Watch above: Grocery shopping can be a challenge at the best of times but consider the obstacles facing people with special needs. Wendy Winiewski has a story about the Caroline cart program coming to Saskatoon, making shopping more accessible.
SASKATOON – Evan and Erin Burr push their six-year-old boy Graham up and down the grocery store aisles in a shopping cart. This experience at Saskatoon’s Lawson Heights Mall Safeway is a first for the family.
“This is what a grocery store looks like,” Erin tells her son with a smile and a chipper spirit.
Graham has CHARGE syndrome – and until now – hasn’t been able to be part of these outings.
“He’s visually impaired and he’s hearing impaired so sensory wise, this is like a playground for him,” his mother Erin explains.
“There’s so many colours, there’s so many smells, there’s so many textures so I think it’s really going to be fun for him to go grocery shopping.”
The experience is possible because of Caroline’s cart.
The modified cart is a first in Saskatoon. The front portion of a standard grocery cart has been replaced with an opening hand bar, a large, upright seat and a five-point safety belt. The cart has a weight capacity of 250 pounds.
It was created in Alabama by Drew Ann Long out of necessity after Long struggled to complete the daily task of grocery shopping with her special needs daughter, Caroline.
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Thanks to Long’s invention, Graham can go grocery shopping with his parents.
“This is the exact same store that I went shopping in with my parents,” said Graham’s father Evan.
“It’s such a basic experience that kids should have with their parents and we’re excited about the opportunity to not, you know, have one of us in the van and one of us running around here crazy.”
The family previously got groceries with one parent tending to Graham in the vehicle.
Safeway and Elks Canada split the $1,000 cost of the cart.
“It has been promoted to all our lodges across Canada,” said Albert Busby, who was on hand proudly overseeing Wednesday’s donation.
“It’s just going leaps and bounds, there’s quite a few in Edmonton already,” he said, adding Regina has a Caroline’s cart and there are two in Moose Jaw, Sask. as well.
READ MORE: Shopping cart helps local 4-year-old feel “part of the world”
Safeway’s Natalina Dafnis is eyeing the chain grocery stores other local locations.
“There are five Safeway store locations and working together with the Elks we hope to populate those other stores too with a Caroline’s cart,” said Dafnis.
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