‘Assist Mats’ Begin to Appear in Branches of 7-11 in Japan

By Barrier Free Japan

March 5 2024

JAPAN – Barrier Free Japan has noticed something new has been added to 7-11’s here in Japan. If you walk up to the counter to pay, you might come across something Barrier Free Japan has named an ‘assist mat’.

At some branches of 7-11, as you walk up to pay, you might see this mat, stuck to the counter. The mat has images with writing underneath, the writing is in Japanese & English and below the images it reads: ‘Buy Coffee’, ‘Buy Plastic Bag’, ‘Chopsticks’, ‘Fork’, ‘Spoon’, ‘Warm Up Microwave’, ‘Yes’ & ‘No’.

The mat is intended to help people with difficulties communicating, especially d/Deaf people and people with hearing impairments, when attempting to tell the 7-11 staff what they want to buy.

Barrier Free Japan is calling it an ‘assist mat’ as 7-11 and its parent company ‘Seven & i Holdings’ has not advertised this new way of helping those with difficulties communicating widely, so we are not sure what to call it.

Also, such mats are not to be found at every checkout counter at every 7-11, but it should help some whom have difficulties in communicating whilst shopping at a 7-11 in Japan.