St. Clair Beach Sobeys offers sensory-friendly hours every Wednesday
With bright lights and various noises, shopping can be overwhelming for those with autism spectrum disorder and sensory sensitivities — so Sobeys is offering a calmer experience.
The St. Clair Beach Sobeys grocery store on Amy Croft Drive off Manning Road launched its sensory-friendly shopping hours Wednesday night.
The store lowered the overhead lights’ intensity by 50 per cent, turned down the volume on checkout scanners, turned off the P.A. system, and held off on retrieving carts to provide an inclusive space for those with sensory sensitivities.
“We were all working together to make it a nicer environment for people to enjoy shopping,” said Julie Bonello, the location’s community room co-ordinator.
Bonello said there are many people in the community with sensory sensitivities, those with brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and multiple sclerosis can also experience sensory overload.
“We sometimes take shopping for granted,” Bonello said.
St. Clair Beach Sobeys manager Rob Hayes said it’s about providing inclusivity. “You want to create that shopping experience for everybody,” he said.
The St. Clair Beach Sobeys is one of four in Ontario to test the sensory-friendly hours. A Sobeys in the Atlantic region started the hours, which proved successful, so the chain launched a pilot in a few stores across the county.
There was a great response from customers at the launch, he said, along with the staff who worked the first sensory-friendly night.
“We do huddles with all the departments to make sure they’re all up to speed,” Hayes said. “They have kind of a little leaflet that gives them a question and answer to make sure everyone is versed in what we’re doing and why we’re doing it and how we go about things.”
Hayes said it can be frustrating for people who are unable to bring their kids grocery shopping or can’t go themselves due to sensory concerns.
“If we can do one extra piece to help somebody — why not?” he said.
Sobeys St. Clair Beach will offer sensory-friendly hours every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. Hayes said the store selected Wednesdays in an effort to remain consistent as it’s the day least obstructed by holidays and offers the quietest times.
“I think it’s pretty super for the Windsor-essex community and Sobeys taking a leadership role in being one of the first stores to offer a sensory hour for those with not only autism but any sensory issues,” said Autism Ontario Windsor-essex chapter and program manager Livia Congi.
She said someone with sensory sensitivities may become overwhelmed with sound, visuals or aroma, which can affect a person’s processing.
“Often us typical individuals we underestimate all of our senses and the input coming in,” Congi said. “So sometimes when you have sensory overload your body cannot differentiate from what input it is supposed to take.”
She said this allows people to get more involved in the community and ideally eventually transition into a typical grocery store.
“First they need to be comfortable with the environment then you can introduce a little more sound, a little more light and hopefully get them to be able to do it on their own,” Congi said.
It is estimated one in 66 people are living with ASD in Ontario, Congi said Autism Canada will work with businesses to train staff and raise awareness to provide more sensory-friendly options.
“We encourage any business to contact us, and we will work with them,” she said. “We will train their staff and we will help them provide things that can help make it more sensory as well.”