Coles and Woolworths have been urged to expand their measures to allow people with disabilities to access groceries during the coronavirus crisis, with some saying they are still unable to access food and other essential items.
The supermarkets have established a dedicated “community hour” for the elderly and people with disabilities each morning, but the suspension of delivery services and the need to show government-issued ID to access services has left some people locked out.
The call to expand services catering for people with disabilities comes amid anecdotal reports to the advocacy sector that some people with disabilities, as well as support workers, have been turned away because they can’t meet the requirements.
Guardian Australia spoke to three people with disabilities who said that the lack of access to supermarkets left them relying on friends and generous strangers to get by.
Jane Britt, who is vision- and hearing-impaired, usually gets her groceries delivered because it is difficult for her to carry her groceries and use her cane.
She said it would be all but impossible for her to visit the supermarket at the moment given the crowds, adding that she would be unable to be sure she was practising social distancing.
Britt said she found delivery services had been suspended or were almost entirely unavailable in Brisbane. “I would like to see people moderate that a little bit more and take only what they need,” she said. “That would be the ultimate act of kindness at the moment.”
Naomi Chainey has a condition called ME/CFS which makes it difficult to get around the supermarket “on a good day”. “If I’m pushing a trolley, just the physical exertion of that is very difficult for me,” she said.
Chainey, who lives in Sydney and has been self-isolating due to a compromised immune system, has been unable to get her hands on fresh fruit or vegetables.
“I’ve got rice, 2kg of flour, I’ve got oats,” she said. “I’m going to be living on carbs until I can manage to get some fresh fruit.
“I do have friends that are offering to help out. I’m going to have to draw on people I wouldn’t usually ask for help, I think.”
Like Britt, she is hopeful the major supermarkets will resume delivery services, but prioritise them for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups such as the elderly.
Elena Macdonald, who lives with daily chronic pain and gastroparesis, which affects her diet, said she tried to do her grocery shopping at the weekend.
But the Melbourne woman was left empty-handed. “It was nuts,” she said. “I have issues with my stomach. I can only eat certain things, but they are all the things people seem to be stockpiling. I ended up just coming home. I was lucky I had a friend who could get a few things I needed.”
Macdonald was forced to join a community Facebook group to obtain some antibacterial wipes from a generous stranger.
She supports the “community hour” initiative, but is unable to access it because she does not access disability-related government benefits and does not hold an eligible ID card.
The 20-year-old is also hoping for a dedicated supermarket delivery service for people with disabilities.
Of watching scenes of panic buying while she is in self-isolation, Macdonald said: “It’s been stressful and depressing. It makes you feel isolated and helpless. It seems like everyone is just thinking of themselves.”
Jeff Smith, the chief executive of People With Disability Australia, said the peak body was pleased the supermarket had taken some steps to improve access.
“However, we are concerned to hear from people with disability that they are being turned away due to not having a concession card, or that they are missing out on vital deliveries,” he said.
Smith said supermarkets needed to “provide clear, accessible information about how people with disability can access essential supplies”.
A Woolworths spokesperson said the supermarket was taking a “common sense approach when it comes to other customers with extenuating circumstances, such as carers and those with specific medical needs”.
“We know it’s not a perfect process, but believe it’s the right thing to do in the circumstances we’re facing,” the spokesperson said.
The supermarket said it was also now taking delivery orders and prioritising “vulnerable customers, including seniors, people with a disability and those in mandatory isolation”.
Woolworths’ terms and conditions say carers and support workers are also permitted to shop during the community hour if they provide companion or carers ID cards.
Coles was contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.
Like Woolworths, Coles asks people to show an government-issued ID to shop during its “community hour”. But Coles’ website also states it will also use “use sensible discretion and compassion” where necessary.
“For elderly or vulnerable people in our community unable to access supermarkets, there are charities throughout the country available to assist,” its website states.
