Disabled fitting room used for storage
All that wheelchair user Michael Conway wanted was to buy a shirt, but he left a clothing chain store feeling like a second-class citizen after finding its accessible fitting room was being used for storage.
While doing his Christmas shopping on Sunday, Conway decided to try on some clothing at the Hallenstein Brothers pop-up shop at the Queensgate Shopping Centre in Lower Hutt.
Upon pulling back the curtain for the accessible fitting room he says he was disappointed, but not surprised, to find it ‘‘filled to the brim’’ with racks and boxes.
Conway, who has spina bifida, said he had no other option but to use one of the standard booths in which he could not turn his wheelchair around.
He said staff saw he and his fiancee struggling in the fitting rooms but no attempt was made to assist them.
‘‘I was angry. It made me feel like people with disabilities don’t matter to them.’’
Such experiences were not uncommon and disabled people were often forced into undignified situations through the lack of thought from retailers, Conway said.
‘‘Having to ask for [extra help] in a wheelchair is demoralising. I am having to come up and ask for something an able-bodied person would not have to,’’ he said.
Conway said he hoped that retailers would see situations like his and change their practices to better serve disabled customers. People with disabilities just wanted equal opportunities and to be able to live without being made to feel like they were insignificant, he said. Conway has since received an apology. Hallenstein Brothers general manager Kerry Maea said the company was disappointed the store’s designated accessible fitting room was not available for use.
They had addressed the issue with the pop-up store and had ensured any similar issues across its store network were rectified.
Disability rights commissioner Paula Tesoriero said disabled people had the right to fair and equal treatment when out shopping, and facilities like accessible toilets and fitting rooms should be kept usable.
‘‘Staff training should include assisting disabled customers as needed, including keeping aisles and other spaces free of obstacles.’’
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said the industry body advised its members to have accessible fitting rooms whenever possible, though it understood this was not always practicable.