Bureau Veritas and Carrefour are involved in a project to improve the shopping experience of a sizeable minority: disabled people. The project's aim is to provide easier access to stores so that everyone can enjoy the same quality of experience. 

Equal opportunities
Someone with a disability or reduced mobility includes anyone who is deaf, blind, or with a broken leg, it is not just about people in wheelchairs. New anti-discrimination laws in France state that all public places such as restaurants and shops must provide easy access for disabled people by 2015. The law covers all entry points to a building and the facilities inside.

The job in hand
Carrefour has tasked Bureau Veritas with surveying all its 1,200 centers in France, that's about 1,000 supermarkets and over 200 hypermarkets.
'We are at the start of this important project, it's very new. It is a partnership contract where only Bureau Veritas will be conducting this work for Carrefour,' explains Jacky Papillaud, sales director in charge of large accounts for Bureau Veritas in France.
'Fifty experts are assigned to this mission; each expert will carry out an on-site diagnostic for each Carrefour store, defining the work to be done in order to comply with the anti-discrimination laws. The financial impact will also be evaluated. At the end of the project, Bureau Veritas will present recommendations to Carrefour with one detailed report per store', explains Damien Queslier, in charge of the implementation, management, and organization of the project for Bureau Veritas. 

A solid relationship
Says Jacky Papillaud: 'The added value we provide to Carrefour is our knowledge and high reactivity to such a large, complex task. We are able to respect the project timeline and Carrefour knows from experience that we always get the job done well.'
Bureau Veritas has worked with Carrefour since 1999 and for the past 5 years has had a contract to provide a complete range of conformity assessment services. 'The quality of service we provide has led to Carrefour's loyalty and we have a good solid relationship, having worked on many different projects together,' adds Jacky Papillaud.
Carrefour is a company particularly committed on Safety, environment and Sustainable development matters. To accompany Carrefour in its projects, Bureau Veritas has set up a dedicated organization, managed by a Large Account Director who is coordinating the apropriate technical and operational resources of Bureau Veritas.
'This relationship is a real partnership based on the long term, and bringing a high level regulatory and technical assistance to the Carrefour Group's installations', explains Jacky Papillaud. 

Making life easier
Damien Queslier continues: 'New installations will include more disabled parking spaces, handrails in key spots such as along the edges of the car park and signs in Braille for the elevators. People with reduced mobility will also benefit from access ramps and wider doorways and checkouts. Better access equals greatly improved fire safety.'

Everyone matters
Many changing rooms today are not adapted for those with a disability. In the future, they will be spacious enough and fitted out to accommodate someone with reduced mobility. There will be specially designed trolleys with touch pads that will make paying easier. It is very difficult to stretch over to the cashier from a wheelchair! Overall, shopping at Carrefour will soon be an easier experience for anyone with a disability.

Without such measures, disabled people are effectively discriminated against. The new law redresses the balance.

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