Tuesday, 26 March 2024
    11
    Aug
    Disability

    Vision-impaired people struggle

    And advocacy group has told of how vision-impaired people had items snatched from them at supermarkets during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in Tasmania, The Advocate reports.

    Disability Voices Tasmania project co-ordinator Fiona Strahan in a submission to the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council this month said people with disability reported increased harassment and discrimination earlier this year.

    “Several people with vision impairment have spoken about having shopping taken from their trolley,” she said.

    “People with disability have been pushed out of the way to get things from supermarkets.”

    Ms Strahan said there had been reports to the group of increased ridicule and humiliation.

    She said people with a disability which was not immediately visible were harshly questioned on their presence at supermarkets within special times set aside for the state’s more vulnerable people.

    Ms Strahan said Tasmanians with disability were overwhelmingly more isolated than usual during the height of the pandemic in the state and continued to be so when many restrictions were lifted.

    She said they continued to face increased living costs which were not covered by the disability pension.

    FULL STORY

    Tasmanian disability group tells of struggles in early days of coronavirus pandemic (The Advocate)