Service inclusion: the role of disability identity in retail

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this research is to explore the role of identity for consumers with disabilities in a retail context. Understanding disability identity is critical to ensuring inclusion in service environments. Despite the growing call to understand the role of identity in consumer services, research on disability identity and the impacts of identity on service inclusion remains minimal. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology generated data through personal narratives from people with disabilities revealing deep insights into the complexity of identity in a fashion retail context. Findings Emergent themes detail five consumer disability identities – authentic unique self, integrated self, community self, expressive self and practical self – seen when viewing service experiences from the perspective of people with lived experience of disability. Individual and collective agency also emerged as key themes that enable people with disabilities to feel a sense of inclusion. Originality/value This research explores the service experiences of people with disabilities in a retail context through a disability identity lens. The authors contribute to service literature by identifying five consumer disability identities that people with a disability adopt through their service experience and present a typology that demonstrates how each identity impacts on agency, with implications for service inclusion.

Transformative service research methodologies for vulnerable participants

“…An important aspect of researching in this context is accessibility and suitable research environments and set-ups (Dodds & Palakshappa, 2021). Snowballing techniques are often used to recruit participants and in some instances tapping into organisations and/or people with strong voices in the community that advocate on behalf of these groups is needed (Dodds & Palakshappa, 2021).…”

“…Research that understands the contexts and experiences that vulnerable groups (e.g., refugees, older people, people with disabilities or in disaster situations) must navigate, is vital to enable suitable subsequent service provision and ensure wellbeing (Chen et al, 2021; Rosenbaum et al, 2017). A stream of literature – Transformative Service Research (TSR) – is devoted to understanding vulnerable consumers and the role services play to ensure their participation, inclusion, and wellbeing (Dodds & Palakshappa, 2021; Finsterwalder, Kabadayi, S., Fisk, & Boenigk, 2021; Hepi et al, 2017). In a service context, vulnerable consumers are defined as people considered disadvantaged in some way, resulting in either their exclusion from or difficulty in accessing services, unfair treatment during service consumption, or challenges in exiting services (Finsterwalder et al, 2021; Rosenbaum et al, 2017).…”

Commentary – The ServCollab Perspective on Elevating Human Experience

“…Service inclusion was chosen as “[…] ServCollab’s first project area because a lack of inclusion is at the root and core of unjust human service systems” (p. 626). ServCollab’s logic on service inclusion was based on an article on “Designing for Service Inclusion” (Fisk et al , 2018), which is receiving growing research attention (Davey et al , 2021; Dodds and Palakshappa, 2021; Finsterwalder et al , 2021; Gong et al , 2022; Leino et al , 2021). Boenigk et al (2021) is the first ServCollab service inclusion project.…”

Falling short of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in Trinidad and Tobago: evidence from Equal Opportunity Commission case files

“…PWD are also discriminated against when accessing basic goods and services essential to their well-being such as health care, social and recreational services (Barber, 2015;Danso et al, 2019). Service-based industries have historically targeted persons without disabilities, often leaving PWD excluded and experiencing "marketplace discrimination" (Dodds and Palakshappa, 2022). Other barriers include inaccessible physical environments, lack of appropriate transport, inaccessible digital platforms and legislative barriers (Lerpiniere and Stalker, 2010;Danso et al, 2019;Kett et al, 2020;Baumgartner et al, 2021).…”

“…, 2019). Service-based industries have historically targeted persons without disabilities, often leaving PWD excluded and experiencing “marketplace discrimination” (Dodds and Palakshappa, 2022). Other barriers include inaccessible physical environments, lack of appropriate transport, inaccessible digital platforms and legislative barriers (Lerpiniere and Stalker, 2010; Danso et al.…”