In many states, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known as Food Stamps, prohibits SNAP benefits from being used for online food and grocery delivery services.
The leading home-based meal delivery program, “Meals on Wheels,” does not serve people under the age of 60, even if they are homebound.
Many commercial delivery services are backed up, don’t serve many areas, and/or are out of food that people who are diabetic or have other health conditions need. Many people who are blind are unable to get food for their service dogs.
“Many of these folks are vulnerable to the coronavirus because of health conditions, while people who are blind and those who use wheelchairs are finding it impossible to maintain social distance.”
Millions of people with disabilities are unable to get food and medicine during the national pandemic emergency, according to the nonprofit advocacy group RespectAbility. The disability nonprofit organization recommends changes to the Food Stamp program, and urges governments, online retailers, faith and service organizations to help fill the void.
“If you are a person with disabilities at home alone and you’re under 60 or you live in a part of the country that is not served by a commercial food delivery service, you probably don’t know where your next meal is coming from,” said RespectAbility’s President, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi.
Mizrahi also calls for private-sector leadership from companies like Amazon, Walmart and Instacart: “Jeff Bezos could easily direct Amazon to prioritize food delivery for people with disabilities, just like his company set up a priority channel for medical professionals to get supplies.”