[nfbwatlk] Target thinks blindness is a laughing matter:
Robert Sellers
robertsellers500 at comcast.net
Sat Jan 12 12:04:20 CST 2008
Mike,
Sometimes it is better to quench a small fire, rather then to wait and try
to drown a blaze.
To tell Kay to take her business somewhere else, doesn't do anything towards
changing that manager or his/her employees attitude about blindness or the
treatment of customers.
We have often stated 'we change attitudes one person at a time'. It is in
the trenches at the local level where changes begin.
Bob
-----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
**************************************See AOL's top rated recipes
(http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
_______________________________________________
nfbwatlk mailing list
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
_______________________________________________
nfbwatlk mailing list
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk
Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.13 - Release Date: 12/31/2007
12:00 AM
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.1/1219 - Release Date: 1/11/2008
10:19 AM
More information about the nfbwatlk
mailing list