Case Study 1 - Wawa

                                                               

The Good

1    Curb cutout/ramp for wheelchair access
2    Aisles are wide, easy to maneuver a wheelchair
3    Windows and over head lights provide good lighting
4    Good counter height at the checkout, accessible to those with and without disabilities
5    Plenty of open space, easier for everyone to navigate
6    Good height of products on shopping aisles


The Bad

1    Deli counter is high, can’t reach in a wheelchair
2    Deli system is confusing, difficult for someone with a cognitive disability
3    Series of doors at the entrance is difficult for a wheelchair
4    Hot coffee is difficult to reach, dangerous for someone reaching from a lower angle
5    Soda fountain is high, not accessible to someone in a wheelchair
6    Back corner is small, difficult to navigate

Narrative

    Travel virtually anywhere in the Philadelphia area and you will almost always encounter one ubiquitous establishment – Wawa. Fast, delicious, and affordable, Wawa appears to have a winning combination when it comes to convenience stores. However, the question remains whether these establishments are providing the necessary accessibility to individuals in the community with disabilities. To find out, I ventured several hundred yards down the street to my neighborhood Wawa, on 6608 Ridge Avenue.
    As a widespread chain, I expected Wawa to employ universal design in much of their layout. This was the case. There were a number of aspects of the store’s set up which increased access for individuals with disabilities. To start, there was a curb cutout leading up to the door, which would allow a person in a wheelchair to enter the store form the parking lot. Next, the general set up of the store was very accommodating. There was lots of light – both from the windows as well as light bulbs – which makes things easier for those with vision impairments. Additionally, the store has a significant amount of open space, making it easy to navigate. This also included the aisles, which were sufficiently wide for an individual in a wheelchair. Finally, the shopping aisles and the checkout counters were all an appropriate height, making them accessible to all individuals.
    Despite the numerous bright spots, there were a number of features that made the store less accessible to all individuals in the community. This started at the entrance. There are a series of doors, which an individual must open (none are automatic), and the space is relatively confined. Individuals in wheelchairs would have a lot of difficulty opening and holding the door for themselves. The next issue is with the floor plan. Although for the most part the aisles are a good width, there is one back corner where the aisle is tight and it would be very difficult to navigate in a wheelchair. Additionally, there are some height issues. The deli counter is too high and a person in a wheelchair would not be able to reach their order without help. This also applies to the soda fountain in the back of the store. Perhaps the most dangerous feature of the store is the coffee station. The counter is not particularly high, but coffee is laid out in two rows, and reaching across a row of hot coffee would be difficult and dangerous for someone who is coming from a lower angle. The last drawback is the deli system as a whole. To order a sandwich, you use the computer screen, take the receipt, pay with your receipt then retrieve the sandwich. Although seasoned Wawa veterans are familiar and comfortable with the procedure, the system could be confusing and intimidating for someone with a cognitive limitation.
    Creating a store that’s accessible to individuals with disabilities isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also the law. The key law relating to accessibility is the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but there were a number of precursors to this landmark legislation. This started with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, particularly Title VII, which barred employers from discriminating on the basis race, color, religion, sex, or country of origin (FindLaw, 2010). This law served as a steppingstone to extending these rights to individuals with disabilities. Next came the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, which mandated that buildings with certain federal funds be accessible to and usable by “handicapped persons” (FindLaw, 2010). Following the Architectural Barriers Act was section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974. This law was paramount because it extended civil rights to persons with disabilities and impacted both education and employment (Hulett, 2009, p. 56). Companies that employed more than 15 people could not discriminate based on disability. Finally, ADA became law in 1990. Act III is most relevant for our purposes, as it referred to public accommodations provided by private enterprises. The law mandated the public buildings must be accessible to those with disabilities. This applied to new buildings and old buildings must remove barriers “if this can be done reasonably and without great expense” (Hulett, 2009, p. 66). This body of legislation, culminated by ADA, means that public spaces and work environments must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
    Overall, Wawa measures up well with these laws. There are some challenging aspects but an individual with a disability can enter the store, shop, and checkout with minimal difficulty. The two potential areas I could see for challenge under ADA would be the system of front doors and the coffee placement (should an accident occur).  In general, both with Wawa and other establishments, the biggest thing that’s needed for a more inclusive community is universal design. Laws like ADA have a tremendous benefit but things won’t be ideal until stores think in terms of universal design with everything. Whenever they put up new shelves, rearrange the aisles or build a new store they need to think about what they can do to make things as assessable as possible for everyone. There is a new Wawa opening up across the street from the one I surveyed, I look forward to looking it over and hopefully they’ve done a better job of implementing universal design.

                                                                   References

FindLaw (2010) Civil Rights Law. Retrieved from http://public.findlaw.com/civil-rights.html

Hulett, K. E. (2009) Legal Aspects of Special Education Law. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson