[Blindtlk] Polocies Against The Blind...

Fri Dec 16 20:07:30 UTC 2011

Did you ask where they just making the exception for you, or for anyone who is blind to donate, it is like saying back in the day you couldn't donate because you were black or jewish, etc.

It is still discrimination.

If they do if for you, they must do it for all who want to donate, if for some reason like you are diabetic, or have other issues where you medically cannot donate than that is a different situation, but that is not the case here.

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  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: James Kelm<mailto:jameskelm at earthlink.net> 
  To: Blind Talk Mailing List<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org> 
  Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 2:58 PM
  Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Polocies Against The Blind...

  Hello...

      The company that turned me down for a blood donation was not Red Cross,
  but rather a private for profit company.  But there is an interesting update
  to my story.

      After this situation on Friday, I telephoned the Justice Department
  about the discrimination.  They asked me to E-mail them the details of the
  situation, along with the contact information for the offending company.  I
  did this, as well as sending a copy of the E-mail to the company itself.
  After I had sent my E-mail to you guys on this list, I received a telephone
  call.  It was the local director of the offending company, informing me that
  she had a meeting with her corporate superiors about the E-mail that they
  had received.  She apologized for their offensive treatment of my wife and
  I, and informed me that they would make a special allowance for me, if I
  chose in the future to donate with them.

      Of course the phone call was something, but I can only assume that it
  was there way of minimizing their legal vulnerability within this situation.
  They did not say that they would change their polocy of discrimination, but
  only that they would make a special allowance for me.  I was polite and
  respectful, but inside I can only think that they still do not truly
  understand their offensive policies!

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

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com<mailto:steve.jacobson at visi.com>>
  To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>>
  Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 12:50 PM
  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<http://www.thcduluth.org/>
  > >Office E-mail: office at thcduluth.org<mailto:office at thcduluth.org>
  > >Phone: 218-727-4186
  >
  > >_______________________________________________
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  > >blindtlk at nfbnet.org
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  >
  >
  >
  >
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