Female Announcer:  And now it's time for the Americans with Disabilities Act updates brought to you by the New England ADA Center. The center is located in Boston at the Institute for Human Centered Design across from TD Garden.  If you have questions about the ADA call 1-800-949-4232 or visit their website NewEnglandADA.org.

Oce Harrison:  Hi, I'm Oce from the New England ADA Center.  I'm going to talk with you about shopping.

The ADA has something to say about shopping and the rights of people with disabilities. The ADA says that people with disabilities need to have the same shopping experience as those without disabilities. How can people with disabilities make that happen?  Here are three tips.

First, plan ahead. Plan to do your shopping at a time when there are less people in the stores. Shopping when there are less people around increases your chance of getting the help you need.

Second, ask for help. You have a right to request what the ADA calls a reasonable modification. You don't have to use these exact words, but you can ask a store employee to retrieve things for you. Also, if you have difficulty waiting in line, ask a store employee to save a place in line for you.

The third and last tip is for people with hearing difficulties text or write down questions about store discounts or daily specials.

In summary the ADA requires shopping centers to provide goods to people with disabilities on an equal basis with the rest of the public. So here's wishing you a successful shopping trip!

Female Announcer: If you have questions about this or any topic related to the ADA call 1-800-949-4232 or visit the New England ADA Center website at NewEnglandADA.org.