RETHINKING THE GROCERY STORE: INCLUSIVE WAYFINDING SYSTEM FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED SHOPPERS IN GROCERY STORES

Authors

  • Doaa Khattab OCAD University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v5i2.104

Keywords:

Grocery store, Wayfinding, visually impaired shoppers, vision impairment, accessibility, inclusive design, sensory environment.

Abstract

Many people with disabilities face considerable barriers while shopping in grocery stores.  One such barrier is that they cannot find their way around easily, especially when they visit the grocery store for the first time and have not yet built a cognitive map in their memory. They may also experience delays in finding the right product or waiting for assistance from store employees, thus leading them to rely on family, friends, relatives, or volunteers to help them with their shopping. Problems start when these people are not available, in which case the individual is forced to cancel their visit to the grocery store and reschedule the trip. Grocery stores include many different zones and services, the aisles area being one of the main barriers to access for people with different disabilities. This area features many different sections such as canned goods, dry packaged goods, spices, drinks and snacks, baking supplies, baby items, cereals, cleaning products, pet supplies, and health and beauty items. For visually impaired individuals, however, it can be hard to reach these various sections and find the relevant products. The objective of this research is to design an inclusive and innovative wayfinding system in grocery stores for visually impaired shoppers in order to help them find the center zone, orient between different aisles, decide where to go, move easily between different sections, and select products with ease. The research approach will be based on the literature review and the application of the Delphi method.

Author Biography

Doaa Khattab, OCAD University

Doaa`s educational background is in the discipline of architecture, interior design, and inclusive design. Doaa has more than 10 years’ experience in architecture and interior design field, she was involved in designing different types of projects such as residential, corporate office, retail, and hospitality projects. Part of my role as a designer was to develop programs for projects, conceptual design, design development, construction drawings, and contract administration. Doaa`s objective is to design the environment by using Inclusive design approach which will help in understanding the user`s need in order to proceed with the holistic thinking, ideating, and creating process. 

References

. AODA. (2010, July). Final proposed accessible built environment standard. Retrieved from http://www.cou.on.ca/policy-advocacy/accessibility/legislation---regulation/l-r-pdfs/final-proposed-accessible-built-environment-standa

. Chien Hsu, C. (2007). The Delphi technique: Making sense of consensus. Practical assessment, research & evaluation. Retrieved from http://pareonline.net/pdf/v12n10.pdf

. Dorta, T. S. (2008). Design flow and ideation. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 6(3), 299–316.

. Greenhouse, E. S. Human-centered design.

. Gunaydin, H.M. (n.d.). The Delphi method. Retrieved from http://web.iyte.edu.tr/~muratgunaydin/delphi.htm

. Hajibabai, L., Delvar, M., Malek, M., & Frank, A. (2006). Spatial cognition and wayfinding strategy during building fire. Retrieved from http://www.icsc-rome.org/archive/2006/Abstracts/Extended_Abstracts/E_Hajibabai.pdf

. Hsu, C. C., & Sandford, B. A. (2007). The Delphi technique: Making sense of consensus. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 12(10), 1–8.

. Huelat, B. J. (2007, October). Wayfinding: Design for understanding. Retrieved from https://www.healthdesign.org/sites/default/files/WayfindingPositionPaper.pdf

. Humphery, K. (1998). Shelf life: Supermarkets and the changing cultures of consumption. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

. Innovation, C. R. (2007). Wayfinding design guidelines. Retrieved from Construction-Innovation. http://www.constructioninnovation.info/images/pdfs/Publications/Industry_publications/CRC0002_CRC_Wayfindig_Guidelines.pdf

. Lindstrom, H., & Malmsten, M. (2008). User-centred design and agile development: Rebuilding the Swedish national union catalogue. Code4Lib Journal, 5.

Downloads

Published

2015-11-29

How to Cite

Khattab, D. (2015). RETHINKING THE GROCERY STORE: INCLUSIVE WAYFINDING SYSTEM FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED SHOPPERS IN GROCERY STORES. Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, 5(2), 125–156. https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v5i2.104

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2015): Journal of Accessibility and Design for All

Section

Architecture and Construction

License

Authors who publish with Journal of Accessibility and Design for All agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share or adapt the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Use of the work for commercial purposes are not allowed.
  2. Authors are able to publish the journal's published version of the work in other media  (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as far as they inform the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All of that fact. When publishing their work in other sources, authors must mention the name of the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, its ISSN, the number and issue in which the article was published and a link to the main page of the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All. Optionally, they can also include a link to the article published in the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website), as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.