One of the key aims of ASDA, the UK supermarket chain and part of the Wal-Mart group, is to make their stores accessible to all. A range of facilities has been made available to customers from Braille guns used on packaging, a Minicom text service, to baby changing facilities with free nappies and feeding rooms.

Foremost among these initiatives has been the provision of Contacta induction loop systems at every store in its UK network. In recognising that people with hearing loss represent the largest section of those suffering disability, ASDA has asked Contacta to fit loops to virtually every main point of contact between staff and customers throughout the store. As well as covering conventional areas such as checkouts and customer service desks, points such as the technical, jewellery and 'George' fashion desks have also been included. Perhaps the most innovative step, however, has been the ability to provide the loop facility at the various ASDA food counters, which has involved the design team at Contacta in producing a product which is compatible with the strict hygiene and technical requirements covering these locations.

Contacta's solution has been to provide SupaLoop as an 'above counter' induction loop at checkouts and service desks, and InfoLoop systems with bespoke aerial configurations at the food counters. ASDA has also not neglected its own staff that may be hard of hearing, by making a portable loop system available in the Colleague offices and by providing SupaLoops in the Colleague restaurant and Colleague reception.

ASDA has also understood that, to provide proper access to their services, the facilities it has provided need to be kept in good working order. For this reason, Contacta has been instructed to carry out a programme of planned preventative maintenance visits to ensure that the hearing loops are kept in optimum condition in what is a very demanding environment.

These initiatives mean that ASDA offers the greatest level of accessibility to hard of hearing people among supermarkets in the United Kingdom. This will lead to a much more inclusive and less frustrating experience in ASDA stores for shoppers with hearing loss and, the supermarket chain hopes, a greater degree of customer loyalty among this significant section of the community.