By: Kristina Kuhaupt, Customer Experience Manager
The Owner and Community Engagement Work Group at our cooperative is one of three Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work groups looking to make Willy Street Co-op a better place for our community, shoppers, employees, and vendors. Our goals in this work group are to help ensure that our customers reflect the demographics of the communities we serve, and the Co-op is a place where our community participates and is proud to shop. To find out more about our other two work groups, check out: www.willystreet.coop/dei-dashboard.
One of this workgroup’s earliest projects was working with Access to Independence to conduct an accessibility audit of our stores. (You can read about the results and how we addressed the improvements they recommended here: www.willystreet.coop/reader/august-2023/willy-street-co-ops-partnership-with-access-to-independence. That project has led to a sustained focus on improving access to and within our stores in a variety of ways.
Below you will find accessible measures that you or your loved ones can use for an improved customer experience in our stores.
Aira
In early December, the Co-op made Aira available for use in our stores (aira.io). Their mission is to remove barriers and make the world more accessible in everyday interactions. Their Explorer app can be downloaded on anyone’s personal device to provide audio interpretation for people who are blind or have limited or low vision. The user can choose between their free AI interpretation experience or a live human interpretation experience. The live version typically has a fee associated with it; Willy Street Co-op now covers the cost of this live service, allowing our shoppers to access it for free. The main homepage will notify the user that this service is free. An example of how this service could be helpful in our stores is if a person were looking for the restrooms. They can slowly sweep their phone in front of them side to side, and the interpreter on the app—looking through their camera—could tell them there is a sign for restrooms to their right, approximately 20 feet away.
For even more information about the Aira Explorer app’s features and a very nice video showing how this service works, check out: www.willystreet.coop/co-op-news/new-accessibility-tool-for-co-op-customers.
If you know of anyone who may benefit from using this service in our stores, please share this information with them.
LinguaLinx
We have partnered with LinguaLinx for many years; however, it might be a service that is not as well-known to all shoppers. This company provides over-the-phone translation services in more than 300 languages. You can be connected with an interpreter in 30 seconds at any of our Customer Service desks for free! This can help our shoppers navigate a language barrier when trying to ask a question or seek information from one of our staff members. Simply walk up to the Customer Service desk at any of our locations, and our staff there has a list of languages you can use to show them what language is most beneficial for you.
WIC
Did you know that our North store on Sherman Avenue is set up to accept WIC transactions? Since we opened our third store back in 2016, we have been WIC-certified.
Access Program
For those who have a financial need, you can apply for our Access Program. This program provides all of the regular benefits of Ownership, plus 10% off all Willy Street Co-op transactions, one free cooking class annually, and one free reusable tote bag for each person listed on your account. This program can be renewed yearly and spreads out the equity payments into smaller quantities over a longer period of time. For more information about qualifiers and costs, please visit: www.willystreet.coop/access.
Inclusive Environment Policy
This policy is posted in each of our stores and at www.willystreet.coop/inclusive-environment.
We believe that staff, customers, vendors, and community members should always feel safe and welcome in our stores. This means everyone in our shared Co-op spaces should have:
Respect for All Individuals: We expect all customers to treat fellow customers, staff members, and vendors with courtesy, dignity, and respect, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. Discrimination, harassment, threat, or any form of offensive behavior, imagery, or language in person, via electronic communications or online, or in the community, will not be tolerated. We believe in fostering an environment that embraces diversity and we actively work toward creating safe spaces for people with marginalized identities, especially those at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities.
Personal Space and Boundaries: We expect all customers to respect personal space and boundaries of others. Physical contact, unless consented or necessary, should be avoided. We expect everyone to maintain a comfortable distance and to refrain from any behavior that may make others feel unsafe, including unwelcome sexual advances, inappropriate identity-based comments or inquiries, or creating an unsafe situation or conversation that harms or has high potential to harm the physical, mental, and/or emotional well-being of a person in an irreparable way.
Respect for Property: We expect all customers to treat Co-op property and product with respect. Theft, vandalism, and other deliberate damage to property or product will not be tolerated.
Policy Compliance: We reserve the right to take appropriate action to ensure the well-being and safety of our customers, staff, vendors, and community members. Failure to comply with this policy, including inciting others to violate the policy, will not be tolerated and may result in a range of actions. These actions may include: verbal warnings, requests to modify behavior, temporary suspension of service, or, in extreme or repeated cases, may result in termination of employment, ownership, and/or vendorship status, and banning from the premises.
Additional Accessibility Measures:
- Free store and Aubergine wifi
- Gender-neutral bathrooms
- Wheelchair accessible parking lots, entrances, bathrooms, and seating
- Family bathrooms
- Discount produce
- Staff members available to help customers shop upon request
- Ownership materials in English, Spanish, and Hmong
As we continue to navigate how to tangibly make the experiences of our shoppers even better, you will continue to see this list grow! Thank you for being part of our diverse community of shoppers—we appreciate you!
If you have any suggestions for continued improvements, please check out our customer comment cards in our stores or online, found here: www.willystreet.coop/contact-us.
