply accept it as part of the ignorance of certain members of society (then go home and have a good cry).

In fact, I have had friends who are neither disabled nor pram-pushers who have agreed with me about the cluttered aisles in Dunelm Mill. Along with this, plus the fire & safety risk, I don't actually think you have a leg to stand on - which would, of course, make you yourself one of 'the disabled in chairs'.

I think Kingfisherblue says it best: 'I used to work in retail before I became my son's carer - our shop was small, in an old building, and was an independent without the funds to spend lots of money on it. It didn't stop us from keeping the aisles clear and tidy, even though we were only able to carry out all duties, including shelf stacking, cleaning, etc during the hours we were open - no one was paid after 5.30pm' . It is simply about consideration for fellow human beings, something which you sadly seem to lack.