Social Exclusion by Retailers of People with Complex Communication Needs

People with complex communication needs are frequently excluded from shopping independently by communication access barriers in the retail industry. In this pilot study, seven participants with CCN who use augmentative and alternative communication devices were interviewed about their perceptions of accessible communication and inclusion by retailers. Nine participants who provided retail customer service were interviewed about their experiences communicating with people with disability. Interview data was analysed using grounded theory method. An ecological model of social inclusion was applied to categories in the data to identify whether personal, organisational and structural conditions contributed to social exclusion. Recommendations for improvement in communication access included stronger communication between government and the retail industry about their responsibilities to people with complex communication needs, increased co-operative approaches, involving people with complex communication needs, training about communication access in the retail industry. This study forms a basis for further AAC research into social exclusion and the retail environment.