As a follow up to my last post The Hidden Faces Of Accessibility, I would like to encourage all #localguides to use a hashtag for accessibility they may have not used before. It is #carolinescart, and it would enrich the lives of countless disabled families.
Several years ago, a woman named Drew Ann Long, the mother of a special needs child as well as a was having a hard time taking her daughter with special needs out shopping in a wheelchair, pushing a shopping cart, all while minding her two year old son. She used her ingenuity to come up with the ides for Caroline’s Cart, named after her daughter. The carts hold items as standard carts do, but have an adult sized seat and can be pushed the caregiver. Many seniors have been using. the #carolinescart as well, in place of wheel chairs and motorized vehicles.
These carts can be the difference between a disabled person being able to visit a POI listed on Google Maps or not! Luckily these carts have been placed in Walmart,Target, Food Lion, Giant Kroger stores and many more!
My cousin uses one for her preteen son who is developmentally delayed, has a severe seizure disorder and is unable to walk without assistance. For her, the cart is life changing.
That is why I would like to encourage all my fellow #localguides to use the #carolinescart hashtag whenever they see them at a business!
I am frequently asked by Google, when contributing answers to yes or no questions, whether or not a particular establishment has high chairs. I dream of the day when it is common plain knowledge to want to know if an establishment has Caroline Carts! accessibility#carolinescart#designatedhandicappedparking
I wasn’t completely unaware of the story of Carolines Cart, while I am always using accessibility hashtag on every accessible place where I write a review.
I believe Carolines Cart is not used in Italy (or ate least I haven’t seen one yet). I will save this post for showing it to the Mall admin. Hopefully they will find important it, and they will think about an Improvement.
Why you never told me about this great cart, @KarenVChin
@lynneannec@Wow. “Uncovered”, I’ll say. Thanks for sharing this information about #CarolinesCart and like Ermes stated it is not common in Nigeria but I will look out for it as it may be available in some conscious stores.
@KarenVChin mentioned something similar for children at shopping malls. she may know about this too.
Thank you for sharing this story with us @lynneannec , it is great to know about it. I just liked the Facebook page to keep myself updated on the matter.
I might not use #carolinescart here in Argentina as these kind of carts unfortunately aren’t common in this part of the world yet, but I will take it into account when visiting supermarkets this November
@lynneannec - thanks for sharing this accessibility story. I didn’t know the backstory of this cart here on Connect. I have seen this specialize cart at my local Target and Walmart at least a year ago.
I also saw a #carolinescart at my local Trader Joe’s last year too in May and added it, beside the electric wheelchair cart, to Google Maps.
What struck me for the Caroline’s Cart, which I did not know the official name when I first saw it, was that it could easy carry a big kid, adult, or a special needs person.
I have seen the cart being used twice, and I shop here at least twice a week, was for a special needs individual and an elderly person @EmekaUlor@ErmesT
At Costco with the standard two small kid seats built into their shopping carts, my local Target and Safeway has two kid seats plus the the attached standard shopping cart with folded kid’s seat. So if you have 3 children, all three can sit in each seat and be secured with the shopping cart seat belt on.
Because of this 3 kids cart, I can tell you I see lots of parents pushing this around Target. Everyone is happy. The parent is happy. The kids are happy because they are sitting forward. And, of course, drinking a Starbucks drink makes shopping even better!
@KarenVChin I’m glad you have seen #carolinescart! Please join me in beginning the movement to add this hashtag to #googlemaps. I think it is extremely important. It is very important to me and members of my family as well as to me as an an advocate for disabled individuals. My family members use this cart and I could have used it so much for my daughter when she was growing up. Now at almost 40 she is able to push my cart with me and hold my hand in stores. I love that as #localguides we can help each other in this significant way.
@EmekaUlor Thank you so much for your feedback! This is such an important topic for me. I have several disabled family members, including my own daughter who are benefiting from, or could have benefited from #carolinescart.
I am so happy to be a part of spreading the word about #carolinescart! Thank you @Jesi for liking their Facebook page. I hope the movement to add the hashtag #carolinecart ,I am trying to start catches on! It would help so many people find this important accessibility tool on #googlemaps.
Ooh, I’ve never seen a cart like this but they’re so important! Thanks for sharing the story @lynneannec and thanks to @EmekaUlor for tagging me, as you know I’m passionate about accessibility. I think often people forget that accessibility should also help those who need extra assistance, those who may not be super small (children) or adults who have needs, so these carts and bathrooms that are family-size are super critical!
Thank you @TraciC ! Do you think I should put my idea for starting a movement to use the hashtag #carolinescart for for accessibility, in idea exchange so it gets the ball really rolling? I would love to see this hashtag be widely used in Google Maps by Local Guides.
Hi @lynneannec . That is exactly what the Idea Exchange is for, however, I encourage you to share more about this hashtag amongst folks interested as we all use different hashtags in our various corners of the world, some for the same thing!
@JustineE I saw it mentioned on the website that a store in New Zealand had ordered them. I believe they are available on the Technibilt website for any company to place an order. Here in the US, large chain department stores have done so in all their locations.
I do too. If you go the website I provided in your last comment, there is a form download you can take to your individual store requesting they order a #carolines cart. You could put down Google Local Guide Accessibility Advocate instead of mother of disabled child. Also if you know someone would benefit from the cart, give them a copy.
Firstly, it was very interesting to see prices and products from the photo, but especially there was a very interesting post about people with disabilities. And the way other countries treat them. It’s nice that they are not forgotten and not abandoned.
