UNDERSTANDING THE BARRIERS: GROCERY STORES AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED SHOPPERS

Authors

  • Doaa Khattab Department of Inclusive Design OCAD University, Toronto.
  • Julie Buelow Department of Inclusive Design OCAD University, Toronto.
  • Donna Marie Saccuteli Department of Inclusive Design OCAD University, Toronto.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v5i2.105

Keywords:

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

Abstract

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is legislation that aims toward having complete accessibility within the province of Ontario by the year 2025. The accessible built environment is one of the key areas covered by the legislation; therefore, grocery stores, as part of the built environment, should be designed to accommodate shoppers with different abilities.Grocery stores include many different zones and services with the aisles area being one of the main barriers to access for people with impaired vision.  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 to find the relevant products.  The purpose of this paper is to present a study that sought to understand the barriers that shoppers with vision impairment (VI) face in the grocery store`s built environment. The research approach was based on the application of the ethnography method, Think-aloud Protocol (TAP), Interviews, and behavioural mapping method.

Author Biographies

Doaa Khattab, Department of Inclusive Design OCAD University, Toronto.

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.

Julie Buelow, Department of Inclusive Design OCAD University, Toronto.

Julie has a simple mission: Help as many people as possible through usable, accessible design. With over 12 years experience as a web designer and usability testing (UX) specialist, Julie believes that designing with both usability and accessibility in mind from the beginning makes digital products better for everybody. She completed a Master of Design in Inclusive Design at OCAD University. Julie is currently teaching usability studies in Sheridan College’s Bachelor of Interaction Design program and also does contract work specializing in blending both accessibility and usability.

Donna Marie Saccuteli, Department of Inclusive Design OCAD University, Toronto.

Donna Saccutelli, is Professor of Graphic Design at Seneca College with almost three decades of corporate communication, information design and branding experience. She has a BDES from OCAD and is a recent MDES graduate from the IDRC at OCADU. In addition, she is long standing professional member of the RGD Ontario and has garnished many awards both professionally and as an educator. She believes that a user-centric mindset grounds the inclusive thinker to empathize and imagine what others feel. The Inclusive approach “triggers a virtuous cycle of inclusion, leveraging the “curb-cut effect”, and recognizing the interconnectedness of users and systems. (Treviranus 2013)

References

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. Catteneo, Z., & Vecchi, T. (2011). Blurred vision. In Z. Catteneo & T. Vecchi (Eds.), Blind Vision (pp. 11–12). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Retrieved August 2014.

. Hoey, B. (2013). What is ethnography? Retrieved November 2013 from http://www.brianhoey.com/General%20Site/general_defn-ethnography.htm.

. Hanington, B., & Martin, B. (2012). Universal methods of design: 100 ways to research complex problems, develop innovative ideas, and design effective solutions. Minneapolis, MN: Rockport Publishers.

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Published

2015-11-29

How to Cite

Khattab, D., Buelow, J., & Saccuteli, D. M. (2015). UNDERSTANDING THE BARRIERS: GROCERY STORES AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED SHOPPERS. Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, 5(2), 157–173. https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v5i2.105

Issue

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

Section

Architecture and Construction

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