Grocery stores are one of the hardest parts of my life with a mobility disability. I get groceries delivered sometimes, but that is expensive and I can’t use my own bags. My daughter often picks up groceries for me but that wasn’t possible yesterday so I found myself in a grocery store

I can't use a motorized cart because of my low vision. I can't use my cane while pushing a cart, so I put the cane in the cart and lean against it as I push, hoping it doesn't slide out from under me. That's the best solution I've found, and it works, mostly.

What doesn't work is the distance. Grocery stores are enormous now. I need to rest every few minutes . And there is simply nowhere to do that. No benches or chairs, just miles of fluorescent-lit aisles with no place to stop.

Yesterday I was in a grocery store and I was genuinely afraid I would pass out. I was too far from the exit, too far from any seating, and my body was done. I finally found my way to the coffee shop area and sat down without buying anything, just to survive the trip. Getting there was its own ordeal. I wasn't certain I would make it.

A few weeks ago I went to a Trader Joe's that had a bench near the entrance. I almost cried when I saw it. I told the staff what it meant to me, and later I sent an email to corporate to tell them the same thing. A bench. It costs almost nothing and it changes everything for people like me.

I wish more stores understood this. Accessibility isn't only about ramps and wide aisles. It's about whether I can get through the store without collapsing. It's about whether there is somewhere to rest.