[nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:
Jedi
blindjedi at clearwire.net
Fri Jan 4 02:54:42 CST 2008
I agree. That person wouldn't have laughed at Kay like that had she not been
blind. I mean, think about it: wouldn't you feel at least a little angry if
it were you? I know I would. And I don't think the issue is entitlement in
terms of getting a certain amount of respect based on disability. It's more
like the person's rudeness isn't acceptable, period. Not to mention that
it's not like Kay, or any of us for that matter, can control the fact that
we can't read menus from a distance. So yeah, some letter writing and gentle
education couldn't hurt. And frankly, I wouldn't call our brand of education
"sensitivity training" because we're not suggesting that blind people need
to be treated with kid gloves or a feel-good attitude. Rather, I think it's
more like a lesson in common sense that's applicable to blindness and a
myriad of other anthropological characteristics.
Respectfully Submitted
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Lauren Merryfield
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 10:30 PM
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:
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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