Supermarkets must do more to ensure people with learning disabilities and autism get food during the new lockdown.
That’s the view of Tim Nicholls, who is policy head at the National Autistic Society (NAS).
Supermarkets need to do better this time round for people with learning disabilities and autism, says the National Autistic Society
Nicholls says lockdown has a “disproportionate and often devastating impact on autistic people”.
Unable to get food
England went into a second month-long lockdown on Thursday (5 November).
During the first lockdown families complained they were unable to get food for autistic loved ones.
Some struggled with children on narrow diets after shoppers had stripped supermarket shelves bare.
Others accused supermarkets of failing to prioritise disabled people for deliveries.
Up to 300 disabled people contacted Sheffield solicitors Fry Law, claiming that supermarkets were sidelining them.
Tim Nicholls of the NAS has challenged supermarkets to ensure they do not overlook those with autism in the new lockdown
This followed lawyer Chris Fry threatening legal action against Tesco. He was working on behalf of Joanne Baskett, a single parent to a 17-year-old child who was shielding. Tesco agreed to reasonable adjustments.
Those with high support needs ‘stranded’
Nicholls also warned that families will once again be forced to accept reduced social care, education and mental health services.
He said those with high support needs have been “stranded”.
The NAS says it has pushed governments across the UK for exemptions on face masks, exercise and home care visits.
And more than 11,000 people have signed an open letter from the NAS calling on chancellor Rishi Sunak to invest in autistic people’s services.
Andrew Opie is director of food at the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The group represents all major supermarkets.
Opie promised both “vulnerable and non-vulnerable shoppers” would get the “goods they need online”.
A Tesco spokesperson said its online service has more than doubled since the pandemic’s start and it would “continue to prioritise customers that are less able to shop in store”.
Related:
- We can’t get food we need, say parents
- Councils ‘free to abandon disabled’
- Coronavirus may decimate services
- FAQs about SEN and COVID-19
- Study will measure lockdown’s impact
- Campaign to scrap rules on face masks
- Face mask rules leave people in fear
- Concern at ignorance of mask exemptions
- Autism exemption for travel masks
Published: 9 November 2020
