August 20, 2019
From the big picture to small touches, Future Retail Limited’s
consistent efforts to enable people with disabilities to shop independently
won them the 2019 NCPEDP MPHASIS Universal Design Awards. In our profile of
this year’s winners, we look at how the group is making the world a better
place for everyone.
Mainstreaming inclusion across India is not easy and for a major corporate to
do it consistently and successfully is quite incredible. Future
Retail Limited is leading the pack in the space of inclusive
shopping with the Sabke Liye programme, making them worthy
winners of winning the national disability award for 2019. With their
efforts, they have not just changed lives for the better but are setting a
benchmark for other corporates.
And who could be a more befitting person to receive the NCPEDP
MPHASIS Universal Design Award 2019 on behalf of the group than
Devanshi Joshi, an employee of Big Bazaar,
with Down syndrome.
In a powerful acceptance speech, Devanshi thanked the disabled community for
making Sabke Liye a success and underlined the need to find ways to make the
community visible.
We are grateful to NCPEDP and Mphasis for recognising us for championing
the cause. I am happy to see that all of us are focussed around strategies
for an inclusive customer experience. I am also happy to see that the
typical customer experience has been expanded to cater to new disabilities
also, invisible disabilities. We at Big Bazaar would like to thank shoppers
with disabilities who ventured out of their comfort zones and shopped for
the first time in their lives, Independently. For those of you, who have
still not ventured outside, let’s enjoy this world, because shopping is for
Sabkeliye. – Devanshi Joshi, Employee, Big Bazaar
Devanshi added that real awareness would come about only when people with
disabilities are visible in public spaces. “The visibility creates awareness
among the masses. Being able to go out freely gives a sense of independence
and autonomy among the differently-abled people like me. Together, we are on
a mission to mainstream inclusion across the nation.”
And it is truly a mission that aims to address accessibility from every
aspect, be it entry ramps to shopping assistants to special sale days for
people with disabilities. Of special note is the Quiet Hour for people with
autism and their families. Every Tuesday, the opening hours at 23 Big
Bazaar and FBB stores are dedicated to people on the spectrum to
enable them to enjoy sensory friendly shopping.
The significance is huge given how intimidating the shopping experience can
be for people with disabilities and their families. FRL has made over 55 Big
Bazaar and FBB stores accessible to persons with disabilities. The stores
provide a shopping assistant who is trained to communicate with
persons with disabilities. There’s a priority counter that makes billing easy
for the persons with disabilities.
As Som Mittal, Chairman, National Centre for
Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) put it at the
ceremony, “Accessibility is the bedrock of a disabled person’s empowerment…
No access means no freedom as far as we are concerned”.
Not providing access, said Dr. Meenu Bhambhani, Vice President &
Head – Corporate Social Responsibility, Mphasis disempowers the
community in ways we cannot even comprehend. “When we don’t provide access,
we compromise the vast potential of persons with disability; Easy and
convenient access to not only public places but also technology, services and
products is what will empower the disabled in the truest sense”.
Sabke Liye is changing the customer landscape in India and will hopefully
inspire other companies to follow, hopes Devanshi. “All the winners are
working to improve accessibility in different ways and for different groups.
And we hope our efforts will encourage many others to also walk the same
path”.
READ ABOUT OTHER 2019 WINNERS: Ankita Gulati wins Universal Design Award 2019
for TouchVision
