Starbucks is making big changes to ensure that its stores are more inclusive and accessible to employees and customers with disabilities in a move that’s intended to serve as a model for other retailers.

The company unveiled new accessibility guidelines this month detailing a design framework to help “expand independence, choice and ease for all people across physical and digital spaces.”

The standards, which will apply to all newly built and renovated company-operated stores in the U.S., include optimized acoustics and lighting, power-operated doors and a visual status board to notify customers when their order is being prepared and when it’s ready. Under the plan, Starbucks will also provide more accessible equipment for employees, improve the flow of its stores to ensure barrier-free pathways and lower counters to provide wheelchair access, among other improvements.

Starbucks officials said they worked with customers, employees and accessibility experts to develop the so-called Inclusive Spaces Framework. The guidelines will be open sourced and continue to evolve to further expand accessibility in the retail sector, they said.

The first new store built to meet the inclusive specs opened last week at Union Market in Washington, D.C. Starbucks said it plans to open additional stores beyond its more than 16,000 existing locations, with approximately 4% growth forecast for this year.

“At Starbucks, we have challenged ourselves to imagine what’s possible when we take a closer look at the many ways our partners and customers interact with us and experience our stores every day,” said Katie Young, senior vice president of store operations for the company. “Building and scaling an Inclusive Store Framework is central to our mission of connection and will lead to greater access for all.”

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