Coles Cooma manager Nathan McGrath and Sergio Caffarelli with the additional needs trolley (right) and the wheelchair access trolley.
Coles Cooma now has a specially-designed supermarket trolley for use by parents and carers who have children with a disability. The introduction of the additional needs trolley is the culmination of three years of research by Coles to design and manufacture a trolley which can assist parents with children who have disability to shop at Coles with greater convenience and support.
Coles Operations and Supply Chain Director, Andy Coleman, said he was pleased with the positive response Coles had received from customers who use the specially-designed trolley during their grocery shop.
"We want to help our customers to shop easily at our stores. The trolley ensures that parents and carers no longer need to juggle a wheelchair and shopping basket during their shop at Coles. It means they are able to place all their groceries in a trolley while also having their child seated safely," he said.
The additional needs trolley arrived at the Coles Cooma store towards the end of 2015 and manager Nathan McGrath said that it is in regular use as there are a number of families in the region with children with special needs.
"I think it's fantastic that Coles has led this initiative. The wheel chair access trolley was a great start but they've backed up their commitment to people with disabilities by introducing the new chair," Mr McGrath said.
" All the feedback has been positive. We give people independence and it frees the parents and carers up to shop in an easier way."
Coles Cooma staff member, Sergio Caffarelli, said the supermarket frequently has vision-impaired people who shop there and Coles provide a staff member to accompany and assist them.
"We're never too busy to help people out and as well as the additional needs trolley and the wheel chair access one, there are disabled parking spots closest to each entrance to the centre, no steps and a ramp on the northern end," Mr Caffarelli said.
The additional needs trolley is available from the customer service desk at Coles in Cooma. Signage is also displayed at the front of the store to encourage customers to access the additional needs trolley.
In addition to its partnership with Australian Network on Disability, Coles is proud to work with Disability Work Australia and Social Ventures Australia to offer support and provision of employment for people living with disability.
Suzanne Colbert, CEO of the Australian Network on Disability says the organisation welcomed the work Coles has done in meeting the needs of customers that require these trolleys.
"By having accessible shopping trolleys available in stores across Australia, Coles is making it easier for families of children with disability to do their grocery shopping, without the experience causing undue stress or anxiety," she said.
"Coles is demonstrating its commitment to access and inclusion for everyone by thinking outside the box and addressing the needs of customers with specific requirements."