Advocates are working with some of the nation’s most recognizable companies in an effort to increase disability access in retail spaces.
The Access Coalition, which includes companies like Starbucks Coffee Company, Walmart and CVS Health, is releasing a collection of resources designed to offer a blueprint for how stores can become more welcoming to people with disabilities and others.
The group recently issued a 76-page playbook outlining practical steps that retailers and other organizations with physical spaces can take to adopt inclusive design. In addition, an updated checklist helps businesses exceed the minimum standards established under the Americans with Disabilities Act by assessing how inclusive their spaces are.
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“By releasing the Inclusive Spaces Playbook and the latest version of the Inclusive Spaces Framework, we are moving beyond theory into practice alongside our coalition partners,” said David Wykes, vice president of global coffeehouse concept design at Starbucks. “The collaboration of The Access Coalition shows that when we design for accessibility, we create more welcoming experiences for everyone.”
Starbucks first introduced the Inclusive Spaces Framework in 2024 when it opened a store designed to meet the new standards at Union Market in Washington, D.C. The company has committed to apply the framework at all newly built and renovated company-operated stores in the U.S.
Last year, several other companies joined Starbucks and the American Association of People with Disabilities to create The Access Coalition in an effort to enhance and promote adoption of the framework. In addition to Starbucks and AAPD, the coalition now includes Walmart, CVS Health, Sam’s Club, LockNet, Step ‘n Wash and Inclusive Web.
The group said their newly released resources could have implications beyond traditional retailers, with applications for nonprofits, government, schools and any of other physical spaces.
“Enduring accessibility emerges when design decisions are informed by how spaces are actually used and sustained over time,” said Dewayne Johnson, director of economic and social impact at the American Association of People with Disabilities. “This release reflects a disciplined effort to translate the lived experiences of consumers with disabilities into feasible, operational guidance that supports sound planning, improves usability for everyone, and strengthens access in ways that remain effective as environments evolve.”
