Clarks launches investigation after wheelchair user said she was told "to go to a different branch"

The incident is said to have taken place in the shoe store's Epsom branch on Monday.

The Ashley Centre, where the Clarks in Epsom is located
Author: Alex DukePublished 8th Nov 2023

Clarks has launched an investigation after a mother and wheelchair user has said that she was told "to go to a different branch" whilst shopping at the shoe store in Epsom.

The incident is said to have taken place on Monday 6th November.

Jessica went to the Surrey branch with her mum and son. She says that she was told by a staff member that her mum could take her son upstairs, but "wouldn't make any accommodations" for her.

Jessica, who is from Surrey, added that she was told foot measuring equipment and a selection of shoes would only be brought downstairs if she "made assurances" that she would purchase the shoes.

**"I'd much rather that there was better understanding and education on making the world more accessible for everybody"**

Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Jessica said "They then went on to say that if I made assurances that I was going to be purchasing shoes then they would bring things down to measure his feet.

"It was quite embarrassing, and not in line with my previous experience with them."

Jessica shared her story with the writer, actress and broadcaster Samantha Baines, who is also an ambassador for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People. Samantha described some of her work as "championing stories by the deaf community and the disabled community".

Samantha then tweeted about the incident, which has now been viewed over a million times on X.

Jessica said that this incident is not about that one staff member, but reflects a broader problem.

"It's unfortunate for this individual but they've obviously not had that education and don't understand the service that they should be providing across the board to all of their customers.

"I don't want to vilify that individual, I'd hate for somebody to lose their job over one interaction. I'd much rather that there was better understanding and education on making the world more accessible for everybody."

Clarks say they take "matters like this one reported" very seriously.

Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio alongside Jessica, Samantha said "This isn't about this one individual on that one day... it's about the fact that it happened in this company's store during work hours, and what else is being put in place.

"There were other staff members there, how did the other staff members react? It's not about getting someone fired, it's about addressing the larger issue."

She added that the popularity of her tweets shows that the public are deeply concerned about accessibility.

"The fact that these tweets have gone viral and been shared a lot I think just shows how prevalent this is. But also how much we as a public care and as consumers we care about how ourselves and each other are treated by companies.

"If that's not an incentive for companies to do something about it and put accessibility in place, I don't know what is, because people really do care and have had really emotional responses to this."

In a statement, a spokesperson for Clarks said that "Clarks is committed to ensuring all customers are able to access our stores and receive the best possible customer service.

"We take matters like the one reported very seriously and have launched an investigation into what happened. Our retail team get regular inclusion training, which we will be reviewing, and we will ensure all store members are given a refresher."

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