Self-advocacy with retailers by people with complex communication needs

The researchers aimed to discover what might prevent people with complex communication needs (CCNs) from making complaints if they experienced social exclusion in the retail environment.

Qualitative research methods were used to gather data from two groups of participants: adults with CCN and retail customer service staff. Seven adults who used speech-generating devices (SGDs) and who shopped independently were interviewed about their perceptions of retail customer service communication. Nine retail customer service staff were interviewed about their communication with customers with disability. Analysis using grounded theory provided insights into experiences of people with CCN.

All participants with CCN had experienced being ignored, patronised and excluded when shopping but faced barriers that prevented them from complaining. Those who did complain exhibited strong self-esteem.

Participants with CCN experienced social exclusion because customer complaint mechanisms were inaccessible. Retailers and government agencies monitoring inclusion, as well as speech-language pathologists and disability advocates, place insufficient emphasis on retail communication as a vehicle for social inclusion. The researchers recommend strategies to strengthen self-advocacy by people with CCN and systemic changes to improve accessibility of complaints procedures in the retail sector.