Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is raising awareness of what it’s like to shop online as a low vision or blind person by inviting Sydneysiders to shop unique fashion finds at its pop-up shop, without being able to see what they’re buying.
From 28 November – Saturday 30 November, shoppers will be able to browse the aisles of curated, pre-loved items from popular fashion marketplace Uturn and take home a free vintage piece, but each item will be hidden within packaging with just a short-written description to let buyers know what they’re getting.
This is reflective of the experience of over half a million Australians living with low vision or blindness, who face poor product descriptions when shopping on eCommerce sites and are often left in the dark, especially during busy online sales periods like Black Friday.
A 2023 analysis of the internet’s top one million websites found that only 3.7% were considered accessible, according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, with shopping websites approximately 43% less accessible than other websites.
shoppers will be able to browse the aisles of curated, pre-loved items… but each item will be hidden within packaging with just a short-written description to let buyers know what they’re getting
Highlighting Online Inclusivity
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT Assistive Technology Specialist Abby Jayasuriya hopes the pop-up shop will help Australians understand why inclusivity in online shopping descriptions is so important.
“Blackout Friday is more than a pop-up shop; it’s a disability awareness experience designed to get people thinking about the barriers that exist in online shopping for low vision or blindness consumers,” said Ms Jayasuriya.
“So many eCommerce brands aren’t even aware of the small changes they could make to product descriptions that would have a significant difference to the community. A description might say ‘red jumper’, but that could be any material or style – the details get missed and that’s what creates a difficult shopping experience for those who only have the descriptions to go by.”
“We’re raising awareness so eCommerce brands can start to make progress towards improving their online accessibility, because every person has the right to access the products they need and want online.”
“Accessible design is just good design, and brands could be doing more to make everyone’s online experience more seamless, intuitive and enticing.”
Alex Dimou, Uturn Director said the team is proud to be working with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT for such an important cause, while also encouraging consumers to think differently about Black Friday.
“We’re all about offering a fun and inclusive shopping experience for everyone, it’s a privilege to be able to work with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to help make that the case for more people,” said Mr Dimou.
“We want to do our part to support an experience that not only raises awareness of the obstacles faced by shoppers with low vision or blindness, but encourages online shopping sites to consider implementing more accessible product descriptions.”
“We hope everyone that visits the Blackout Friday pop-up shop leaves with a fashion find they love, and a better understanding of the important work that still needs to be done in creating a more accessible world for all.”
Real Life Experiences
Shoppers will also have the option to hear from people with low vision and blindness about their story and real-life examples of the barriers they face in the online shopping world, and listen to what it sounds like with a screen reader to shop on inaccessible pages.
Uturn has contributed 100% of the products for the shop, supplying a carefully curated collection of timeless preloved and vintage garments
To align with the launch of Blackout Friday, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is also releasing free downloadable ‘website guidelines’, so online shops can be more informed about how to make their store easier to navigate for all shoppers.
For more information on how to book your ticket to the very unique Guide Dogs NSW/ACT Blackout Friday pop-up visit the link here,
Pop-Up Shop Details
- What: Blackout Friday pop-up shop – a unique shopping experience by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to raise awareness of the online shopping experience of those with low vision or blindness, while scoring a vintage fashion find for FREE!
- When: Thursday 28 November – Saturday 30 November, 10am – 4pm
- Where: 17 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney NSW 2021
- Cost: Entry tickets are free
- Shop: Book your ticket via this link, otherwise walk-ins welcome
