Store out of reach

By Kath Gannaway
A HEALESVILLE community group has called Coles Supermarkets to task for not considering the needs of its wheelchair bound customers.
Margaret Cole, a community development worker with the Melba Community Support Program in Healesville said members of the group’s Wheelchair Club were astounded to find the fruit and vegetable bins in the shop had been raised making it difficult for them to reach much of the produce.
During a visit to the shop last week members of the group said the changes also made it almost impossible for anyone without an attendant carer to reach the plastic bags.
Ms Cole said while she accepted there had always been areas in supermarkets which were inaccessible to wheelchair and scooter users, the change to the produce crates was a new hurdle for people in wheelchairs..
“We are in the 21st century now and when they are looking at making changes they should be looking at the whole community. With the new types of wheelchairs and scooters people are no longer housebound and are encouraged to get out into the community and be independent.
“I just wonder whether the people who design these changes look at how they will affect people in wheelchairs at all,” she said.
Coles, however, has defended the new-look crates which they say are now standard across their supermarket network.
A spokesman said the crates were designed to minimise handling of the produce between the grower and the customer, ensuring customers benefit with fresher, better quality produce.
“The edges of these crates are slightly higher than the previous display system but to compensate for this we have trimmed about three inches off the legs of the produce stands.”
While no response was given to the question of whether the needs of disabled people are taken into account at the design stage, the spokesman said help was available.
“If any of our customers need help selecting their fresh produce, or indeed any products in our stores, our store team members are only too happy to help,” he said.