Wheelchair user hails M&S changes after access row

After a store refurbishment at the Vangarde Shopping Park, Flick Williams said she could not access the fridges

A disability campaigner who brought a discrimination case against Marks & Spencer (M&S) said she was "delighted" the retailer had made changes to a store layout.

Flick Williams, from York, visited the Vangarde Shopping Park M&S Foodhall in June last year after a refurbishment had taken place.

Doors had been put on fridges and protruding wire racks were fixed underneath, which Ms Williams said made it difficult for wheelchair users to access groceries.

Since the case was settled earlier this year, M&S has made adjustments to the layout of the shop and said it was "committed to making our stores accessible to all our customers".

Ms Williams told the BBC: "If you're a wheelchair user, you can't move sideways, you can't pull the door towards you very easily, you have to be one side of it and then try and fling it open.

"The handles were too high up, you couldn't get close enough because of the wire racks and I couldn't even find what I was looking for because enclosing them meant the doors steamed up."

The former layout of the fridges made it difficult for wheelchair users, Ms Williams said

Frustrated with the changes, Ms Williams went up and down every aisle looking for a member of staff to assist her.

"There was nobody and that was proven, they watched their security footage," she said.

"If you put in chiller cabinets that I can't access as a visually impaired wheelchair user, you need to provide a member of staff to assist me to do my shopping."

Upon making a complaint, Ms Williams said she had been told to call ahead of her next visit, to make sure there was a member of staff available to help.

"Non-disabled people aren't expected to do that so why should I be? That's not equality," she said.

"It basically means that you lose all spontaneity in your life if you have to ring up a shop before you go there. It's just crazy."

Flick Williams launched legal action under the Equality Act 2010

After launching a case under the Equality Act 2010, M&S agreed to settle out of court in March and make changes, as well as paying a small sum to Ms Williams.

The wire racks were removed from the underneath the fridges, the doors were surfaced with anti-condensation treatment and the handles were lowered.

Ms Williams said: "The reason I did it is not just about me being able to go shopping, it's about the 300 people that replied to me on social media, saying it's a nightmare for them."

An M&S spokesperson said: "We are committed to making our stores accessible to all our customers, and work with AccessAble to help us do that with access guides covering inside and outside our stores.

"We always strive to ensure colleagues are on hand to help every customer and we always take customer feedback on board.

"We're grateful for Ms Williams' engagement on how we can continue to improve accessibility in store."

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