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It's another digital transformation task for many shops. If the moral imperative isn't enough to motivate action, the economic benefits might be.^[3]

Although government agencies and businesses are tasked with developing recommendations for barrier-free physical retail environments, the ground rules are silent on the application of accessible design in the digital arena. Due to the increasing pressure on retailers^[4] to become more accessible, some of them are making efforts to create accessible physical locations for people with disabilities. However, it is clear from the information provided by the UK government on their website that the current online/digital system does not adequately accommodate disabled customers in terms of both inclusion and accessibility.^[5]

Also, the current research and other findings show that experiential (AR/VR/MR)^[6] retail needs to be accessible. Still, the frameworks for its adaptation and the reasons why online experiential technology isn't more accessible and inclusive aren't known.^[7] This could be because AR/VR/MR technology is niche, and disability is complicated to understand.^[8]

Disability, background, and governance

Disabled people make up 22% of the UK population (Figure 1), the UK government has pledged to invest in technology ^[9], and this investment is projected to grow in coming years (Figure 2).

According to the UK government, disability is a "long-term" or "severe" physical or mental impairment that affects daily tasks.^[10] For this study, disabled customers are individuals who can shop alone if technology helps them or who can make their own judgments but need help. Visual, hearing and physical impairments are considered for this paper.

Disabled people don't always like shopping because the online and offline stores are not designed with them in mind. Disabled persons are often overlooked when planning retail experiences. The use of technology could make shopping accessible and fun for impaired people.^[11]

Figure 1: Prevalence of disability in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019/20, by region and country (Statista, 2019)

Figure 2: Government expenditure forecast for disability living allowance in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2017/18 to 2023/24 (in billion GBP)* (Statista)

Lastly, since this paper talks about the use of technology in creating accessible shopping, there is a slight parallel and link to the Industrial Revolution. Scholars debate which industrial revolution we are currently in^[12], but it definitely has certain patterns, and it will affect society and the economy in various ways.^[13] As per those patterns, this is the era of the synergy of all the technology infrastructure available to us. This paper thus also discusses the need to take concrete actions toward technology and accessibility at this stage of the revolution.

Significance

AR/VR/MR can improve access to opportunities and establish new channels for communication, community, and cooperation across platforms if created with inclusive aims in mind. Disabled customers and businesses can benefit at multiple levels from shopping or digital shopping experiences.

This paper can thus help retail firms in the UK see the importance of building technologies for disabled customers and at the same the paper focus on the reason and recommendations to fill this gap.

Aims and objectives

This study aims to explore the need for accessibility when designing technology for retail, such as AR/VR/MR in the retail industry, and in order to "access" the technology for customers with disabilities and to bring this issue to the attention of retailers before the world passes from the "synergy stage" of the industrial revolution to a stage when it is too late. The critical elements of this paper are the power of AR/VR, disability, and geography:

AR/VR/MR in retail

• Experience
• Immersive
• Utility

Disability

• Auditory
• Physical
• Speech
• Visual

Geography

United Kingdom

Research question

The paper will try to answer three questions arising due to research gaps:

1. Why are online retail firms (multichannel) delaying or overlooking accessibility in technology?
2. What are the barriers and facilitators underpinning accessible technology?
3. What is the power of emerging technology (AR/VR/MR) to make it easier for disabled customers to shop and for firms to get a competitive advantage?

Emerging technology

Web3.0, NFT, Blockchain, XR^[14], MR, VR, AR, and Metaverse are retail technologies. This study focuses on MR, VR, and AR.

WBR Insights surveyed 101 retail industry experts, and AR/VR came out as the top upcoming trend (Table 1) in the retail industry.^[15]

Table 1: Retail trends in the UK (WBR Insights, 2019)

Conclusions

We are still lagging when it comes to accessible brick-and-mortar stores or even e-commerce websites. It may be hard for retailers to design their stores and websites for each type of disability. But when it comes to AR/VR/MR, these technologies have the potential to become accessible at this “synergy” stage. Virtual and augmented reality are novel technologies. We've barely begun to understand what they can do for disabled people. AR and VR technology help create an accessible future for impaired clients as we strive for equality and inclusion. They give disabled persons and businesses new chances.

This paper showed us technology and accessibility gaps, and the importance of governance. The government must create policies, and firms must change their outlook by implementing DNI mission recommendations. This paper included an ADKAR change framework.

22% of customers entering a brick-and-mortar or online retail establishment could benefit from some form of physical or mental adaptation. This is a large audience to disregard, and a tremendous possibility to contemplate. However, improving the digital and physical experiences of these shoppers can benefit retailers and customers.

In order for impaired customers to obtain a regular consumer experience, it is crucial to provide them with accessible experiential technology in retail markets. In that way, the retailers can transmit the message of “you are a part of this marketplace, you belong to this community with your own unique needs, and you are competent enough to do your shopping and equal to other customers we serve without any discrimination”.^[16]

Regarding profitability, the corporations may not give disabled consumers as a niche market sector sufficient consideration. Nonetheless, it is not too difficult to serve these clients and establish a long-term relationship with them via an accessible AR/VR/MR setup. Especially during the epidemic, many clients struggled to meet their everyday needs safely, such as getting their groceries and personal care items. For many, online buying has become a must. Accessible and inclusive technology would involve a variety of social and technical approaches to technology, going beyond only accommodating impaired individuals.

Similar to universal design, accessible and inclusive technology would incorporate accessibility from the beginning, rather than attempting to retrofit after the fact or using the "synergy stage" of the industrial revolution to make concessions. The time has come to reimagine technology without qualifications (namely assistive, inclusive or accessible).

Accessibility is frequently neglected during the design and development of new products and features. Given the vast number of people with permanent disabilities and temporary needs throughout the world, it is a no-brainer that the product should accommodate their needs.

Further research is required on "startups versus corporations taking the lead," frameworks, rules, and policies for building AR/VR/MR to serve impaired customers without hurdles. As these technologies continue to evolve and receive wider usage, other opportunities will present themselves. These advances will be crucial to the overall success of AR/VR. From a technology point of view, in-depth analysis is needed to understand and cater to different types of disabilities. This paper has looked at accessibility more from a business angle; the technical part is still unexplored.

So the question for further research is - does retail technology need an updated roadmap which is more inclusive and diverse?

References

^[1] Puccinelli, N. et al. (2009). Customer experience management in retailing: Understanding the buying process. Journal of Retailing, Volume 85, pp. 15-30.

^[2] Office of National Statistics (2022) .

^[3] Wearepurple.org.uk (2020) .

^[4] Online retail firms in UK/e-tailers in FMCG, apparel, and hard goods; used interchangeably as “firms” in this paper.

^[5] The Disability Unit (2021) .

^[6] Augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality.

^[7] The term inclusive has been used in this paper specifically for including disabled customers ()

^[8] Martiny, K. (2015). How to develop a phenomenological model of disability. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 18.

^[9] Department for International Development; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP (2018). .

^[10] GOV.UK. (2010) .

^[11] Childers, T. and K.-S. C. (2009) Expanding opportunities for online shoppers with disabilities. Journal of Business Research, Volume 62, pp. 572-578.

^[12] Xu, M. et al. (2018). The fourth industrial revolution: opportunities and challenges International Journal of Financial Research, Issue 9, pp. 90-95.

^[13] Prisecaru, P. (2018). Challenges of the fourth industrial revolution, Knowledge Horizons - Economics,, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp. 57-62.

^[14] Extended reality.

^[15] WBR Insights, (2019) in Statista's report.

^[16] Baker, S.M. et al. (2007) , Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 160-173.