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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Here is an email I sent big brothers big sisters.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'> christinemenges@comcast.net <christinemenges@comcast.net> <br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, January 5, 2025 4:18 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'info@bbbsa.org' <info@bbbsa.org><br><b>Subject:</b> Discrimination against volunteers<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To whom it may concern:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Last November, I applied to be a big sister. During the process I disclosed that I am blind. There was a question on the application to see if I had a driver’s license to which I answered no. At no point during the process did it state that an applicant would be disqualified due to lacking a license. Despite spending hours trying I was not able to set up my finger printing appointment due to accessibility issues on the website. I was appreciative when Nicole Erich emailed me and asked me about setting up the appointment. I explained my situation and she said she would be more than happy to set it up. We agreed on November 20, 2024. I took off two hours of work and paid for an Uber to get to the appointment. When I arrived, I was told that the finger printing system was down and someone “should” have contacted me. No one had contacted me so although I was disappointed, I rescheduled for December 2024. Again, I took off two hours of work and paid for an Uber to go to the appointment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>At first, everything seemed normal with Javan offering to assist me to fill out a paper form which requested personally identifying information. Then he received a call and stepped out of the office. I initially thought it was due to privacy concerns for another volunteer but minutes later he brought the phone back in with his manager on speaker. The manager informed me that I could not qualify due to my potential use of ride share. I was informed that insurance wouldn’t cover ride share but they could “find me something else to do.” This, finding me something else to do, was disingenuous because they never fingerprinted me. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> First, I was very open about the blindness so if they were going to discriminate against me because they couldn’t imagine being in charge of a child as a blind person, they should have done so immediately without wasting my $200.00 I spent taking time off work and getting Ubers back and forth twice. I expected to be judged the same way as any other volunteer from the application and the results of the fingerprinting. I would have been open to questions about my blindness I thought that the final decision of whether safety concerns should be left to the parent. I didn’t think every parent would be comfortable with the match but from experience I knew some would. After all, I have successfully raised four sighted children safely. For an organization that touts inclusivity there appears to be a lot of work to be done.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Secondly, I did not appreciate the callous and indifferent way they treated my time as a volunteer. If they didn’t mean to fingerprint me there was no need for me to come.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Additionally, , I do not believe the ride sharing issue was the true cause of my denial. There are other types of transportation which do not include ride sharing, which they declined to explore. If your employees are going to discriminate, they should do so openly. It could be posted on the website, “don’t apply if you are blind as BBBS doesn’t see any potential in blind mentors.” I was summarily thrown away, without any attempt to assess my strengths, despite my experiences as a foster child and parent. I believe this was due to someone’s perception of what they thought it would be like to be blind. Apparently, I had no potential. They did not question anything; they made a snap decision.. I feel that BBBS disrespected me as a person and showed little regard for my time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Naturally, I was very emotionally upset about the situation and so I reached out to both my sighted and blind friends for feedback. My sighted friends all believed that I was capable of caring for a child. They understood that some people may have concerns but that the concerns should have been addressed honestly and openly. Much to my dismay, my blind friends described similar treatment from BBBS. I understand it is difficult for someone who has been sighted their entire life to comprehend how I could care for a child as a blind person. I would have submitted to supervised visits or meeting in a specified public place to show my “worth” but was never given the opportunity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>By denying a blind person from volunteering, you have denied a person with a wealth of hard knocks experiences from encouraging a little. I am especially sad for any blind littles who could have greatly benefited. Research has shown that blind children who are exposed to successful blind professionals tend to do better in their daily living skills and careers due to knowing what is possible and having that person they can turn to for advice. When I applied, I truly thought this concept was what BBBS stood for. I am very disappointed to find otherwise.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> The blind community is quite large in the Denver area due to a training school in Littleton. While BBBS can continue to discriminate, using whatever cover excuse they want, we will work to inform the metro area of the hypocrisy of BBBS. After all, the doners have a right to know the type of work being done by BBBS employees whose salaries they fund. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Christine Menges<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>