Shops and Retail
General Overview
Ensuring that shops and retail spaces within cultural organizations are accessible is essential for creating a welcoming and hospitable visitor experience from beginning to end. These areas offer a unique opportunity to enhance someone’s visit, yet they can often be overlooked when it comes to accessibility. Narrow aisles, hard-to-reach shopping displays, and unclear signage can all make it difficult for people with disabilities to fully engage. Thoughtfully designed spaces — complete with legible pricing, accessible check-out counters, and clear pathways — can make a significant impact for these patrons. Friendly, well-trained staff who are ready to assist with respect and care can help ensure that all visitors have a seamless and enjoyable experience.
Implementation
When preparing to make your shopping and retail spaces more accessible for all visitors, consider the following guidelines:
- Assess your space regularly and collect feedback: Conduct periodic evaluations of the accessibility of your retail spaces and gather feedback from visitors, including those with disabilities. Consult with user/experts and accessibility specialists to make informed improvements, and compensate them for their expertise.
- Consider a wide range of disabilities: Plan with the understanding that people with all types of disabilities may be represented in your customer base — don’t assume who will shop. When designing your space, ensure that accessibility features are integrated from the start to meet the needs of individuals with mobility, motor, sensory, cognitive, and other disabilities.
- Create an easy and independent shopping experience: Design the space to allow visitors to easily navigate, find, and purchase items with as little assistance as possible. This includes pathways around the shop that do not “dead end” without adequate turning radius, and therefore do not require someone using a wheelchair or scooter to back up.
- Ensure that staff are trained and prepared to offer assistance: Provide staff with regular training on accessibility best practices and communication strategies (see the Inclusive Language and Communication and Staff Training pages for more information). Work with community partners, disability advocates, and user experts to offer direct training and feedback to staff, making sure they are prepared to assist visitors respectfully and effectively.
Designing accessible retail spaces in cultural organizations requires thoughtful consideration of physical, sensory, and cognitive accessibility features. Visit the Physical Features and Sensory Features pages, as well as the Associated Legal Requirements and Obligations section of this page for more information.
Below is a list (not comprehensive) of various features to consider:
- Physical Accessibility:
- Wide, unobstructed pathways: Ensure aisles and walkways are spacious and free from obstacles to accommodate users of mobility devices.
- Cane navigability: Design the space with cane navigability in mind, ensuring that displays, furniture, and signage are cane detectable and free of protruding objects and obstacles. Ensure that there is proper head clearance.
- Accessible product placement: Position products at various heights and locations to accommodate different needs.
- Clear signage and legible pricing: Use high-contrast, large-font signs and clear pricing labels for legibility and clarity.
- Accessible checkout counters: Position counters at varying heights to accommodate both standing and seated customers as well as staff with disabilities.
- Sensory Accessibility:
- Adequate lighting: Provide well-lit areas to enhance visibility and safety throughout the space, while ensuring that lights are not too bright.
- Noise control: Ensure that any background music is not too loud. Seating: If space allows, provide rest seating.
- Cognitive Accessibility:
- Intuitive layout: Design the store layout to be straightforward and easy to navigate.
- Clear information and pricing: Ensure that product information and pricing are clear and easy to understand.
Finally, here are some additional tips about how to shape your organization’s policies and vendor relations to promote accessibility, as well as how to incorporate creative solutions into your existing spaces:
- Review and modify store policies: Regularly review store policies and adapt them to ensure flexibility for accessibility needs, including extended assistance when necessary.
- Include accessibility in vendor contracts: If leasing your retail space to vendors, include clear accessibility responsibilities and expectations in the contract.
- Highlight works by people with disabilities: Consider displaying books or products created by people with disabilities, especially during relevant awareness times or events.
- Embrace creativity in accessibility: Be innovative in designing solutions that address accessibility needs in unique and practical ways. Experiment with new ideas to improve the customer experience for all, with input from the disability community and/or accessibility experts.
Associated Legal Requirements or Obligations
Please note that, while this content was developed by people with expertise in the ADA and legal requirements related to access, it was created for informational purposes and should not be considered legal advice.
- 2010 Standards for Accessible Design
- Accessible Routes (Sections 206.2.4 & 403)
- Routes must be at least 36 inches wide and free of obstructions
- Doors, Doorways, and Gates (Section 404) must have a minimum clearance of 32 inches.
- Door handles must be operable with one hand and not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting (e.g., lever or push bars). (Section 309.4)
- Reach Ranges (Section 308)
- Shelving, displays, and checkout kiosks must be within an accessible reach range (between 15 inches and 48 inches high).
- Sales & Service Counters (Section 904)
- Counters must be no higher than 36 inches.
- A clear floor space must be available for wheelchair users.
- If there are multiple counters, at least one must be accessible.
- Protruding Objects (Section 307)
- Wall-mounted or hanging displays must not extend more than 4 inches into circulation paths unless they are below 27 inches in height.
- Floor or Ground Surfaces (Section 302)
- Flooring must be stable, firm, and slip-resistant.
- Accessible Routes (Sections 206.2.4 & 403)
- Title III of the ADA or a Title III Entity
- Equal Access to Goods & Services (28 CFR § 36.202)
- Stores must ensure full and equal enjoyment of goods and services for individuals with disabilities.
- Barrier Removal (28 CFR § 36.304)
- Businesses must remove architectural barriers where doing so is readily achievable (e.g., widening aisles, adjusting shelf heights, lowering counters).
- Maintenance of Accessible Features (28 CFR § 36.211)
- Accessible features such as ramps, elevators, and automatic doors must be maintained in operable condition and cannot be blocked.
- Alternative Formats & Communication Access (.i.e. Auxiliary aids and services) (28 CFR §36.303).
- This may include making signage and pricing of objects accessible by making price tags and signage available in large print or training staff to be prepared to read the tags.
- Equal Access to Goods & Services (28 CFR § 36.202)
- ABA Requirements
- Sales & Service Counters (Section 904.4) Counter heights and clear floor space must comply with accessibility requirements.
- Self-Service Shelving (Section 308) Shelving and displays must comply with ADA reach range guidelines.
In addition to the Federal Regulations and standards outlined above, organizations should review state and local laws, which are sometimes more stringent than federal regulations. Looking at case law rulings can sometimes indicate how regulations are interpreted by different courts.
See also:
- 2010 Standards for Accessible Design
- ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Architectural Barriers Act (ABA)
- Auxiliary Aids and Services
- Effective Communication
- Readily Achievable Barrier Removal
- Reasonable Accommodation
- Safe Harbor
- Title III of the ADA or a Title III Entity
- Undue Burden/Hardship
- Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS)
- U.S. Access Board
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