SINGAPORE - Even though he loves to shop, 27-year-old Farhan Amri has avoided going to the mall for most of his life.

Bright lights in some stores are akin to someone pointing a flashlight at him, and loud noises can be so overwhelming that he curls up into a ball.

While other shoppers are accustomed to the repetitive jingles played in some stores, walking past such a shop in 2021 led to a breakdown for the digital artist.

Like many others on the autism spectrum, Mr Farhan’s sensory issues – which refer to how one’s brain processes senses such as sight and sound – affect his decisions on which places to frequent.

He said: “I love shopping online because I am safe in my room. I know I won’t get overwhelmed. I do wish I could go to a shoe store like everyone else to try things on before I buy them, though.”

Some malls in Singapore are responding better to the needs of customers like Mr Farhan, by training staff to serve those with disabilities and offering a more comfortable environment.

In some malls like Northpoint City and Tiong Bahru Plaza, shoppers will see a quieter environment and dimmer lights in certain stores, like spectacle shop Better Vision and express hair salon EC House, during “calm hours”.

Participating stores typically offer a “calm” shopping experience on Mondays and Tuesdays during their first hour of opening.

The aim is to provide a more comfortable shopping environment for those with sensory needs.

Frasers Property Singapore, which operates 12 malls, including Northpoint City and Tiong Bahru Plaza, expects more than 70 stores across the 12 properties to offer “calm hours” by the end of 2024. Shoppers can identify these shops through signage in the malls.

Chief executive of Frasers Property Singapore Soon Su Lin said that its malls play a significant role in building and shaping communities as people from all walks of life meet and share experiences there, and it is important to embrace inclusivity.

Frasers Property launched an Inclusion Champions Programme in May 2023 to train its mall employees and tenants in disability awareness to support those with different needs.

The training covers how to assist and interact with someone living with dementia, and simple ways to respond and engage with a person with autism.

To date, about 120 employees and tenants across 10 of its malls have undergone the training. By the third quarter of 2024, it expects to see 30 brands, including Tim Ho Wan and Starbucks, come on board the programme, Ms Soon said.

Customer service supervisor Siti Suleiman at Causeway Point is one of those who attended the training in 2023.

In her 22 years in customer service, the 57-year-old has met a wide range of people. The training has helped her better serve those with disabilities and elderly shoppers with dementia.

On one occasion, an elderly man was brought to the customer service counter after he was seen looking lost and confused in a store. He did not know where he was and did not have a phone.

After a rest at the counter, he remembered that his phone was being serviced at a store. Ms Siti retrieved it and got in touch with his family. The man felt better after speaking to his son, who called Ms Siti and her colleague once his father was home safe and sound.

She said: “We felt that we were able to respond really quickly and make a difference to someone’s day because we were more aware and knew how to respond to the situation after our inclusion training.”

Japanese label Uniqlo is going the extra mile to be inclusive.

On Thursday mornings before the store opens at 11am, it offers private 60-minute shopping sessions at its outlet on the second floor of 51 @ Ang Mo Kio. Customers with different needs and who require peace and quiet can book sessions online.

The service, which started in March 2022, is currently available only at that branch.

The store was designed to accommodate customers with physical disabilities and special needs – aisles are wider, fitting rooms are wheelchair-friendly, self-checkout counters are at a lowered height, and store lights are dimmed.

The staff are also trained to know the various types of disabilities and some of the common challenges that people with disabilities encounter while shopping.

Ms Hwee Lee, senior sustainability director at Uniqlo Singapore, said: “It is challenging when disabilities are invisible, or when there are large numbers in the stores needing accommodation and support, which is why we offer a special service before store opening hours to serve them.”

She added that with the success of its pilot in the Ang Mo Kio outlet, more Uniqlo stores in places like Raffles City and Junction 8 will be retrofitted with improved accessibility features. The brand will also work on making its e-commerce store inclusive for customers with visual impairment, she told The Straits Times.

Inclusivity efforts in other malls in Singapore are currently largely focused on accessibility and physical features.

Lendlease, which operates four malls, including Jem and 313@somerset, provides tenants with suggestions on inclusive features, such as larger fitting rooms and varying counter heights, when reviewing their design drawings.

Lendlease’s Singapore head of asset operations Jenny Khoo said the operator works with accessibility consultants to ensure its spaces can cater to different mobility methods. It also works with organisations like the Disabled People’s Association to review its facilities and develop resources like accessibility guides.

An online guide to help people with disabilities navigate Jem shopping mall in Jurong will be piloted later in 2024, after trials and assessments by disability professionals, she said.

Director for communications and partnerships at SG Enable Chia Ai Ling said that ensuring malls accommodate people with disabilities is a cornerstone to building a more inclusive society as the properties not only house retailers, but also offer food options and essential services like clinics and banks.

She said: “Making the shopping experience accessible extends beyond the brick-and-mortar spaces. Mall operators can consider making their mobile apps and websites more digitally accessible, such as by having alternative text for images, so persons with visual impairment can access the information online with assistive technology such as text-to-speech software.”

Ms Chia added: “A more disability-inclusive physical and digital shopping experience benefits everyone because fundamentally, it caters to diversity that is inherent in any society.

“With Singapore’s ageing population, there’s an even greater need for accessibility and inclusion. When we cater to the needs of persons with disabilities, we cater to the rest of society, develop greater empathy, and ensure equitable opportunities for people of different abilities and needs.”