Dear Red Phone,
“I am disabled so I know I am saying this for hundreds of people. There has been a lot of work done to help handicapped people and it is very much appreciated. What I don’t understand is why big stores like Walmart and Costco doesn’t have hardly any electric handicap chairs. I have personally asked about it and I know others have too, but to no use. The stores are big and I love them both but all the walking is very difficult for us. I would appreciate if you could check this out. Thank you.”
Dear reader,
You’re right – both stores are very big, and we understand that pushing around a cart full of bulk groceries is no easy task for someone who is disabled. And who doesn’t love the plethora of free samples that Costco gives out? To help answer your question, we got in touch with the corporate offices and media teams for both stores. We gave them about a month to reply and heard nothing back from Walmart, despite multiple phone calls and emails. But Costco did respond, and here is what Vice President Darby Greek of Costco Wholesale had to say:
“While we recognize the ADA (American Disability Association) does not require us to provide electric carts (or manual wheelchairs, for that matter), we do it anyway as a member service. We do our best to provide the number of electric carts at each warehouse location that reflects the needs of our members who shop there. We will continue to monitor the situation, and adjust the number of electric carts to best serve our members and our business needs. Thank you.”
