Tina's checkout

There’s a checkout at Hansen’s Your Independent Grocer that regular customers known simply as “Tina’s checkout.”

It’s where she works every shift, greeting familiar faces and catching up with customers who have come to know her over the years. Some will even wait in her line when another checkout is available. For Tina, those relationships are a meaningful part of a job she once struggled to find.

After taking time away from work to raise her children, Tina began looking for a new opportunity. She handed out resumes, completed phone interviews, and participated in employment programs. But the experience was often discouraging. Tina says promising conversations often changed once she arrived for an in-person interview in her wheelchair.

She knew what she was capable of. She just needed to find an employer willing to see it, too.

That opportunity came when a friend suggested she apply at Hansen’s YIG in Exeter, Ontario. When Tina received her hiring package, she got into the car with her mom and cried.

Getting the job was only the beginning. Tina and the store team then worked together to make sure her workspace met her needs.

The checkout needed enough space for her wheelchair to fit safely underneath, while keeping the cash drawer, keyboard and screen within comfortable reach. It took some conversations, experimentation and even a few tools, but within her first couple of weeks, they had found a set up that worked.

Other adaptations followed. Tina keeps a grabbing stick beside her checkout for anything that falls out of reach. She also added an eye-level feature to her wheelchair, allowing her to raise her seating position and reach more while helping with other tasks around the store.

Today, Tina is surrounded by regular customers who know her by name and a team that listens and works with her when barriers come up. Her experience is a reminder that accessibility doesn’t always require an elaborate solution. Sometimes it starts with listening, making a practical adjustment, and being willing to find a better way together.

That message is especially relevant during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to recognize the contributions of team members with disabilities and the importance of inclusive workplaces.

For Tina, inclusion is not an abstract idea. It’s a checkout that works for her, a team willing to adapt, and customers who choose her line because they know they’ll be greeted by someone they trust.

Watch Tina’s Checkout video(Open in a new tab) to hear more of Tina’s story in her own words.