[Blindtlk] Polocies Against The Blind...

[James Kelm]

I'm sorry if I did not clearly state this, but this was not during a blood
drive, but rather it was at a local for profit business, who regularly does
business with the community within their own building.  It is simply a local
business, that is open to the general community much like a store,
restaurant, etc.

I apologize for the misunderstanding.  *smile*


Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor James Kelm
True Hope Church of Duluth
Web Site: www.thcduluth.org
Office E-mail: office at thcduluth.org
Phone: 218-727-4186

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Polocies Against The Blind...


> AARRGG! Shades of the 1957 banquet speech, "The Cross of Blindness". I
have
> never given blood but checked the last time there was a blood drive at my
> place of employment and was told that there would be no problems even
though
> I am an insulin-dependent diabetic. Dr. Maurer should be informed of this
> and perhaps a resolution for Dallas is in order.
>
> Incidentally, I believe the good pastor is in error: I do not believe
there
> is a Federal antidiscrimination statute that applies in this instance
unless
> a blood drive can be classified as a place of public accommodation,
program
> or service. I hope I'm wrong.
>
> Mike
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Steve Jacobson
> Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 10:50 AM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Polocies Against The Blind...
>
> I have given blood here in Minnesota through my employer to the red cross
> and I am finding it
> increasingly difficult to donate.  We have had other problems in the Twin
> Cities in the past that we
> tried to address, but I must say, not having an emergency exit policy is
> about the most blatent and
> least defensible thing I have heard.  Certainly you have a right to feel
> frustrated, but it does seem
> that there is work to be done as well.  I can't help but wonder what their
> general policy is to deal
> with someone who is half through giving blood and who might be dizzy if
> forced to stand in a hurry.  I
> would think that blindness would be the least of the problems that one
might
> have.  <smile>
>
> You might be interested to know that it is now common practice to not
permit
> someone you know to fill
> out the paperwork with you.  The justification is that you might not be
> honest with them in your
> answers.  This requires you to take the time of a staff person, and even
if
> they are willing, they are
> often required to tend to other tasks.
>
> Were you working with a branch of the Red Cross there in Duluth or is it
> another type of blood bank?
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Jacobson
>
> On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:22:35 -0600, James Kelm wrote:
>
> >Dear friends,
>
> >    Well an interesting thing happened to my wife and I last Friday, and
I
> >thought that I'd see what you all thought.  It seemed to be a relevant
> >story, based upon the recent conversations here on this list.
>
> >    Wanting to do something good for our fellow human beings, my wife and
I
> >decided that we would donate blood at one of our local blood banks.  We
> >arrived, filled out the necessary paper work, and waited in the waiting
> room
> >to do our duty.
>
> >    After a few minutes, a gentleman came out and requested that we
follow
> >him to his office.  I am assuming that this gentleman was some kind of a
> >manager.  After entering his office, he politely informed us that he had
> >spoken to his corporate office, and learned that they currently had no
> >policy in place to assure my safety in the case of an emergency, so
> >unfortunately they did not allow blind people to donate blood.  He then
> >turned to my wife, who is sighted but like many middle-aged people, wears
> >reading glasses.  The gentleman went on to explain that unless my wife
went
> >home to retrieve her reading glasses and thereby demonstrating that she
was
> >not blind, they also would not allow her to donate.  I politely explained
> >that the corporate office should be aware that their company policy
> violated
> >Federal anti-discrimination laws, and they did not have the legal luxury
of
> >determining which laws they were, or were not prepared to follow.  The
> >gentleman told me that he understood, but that he had to comply with his
> >corporate office's instructions to not allow the blind to donate blood.
>
> >    This situation came as a bit of surprise to me.  Of course most of us
> >blind folks are use to vague and concealed discrimination, but I was
caught
> >off guard to face such an open and obvious demonstration of one's civil
> >rights being disregarded.  It was rather shocking to be directly told by
a
> >business, that they did not want the blind!
>
>
> >Your Brother in Christ,
> >Pastor James Kelm
> >True Hope Church of Duluth
> >Web Site: www.thcduluth.org
> >Office E-mail: office at thcduluth.org
> >Phone: 218-727-4186
>
> >_______________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
>
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