The project sought to facilitate visually impaired persons to comfortably and confidently access a grocery section of a mall through its design.

Structured and semi structured interviews, observing users perform their daily tasks, interviewing experts in the field of accessibility, and literature research gave a better understanding of visual impairment and findings of this user research helped me come up with the final concept for the accessible mall.

The environment of the grocery shop enhances sensory feedback and pleasure because of its multi-sensory approach. Implementation of universal design features helped make the way finding intuitive for all. Way finding techniques used by the visually disabled are mapped in the system. An important consideration was how to make the change from a retailing space where efficiencies of stocking, turnover and throughput of customers take precedence, to something more akin to a social space, where people gather and meet out of choice rather than necessity. The issue of integrating ‘universal features with modern technology’ and facilitating a barrier free environment was extremely crucial.

One of the most perplexing issue designers have to address today is achieving a sense of ethical balance between commercial activity and social responsibility. It is very crucial to sensitise people about the fact that visual impairment is just a sensory deprivation, and segregation of human beings based on sensory deprivation is completely incorrect. There is a need to integrate the visually impaired in the main stream, and make them aware of their rights to accessibility.