We know that supermarkets are doing their best to keep the public safe during this really difficult time. But we’re worried that thousands of disabled people, older people and their carers are being forgotten.

The new lockdown rules mean that going to the shops is more difficult than usual. The long queues, unclear rules and some staff and customers’ poor understanding mean that getting food is a minefield of stress and anxiety.

The situation is leaving some to go hungry, and that’s unacceptable.

It looks like social distancing in stores will be around for a while. We would like supermarkets to work with disabled people, carers and charities to set up systems that include fairer rules on numbers of shoppers and opening times; consistent rules across supermarkets; better staff understanding of disabled people’s needs.

We have have joined with a number of other leading charities and signed an open letter to supermarket CEOs asking them to take action. You can read the full letter here.

If you would like to add your support you can also sign up to the open letter on the National Autistic Society’s website here.