Blind and partially sighted people in Scotland who have been struggling to get food and groceries will now be offered priority access to online delivery slots from Iceland stores.
Where appropriate, those in need of support will be given an individualised code that will let them book available delivery slots on Thursday mornings between 9 and 10am, before other shoppers.
The move is intended to help those people with sight loss facing persistent difficulties accessing food, who have no available support from others, and live in a postcode area serviced by an Iceland store. Iceland currently operates within 22 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, including Edinburgh.
Sight loss charity RNIB Scotland said the move will be welcomed by many blind and partially sighted people living alone.
“Some people with sight loss have experienced a very anxious past three months,” said director James Adams. “As we entered lockdown the competition for delivery slots has increased, and many of our members reported that they were struggling to get access to their usual reliable supermarket delivery.
“This has been compounded by social distancing measures which are largely laid out with visual signs and markers, making it more difficult for people with sight loss to navigate shops safely. This move by Iceland will be a relief to many blind and partially shoppers.”
In a UK-wide survey undertaken by RNIB in May, 67 per cent of respondents had experienced difficulty finding a supermarket delivery slot, and three in four reported being very or quite concerned about getting access to food.
Since the lockdown began in March, RNIB has pressed government and supermarket chains to add blind and partially sighted people to their priority delivery lists.
Anyone with sight loss struggling to access food can call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 between 8am and 8pm Monday-Friday and 9am and 5pm on Saturday and will be directed to the most suitable option in their local area.
