A QUICK visit to the grocery store is a somewhat simple routine. Yet, it poses a tiresome dilemma for wheelchair users.
Dee Beukes, a woman who understands the strain of shopping for wheelchair users, started a campaign with the agenda of introducing accessible trolleys in grocery stores.
She had approached several big-name retailers but was always told ‘it’s coming’.
The inconvenience was yet to be investigated until one local store owner took the problem into his own hands.
After much delay and empty promises, Dee found someone with the consideration and ingenuity to undertake the issue.
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Marc Anderson, the new owner of Richdens SuperSpar, happily listened to Dee’s request and the next day she received the call to come and test out a modified trolley that Anderson and his maintenance employee had engineered.
The new trolley has a lower basket that attaches to a wheelchair so that the costumer may focus on pushing themselves and shop independently. At last, the wishes of many shoppers have been met.
The initiative Anderson took to make a supermarket run an easier experience is a much-appreciated service, as many stores nationwide have overlooked this long overdue requirement.
QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) congratulated Anderson last week on his efforts to assist wheelchair users and have awarded him a certificate of appreciation for creating modified trolleys in store.
“We hope the work of Anderson encourages more service providers to strive for inclusivity and accessibility for all,” said Jodie Kroone from QASA.
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