keeponshouting:

chronicillnessproblems:

encryptionillness:

chronicillnessproblems:

So this happened TWICE while I was out running errands earlier this week. The access lane is absolutely not a place to leave your cart. It’s there SO THAT DISABLED PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET THEMSELVES AND THEIR WHEELCHAIRS OUT OF THEIR CARS. Blocking it with a heavy shopping cart isn’t much better than parking a car in it, honestly.

I’ve seen people leave carts here but had no idea that’s what these are for! I return the cart to a proper area because I’m trying to help the cart gatherers out and I wouldn’t want my cart to be responsible for causing damage to someone or something. I’ll make sure to raise awareness.

Thanks! :) Yeah I guess a lot of people don’t really think about what access lanes are for because it doesn’t really come up. Usually people with accessible vans have a ramp that comes down on the right side (sometimes the left, but when I was shopping around I saw almost exclusively right access vans) and that’s how they get the chair in and out of the car. There are also rear entry vans with ramps or lifts in the back, like the one I have, that don’t actually require the use of the access lane. But sometimes I still use the lane to take things I can’t carry without my chair around to the side and put them in my car before I put the chair away. And I guess even people who know that might not realize how hard it can be to move an empty cart while in a chair, but it is really hard to push a cart while trying to move a wheelchair as well, because you either have to push yourself against it somehow or try to move the cart with one hand and push the chair/chair controls with the other hand.

I posted to my Facebook about this exact issue not too long ago and I don’t remember if I posted the message to Tumblr or not.

Please, if you are able-bodied or are disabled but don’t need the accessible spaces or are with other people who you can ask to do it, give others a hand when you see carts left in access lanes or similar locations and move them out of the way. You can’t make everyone else be thoughtful or polite but this is one very simple way that you can make up for the rudeness of others. I promise you that even if you never see them, someone is going to be grateful.