[nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:
Lauren Merryfield
lauren1 at catliness.com
Fri Jan 4 00:29:54 CST 2008
Hi,
I still think letters would be a good idea. Just letting it go makes it
seem like we condone that rude behavior.
Thanks
Lauren
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:36 PM
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
>
>
>
> **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes
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>
>
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