Wheelchair access in shops

charleyzee

Oh Kingfisher, I can so relate to this! I love The Works & I must say there staff are always friendly & polite. However, our local store is completely cluttered & a nightmare to manouevre around! You have inspired me to contact their Head Office - I am really impressed with their reaction to your complaint. If a small store like that can do it, then my huge Dunelm Mill have no excuse whatsover!

kingfisherblue wrote: »

A couple of years ago, I couldn't take my son into The Works as his (child size) wheelchair could not fit into the shop, so close were the displays to the door. I rang their head office and asked why this was the case - didn't they have to consider disabled people? I also pointed out that on many occasions when my son wasn't with me, there were piles of stock on the floor, which could be dangerous.

The safety officer at The Works visited the shop anonymously a few days later. The manager was then reprimanded about the lack of disability access and the dangers to members of the public. Staff were re-trained in customer safety and were reminded that The Works policy is to have a minimum distance between any displays (I can't remember the distance, but it was sufficient to comfortably allow an aadult sized wheelchair to fit through).

Needless to say, this branch has been okay since. The head office also issued me with a £5 voucher to spend in store or online, by way of apology.

If people don't report the local branches to head office for breaches in access and/or safety, then little can be done. Shop assistants at the till might not be that bothered about the problems that others have in getting around (I know some will be concerned, but not all).

Definitely contact the head office - it won't just help you, it could help others as well.

fogartyblue.

charleyzee wrote: »

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!

Then why is it that when I visit two branches regularly, Trafford Park and Canterbury, do I see quite a fair few mums with pushchairs moving around with no difficulty. The one in Canterbury whilst being a newish building, was once a furniture store (Courts) and to access the upper floor you have 22 steps to climb. Mum's with children still manage!
As for the staff, well you get that everywhere don't you?

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'.

Eerrr isn't 18% a minority? It was when I was involved with maths - 82% is a majority!!

There is a whole world of difference between a buggy/puschair and a full size wheelchair, never mind those ridiculous electric scooters that are the size of a G Wizz http://www.businessinsider.com/the-worlds-ten-tiniest-cars-2009-12#4-the-reva-g-wiz-7
and should be left in the car park!

My daughter has 3 children 11, 5 and 16 months, she doesn't have any problems when she goes out! She arranges her transportation needs in advance. She doesn't take out her huge Jane Rider system, but uses a simpler fold up model.
I have no problem with the light wheelchairs, but as a shopper I do object to those huge electric ones!

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.

And as I have said, you also have to have consideration for the shop manager who is under extreme pressure to achieve his targets.

24skins

It's the local shops that drive me nuts - while I totally understand that individual shopkeepers won't have the resources to provide more floor space it is so frustrating to not be able to just pop in for a pint of milk...

moose1982

charleyzee wrote: »

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.

It is a troll indeed, he keeps popping up when the mods finally close an account, he just makes another. He is just here to annoy anyone who isn't him, so just ignore him and keep chatting about problems you face. Oh and tell others to ignore him too and not get wound up about his comments.

charleyzee

"And as I have said, you also have to have consideration for the shop manager who is under extreme pressure to achieve his targets" Fogarty, repeating the same point over & over doesn't make it any more valid. Nor does it stand up to the very strong arguments presented here.


As for feeling sorry for the shop manager, I'm not sure what that even has to do with company policy with regard to disabled access - in Dunelm Mill's case, it is their company policy which is at fault, though the manager I dealt with at my local store did not help. As regards the company owners, I find it very hard to feel sorry for them: quoting from the Daily Telegraph, Sept 2011, “the Adderley family will be rewarded with a dividend of £9.5m after Dunelm Mill, the homewares retailer, posted a strong set of profits.” Shame some of those profits aren't used towards providing a better service to ALL of their customers.

charleyzee

Many thanks for that. I suspected as such. Only a troll would be willing to share their bigotry and ignorance on a public forum!

moose1982 wrote: »

It is a troll indeed, he keeps popping up when the mods finally close an account, he just makes another. He is just here to annoy anyone who isn't him, so just ignore him and keep chatting about problems you face. Oh and tell others to ignore him too and not get wound up about his comments.

blossomhill_2

fogartyblue. wrote: »

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

I understand that Googling "RBS DDA " brings up a case where RBS was made to incur capital costs to prevent discrimination happening again - lots of coins there for them to look at both sides of!

Instead of being so patronising and telling others to "be a bit more sensible" why don't you be a bit more adult and imagine life if you couldn't access everyday services. My DD couldn't get to changing rooms that were up two steps but the shop happily offered to take her money and let her try the clothes on at home and bring them back if they didnt fit - a 10 mile round trip!

Another shop, without a lift, recommended she go up an escaltor in her wheelchair, even though there was a sign saying it wasn't even safe for buggies!

charleyzee

Hi Blossom,

I just found that link - http://techblog.brodies.com/2009/11/23/court-ruling-on-reasonable-adjustments-under-the-dda/
Thank you for that - it's reassuring to see a court will back up such a complaint. I will add that link to my letter to Dunelm Mill's big boss!

formaldehyde_perfume, I agree with you about Wilkinsons - they only prove that a large store can see lots of goods but still allow room for customers. At my local Wilkos, I asked if they would move the wheelchair trolleys nearer the exit - when I next visited, they had done just that and, as soon as I entered the store, a staff-member actually offered to get me one!

Anubis_2

fogartyblue. wrote: »

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.

Since when is 18 inch 6 feet? No one is expecting the isles to be 6 ft wide at all, 2 ft would be nice though! Claire's is diabolical, and The Works have basket displays right at the doors.

A shop manager should be concerned about making the shop accessible to all if they want to meet targets..... If the shop is not accessible to all, ans a shop manager is aware that disabled people are struggling, then it is their job to inform the Company liason manager, or bring the issue to the attention of the company.

If I employed a shop manager and found that disabled people where struggling in my store and the manager had not brought it to my attention, knowing the problem existed, they would soon be an ex-shop manager.

BigJen

18" becomes six foot when the person measuring is a male!
Fogarty Blue picked on the wrong group with us. He is trying single-handedly (note the hyphen!) leading to high street shops closing. I am disabled and not even in a wheelchair but have balance issues, am tall and clumsy and can't cope with steps. I tend to shop online now and if customer service is like this chose other options and tell them so. We should not be discriminated against in this way and just so the Tory profit led troll knows we are all being forced into jobs we are not physically capable of doing so will need full access then to aisles AND shelves so better get your wallet out and start dealing with it.
"If there are spelling errors blame my MS - if there are selling errors blame the store managers!" :T