[nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:

Fri Jan 4 00:32:05 CST 2008

Hi Mike,

I agree with you all the way! 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Mike Freeman
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:36 PM
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:

Jedi:

My problem is that, frankly put, I think sensitivity training is a whole lot
of dinosaur kaka! It makes everyone feel good and pretend like they've
accomplished something when in reality all anyone has done is to flap
his/her gums a bit and to draw atention to the fact that one ultimately
feels one is owed better treatment as a disabled person than one might get
if one were not disabled.

How much better it would be were one to simply say that an incident of
rudeness occurred and that this doesn't do much for the store's bottom line.
Leave disability out of it!

AS I say, I think sensitivity training and the like is in the same category
as using cutesy phrases such as "differently-abled". Gag me with a spoon!

You could be right and I could be wrong; there could be a pervasive problem
of not viewing disabled persons as valued customers, a la Denny's and black
persons. But I doubt it. And whereas there are specific laws one can use to
ream Denny's posterior over viz. their treatment of blacks, about the only
applicable statute here is ADA Title III and that kind of indirectly.

I realize that people are itching for a good fight. But let's pick something
with a little more legal umph behind it, shall we?

Mike

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Jedi
  To: 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'
  Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 7:48 PM
  Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:

  Mike,

  It seems to me, and maybe I'm wrong, that this is really a portion of 
a
  laundry list of issues with Target. Yeah, we're currently dealing with 
their
  lack of web accessibility, but I'm thinking that the fight over web 
access
  and what happened to Kay are two symptoms of the fact that, as Kay
  explained, there's no sensitivity training or education for Target and 
its
  employees regarding blindness. That being said, I do think that there 
is
  something that we can do to prevent further incidents toward other 
blind
  people, and it doesn't have to be a long drawn out process or bloody
  protest/press cutting. I think that Kris has the right idea about 
writing a
  letter and offering to gently educate via the distribution of NFB
  literature. Granted, I know that Target is a much bigger entity than 
just
  the North Gate store, but it might just be a step in the right 
direction. Am
  I making sense? If nothing else, such a presence will offer the 
Seattle
  chapter an opportunity to meet and greet the general public, who will
  undoubtedly; make up that store's potential hiring pool at some point.

  Respectfully,
  Jedi

  -----Original Message-----
  From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
On
  Behalf of Mike Freeman
  Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 7:25 PM
  To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
  Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:

  Fellow listers:

  I realize that Kay is mightily perturbed over this whole incident. Who
  can blame her? But let's get the emotion out of the discussion and 
look
  at this logically in light of NFB philosophy and in light of what 
might
  be effective. I realize that what I say next may not go down well with
  some of you. So be it; you elected me to lead and you have the power 
of
  the vote; my term is up this year. (grin)

  First, let's consider Lisa's suggestion that we go to the press
  concerning this incident. If Kay were sighted, would this incident 
have
  been worthy of press notice? I submit that the answer is a resounding
  NO! The press wouldn't give the time of day to someone who issued a
  press release saying they were laughed at or treated rudely at a 
store.
  The general response would be: if you don't like it, shop elsewhere!
  Then if this is true and given that we of NFB wish to be integrated 
into
  society on the basis of equality with the sighted and if we maintain
  that blindness is just another characteristic with which we must live
  and is nnot much more than a nuisance, do we *really* wish to be 
treated
  differentially with respect to blindness? I submit that the answer to
  this question, too, is a resounding NO. I further submit that
  complaining to the press about this would play on the sympathy card 
and
  in the end would accomplish a purpose quite contrary to that which we
  all want -- to be treated the same as everyone else. So I believe that
  trying to arrange a protest or get pres coverage of this incident is
  counterproductive at best.

  Now let's consider how effective a boycott might be. Yes, I know; we 
all
  grew up with knowledge of the glory days of civil rights when
  African-americans boycotted busses and other services. But in the
  instances where such boycotts were effective, African-americans were a
  majority of the customers of the entities being boycotted. That is not
  the situation here. Target has revenues of over $2 billion a year; any
  boycott we might arrange would be a drop -- not just in a bucket but 
in
  a thimble -- compared to this revenue. So it would be like spitting 
into
  the wind. It would be wasted effort. WE have enough discrimination
  problems so that we don't need to scatter our shots on ventures that 
are
  not likely to be effective.

  The one possible way I can see to protest Kay's treatment would be for
  her to file a complaint with the U.s. Department of Justice under 
Title
  III of the ADA alleging that she didn't receive reasonable
  accommodations in gaining access to the menu. But this is a long,
  drawn-out process and, I submit, not worth the bother.

  Am I saying that what happened to Kay was right? Of course not. Is it 
of
  sufficient gravity to make a Federal case out of? I don't think so.
  There's a lot in life that isn't right. But sometimes the best thing 
to
  do is to ignore it or, in this case, take one's business to a 
different
  store.

  The Serenity Prayer applies in spades!

  Now I'll put on my fire-resistant suit. <g>

  Mike Freeman, President
  NFB of Washington

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Owenblue2 at aol.com
    To: nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
    Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 11:43 PM
    Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing 
matter:

    Ok; let's see how much they laugh if we boycott their stores and 
Pizza
  Hut
    as well. I think you should go to the press. I am furious and mad as 
a
  hornet!
    How dare they treat you this way!

    Whatever you decide to do I support you all the way.

    Lisa Owen

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