In today’s evolving retail landscape, experiences are often a key differentiator for customers and employees alike. Nowhere is that truer than when it comes to accessibility: instead of treating inclusive design as something to comply with, retailers today have begun to understand accessibility as a core value of both customer and employee experiences. As retailers embrace personalization and other innovations throughout the store, it's crucial to ensure these advancements are accessible to all shoppers and employees, regardless of their abilities and needs. Retailers who prioritize accessibility don’t just meet legal requirements—they also build better, more welcoming experiences that foster loyalty and drive business success by creating positive community sentiment.  

Understanding accessibility

While most people think about accessibility when it comes to shopper experiences, it's important to remember that inclusive design also extends to employee experiences as well. Accessibility in retail means choosing solutions that account for the differing needs of everyone who interacts with the store’s solutions. This includes everything from accessible store layouts and lighting to user-friendly checkout systems that support assistive technologies.  

More than 60 million American adults have a disability, and globally, that number includes over 1.3 billion people—approximately 16% of the world’s population—according to the World Health Organization. These individuals represent a significant and often underserved segment of the retail market; accessible solutions are not one-size-fits-all. Not all disabilities are visible. Examples include physical, visual, auditory, verbal and cognitive impairments, all with varying degrees of experience, and can be permanent, temporary and situational.

Meeting needs and expectations

Legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) set minimum accessibility standards, which are intended to ensure an inclusive experience for individuals with disabilities. Standards such as the global Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and EN 301 459 provide accessibility requirements for digital technology. While it's important for retailers to be aware of these standards, true accessibility goes beyond legal compliance—it embraces innovation, empathy and user-centric design.  

Practically, accessible features may assist a customer who is hard of hearing, allowing them to complete a transaction independently, or allow employees with vision impairments to modify POS font sizes and adjust other options for color vision deficiency modes. These customizations and others can help all employees interact with the POS system comfortably and efficiently.

Implementing accessible design  

Prioritize flexibility  

• Retailers need the ability to evolve quickly in response to changing consumer needs, technologies and regulatory requirements. A flexible front-end is essential—not only to innovate but also to adapt to new accessibility demands. Edge technology, which is becoming more and more prevalent in the retail world, empowers retailers to be more agile and update their systems without fear of disruption. For example, utilizing edge technology, retailers can deploy software updates to self-checkout across all stores quickly and efficiently, including updates to address regulatory developments.  
• Edge allows for increased personalization, allowing users to access accommodations when needed and then resetting to standard settings before subsequent customers begin their transactions.  
• Edge technology is also more reliable than cloud-based systems; with virtually no downtime, guests never lose access to accessibility support because of network issues.  

Embrace inclusivity

• Failing to account for the broad range of customer and employee needs doesn’t just create a poor experience, but also lead to lost sales and eroded brand perception. Fifty-seven percent of shoppers report that physical barriers negatively impact their perception of a store. By removing obstacles—both digital and physical—retailers can reduce loss and increase engagement.  
• Retail innovation isn’t just about AI-powered computer vision checkouts or frictionless payments—it’s also about developing features that make technology work better for everyone. Accessibility-focused innovations for customers and employees can include technology such as:  
  
  • Magnifier tools  
  • Text-to-speech technology  
  • Braille options at kiosks  

These features not only support people with disabilities but improve usability for everyone. In fact, what starts as an accessibility enhancement often turns into a better design for all users. For example, following WCAG color contrast guidelines makes text more readable for anyone approaching a self-checkout or point-of-sale customer display, ensuring a positive experience at any NCR Voyix solution.

Embracing accessibility may also have a positive effect on merchandise loss. Twenty-three percent of inventory loss occurs at self-checkout, often due to non-malicious events like poor UI design or barcode scanning issues; a more inclusive experience has the potential to eliminate some of these mistakes, leading to reduction in front end merchandise loss.  

Explore emerging solutions

• New technology presents an excellent opportunity to engage with the disabled community. For example, testing accessibility features with people experiencing visual impairments allows companies to confirm that the features actually meet users’ needs.
• While accommodations including text-to-speech and braille interfaces have become relatively common, new options continue to emerge. Some more recent innovations include:
  
  • Vision-impaired modes and adaptable font sizes  
  • Ambidextrous UI settings
  • Improved screen lighting and visibility cues (uNAV standard compliance)

Invest in personalization  

• Shoppers today expect more than just efficiency; they want meaningful, personalized experiences. For shoppers with disabilities, this means having the tools and features they need to complete their journey independently and privately, as intended. An accessible experience not only removes barriers but also builds trust and emotional connection with your brand. When a customer can shop independently and comfortably, it makes them more likely to return to the store, regardless of whether or not they have access needs.  

The path forward: accessible retail for all

Retail accessibility is no longer optional. It’s a necessity for modern businesses that want to stay competitive, empathetic and profitable in an increasingly diverse market.  

We invite you to learn more about how NCR Voyix is lifting barriers and making the shopping journey more accessible.

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