[Blindtlk] Polocies Against The Blind...

Sat Dec 17 03:02:27 UTC 2011

Hello Cheryl and everyone,

Perhaps a brochure containing the applicable HIPA Laws could be produced by 
the national office perspective donors could take with them to show blood 
centers should such issues arise.

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Polocies Against The Blind...

> FYI, they are breaking HIPAA Laws, meaning, you can elect who knows your 
> information on paperwork. Being someone who had to study the pages and 
> pages of HIPAA when going to school for medical billing. This is a federal 
> law, and that whomever is telling people this is breaking it.
>
>
> Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> http://www.echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/>
> 631-456-5394
> reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
>
> For daily updates read our blog at
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>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Steve Jacobson<mailto:steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>  To: Blind Talk Mailing List<mailto:blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>  Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 1:50 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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>
>
>
>
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