Let's Talk Inclusivity:
Inclusivity is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups. So to be inclusive you have to be willing to value, respect and support diverse individuals and perspectives and enable their full participation in your community and workplace. Inclusion requires us to constantly assess who is left out and who is not represented in our communities and workplaces.
At Decathlon, we believe that there is a place for everyone within sport, regardless of an individual's ability or disability. We are now taking this step in order to make our Retail Experience accessible to all.
Quiet Hour Project:
The first step that we have taken in our inclusivity mission is introducing quiet hour in our store on two days a week Monday and Wednesday from 10am-11am. During these hours there will be: NO music, NO music playing, NO announcements, NO playground areas pre-booked and the lights will be dimmed.
People and families with autism, sensory conditions and other disabilities want to have the opportunity to go to the shops, just like anyone else. But many families and people who have these conditions find the crowds, noise and unpredictability of going out to the shops completely overwhelming and they end up avoiding them. It has been found that 64% of people with these conditions avoid retail experiences like going to a shop.
We have decided to introduce quiet hours to make people and families with autism, sensory conditions and other invisible disabilities more at ease, to have a better, more relaxed shopping experience and to feel like they belong in the sports community.
Our quiet hour is open to the public, and is not limited to those with disabilities. If you would simply like to shop in a quieter environment than usual, we invite you in store during quiet hours.
If you plan on visiting Decathlon Ballymun during Quiet Hour, we kindly ask all customers to understand and respect the purpose of this allocated time slot. Bearing in mind that our teammates are ALWAYS happy to help, but during this particular time will be less likely to offer help in order to be sensitive to those that might appreciate shopping alone. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to ask a member of our team.
