DEDHAM, Mass. — Walmart announced Tuesday that it is making changes to create a calmer more inclusive shopping experience for a few hours every day in all of its US stores.
Set to be implemented on Nov. 10, the changes include setting in-store TV walls to a static image, turning off the radio, and lowering the store lights.
Walmart said it learned during a pilot test for the back-to-school shopping period that these efforts are especially beneficial to neurodiverse individuals – both customers and employees – with sensory disabilities.
“Earlier this year, we took a step in making shopping in our stores more inclusive for those with sensory disabilities by taking measures to create a less stimulating environment for a couple hours each Saturday. The feedback of the pilot program was overwhelmingly positive,” the retailer said in a blogpost Tuesday. “These changes may have seemed small to some, but for others they transformed the shopping experience.”
Walmart said the sensory-friendly hours will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (local time) seven days a week in all Walmart US and Puerto Rico stores, and don’t have a planned end date.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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