IKEA in Stoughton
1 IKEA Way
Stoughton, MA 02072
Phone: 781-344-4532
http://www.ikea.com/
Last week Ric, Amanda and I headed to IKEA in Stoughton to look for some dishes. The last time I shopped at IKEA was in 2007 when I moved to my new home to look for furniture. At that time, I hadn’t started my website and always wanted to go back to do wheelchair accessibility review because I was so impressed with the full wheelchair accessibility of IKEA. Even the escalator was wheelchair accessible!
The parking garage has plenty of handicap parking spaces located in front of the access slope of the sidewalk that leads to the main entrance. The main entry doors are double sliding automatic doors, which I love! These doors make wheelchair access very easy for the doors slide wide open as soon as you approach.
Once inside we used the elevator to access the main floor. The elevator is very large, and wheelchair friendly. The buttons on the elevator are clearly marked, easy to reach and are of a good wheelchair accessible height.
We arrived on the main shopping level and found it spacious and wide open. It is very easy to get around in your wheelchair; and the employees here are all very friendly and helpful too. Once we finished shopping on the main level, we took the elevator to the 2nd level. This level is wide open and very wheelchair accessible. The entire store is wheelchair friendly and a great place to shop. I really enjoyed the experience of shopping here.
Located on the top level is an IKEA Restaurant where we had lunch. The restaurant is open Mon-Sat: 9:30am-8:00pm and Sun: 9:30am-6:30pm. It is fully wheelchair accessible; the cashier counter is of a good wheelchair accessible height; there are plenty of tables that are wheelchair accessible and of a good height too. The food is very good and all the employees are very kind and courteous.
We finished our shopping and took the elevator back down to the main level to check out. The cashier counters are all of a good wheelchair accessible height and I had no problems completing my transaction.
We then headed to the escalator that takes you from the main shopping level to the parking garage. I was disappointed to discover that wheelchairs are no longer allowed on the escalator. A kind employee told us it is due to a complaint of an injury by a customer in a wheelchair.
The last time I was at IKEA I was able to use the escalator and loved it and had no problems using it. My friends and I don’t understand how a person in a wheelchair could tip on it but was told it happened and is why they now have yellow barriers and signs posted letting customers know that wheelchairs and baby strollers are not allowed on the escalator.
We used the very accessible elevator to get back to our van. The elevator is actually a more convenient way to get to the parking garage as its right next the checkout counters/cashier.
Public restrooms are located on each level and all the rest rooms are spacious, wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant.
**Cliff McKay, a reader with a physical disability notified me on May 13, 2010 (see his comment below) that Ikea REFUSES to provide Motorized Scooters for their handicapped customers to use. Ikea cites insurance issues for this decisions. Yet many other stores provide this service for their handicapped customers and we believe Ikea should too!!
I give Ikea THREE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Two Stars they would need to provide some motorized scooters for their customers with physical disabilities to use.
March 31st, 2010 at 5:04 pm
We have an Ikea here in MIchigan and I love to shop there! I was very impressed with the accessibility at our location too! And hope you tried some yummy cinnamon rolls.
March 31st, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Hi Jamie, We did try the cinnamon rolls and thought they were delicious! Hope all is well in Michigan!
May 13th, 2010 at 11:15 pm
My experience with handicapped accessibility issues with regards to Ikea are quite the opposite of Kenny’s. I have arthritis and traverse many Supermarkets, big and small, and large stores with the help of motorized scooters that these store provide for there handicapped customers. These scooters allow customers like myself to have an enjoyable shopping experience that is independent. Ikea refuses to purchase these scooters for their handicapped customers. They cite insurance issues for this decisions. My question is that if other stores can provide this service for their handicapped customers why can’t Ikea do the same? I would say that from my perspective they deserve a negative star rating and should be boycotted by all handicapped customers until this issue is resolved and we all can have full access to their stores.
May 14th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Hi Cliff, We didn’t relize Ikea refuses to purchase motorized scooters to loan to customers with disabilities. We’ve seen scooters at many supermarkets and large stores. We will definitely go back and mention this in our review and deduct 2 stars. Thanks for letting us know. Kenny & Company
May 15th, 2010 at 11:50 am
[...] IKEA in Stoughton thetravelingwheelchair.com/ikea-in-stoughton – view page – cached Last week Ric, Amanda and I headed to IKEA in Stoughton to look for some dishes. The last time I shopped at IKEA was in 2007 when I moved to my new home to look for furniture. At that time, I hadn’t started my website and always wanted to go back to do wheelchair accessibility review because I was so impressed with the full wheelchair accessibility of IKEA. Even the escalator was wheelchair… Read moreLast week Ric, Amanda and I headed to IKEA in Stoughton to look for some dishes. The last time I shopped at IKEA was in 2007 when I moved to my new home to look for furniture. At that time, I hadn’t started my website and always wanted to go back to do wheelchair accessibility review because I was so impressed with the full wheelchair accessibility of IKEA. Even the escalator was wheelchair accessible! View page Tweets about this link Topsy.Data.Twitter.User['valeriemckay'] = Filter tweets [...]
December 9th, 2010 at 1:35 am
Just a note on the motorized scooters. As a current employee at IKEA stoughton, having been there for 3 years, I would rather not give my name. The reason we do not have them is not because of insurance issues. We are not allowed to have them because we have open stairways all over the store and it is a major safety hazard. If ikea was a single level store, it would most definitely provide motorized scooters. However I will point out that we do provide wheelchairs for people who need them, as well as have carts that attach to wheelchairs as well. IKEA does prefer to put the safety of its customers and employees first and foremost before anything. Being there for the past 3 years, I have seen many changes they have made in the layout of store to make it more accessible, and most of these changes were put it effect after hearing the voices of customers in wheelchairs. The management goes above and beyond in trying to satisfy every customer, but again there are limitations due to safety regulations NOT set by IKEA but by a higher power.
December 9th, 2010 at 9:06 am
Hi Anonymous,
Open stairways all over the store can pose a major safety hazard for persons driving power scooters.Safety has always been of utmost importance to us.
Kudos to IKEA for putting the safety of its customers and employees first and foremost!
Happy Holidays!
Kenny and Company