[Nfbk] Fwd: [NFBAffiliatePresidents] Discrimination issue while on vacation, please help

Mon Oct 1 14:51:40 UTC 2012

Good morning!
Our NFBN convention is in the books. I think we had a really fine convention. I want to thank Karen Mayne, Ranelle Mackey and George Stokes for their hard work. I also want to say thanks to the board and the committee chair persons. Pat yourself on the back. But, as a new week begins there is still more work to do as can be seen in the email I am forwarding to you. Happy trails!                                    Cathy
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "JMassay" <jmassay1 at cox.net>
> Date: September 29, 2012, 8:02:47 PM EDT
> To: "'NFB Affiliate Presidents List'" <nfbaffiliatepresidents at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: [NFBAffiliatePresidents] Discrimination issue while on vacation, please help
> Reply-To: NFB Affiliate Presidents List <nfbaffiliatepresidents at nfbnet.org>
> 
> The following e-mail was sent in regards to one of our Affiliate members who
> is on the Tulsa chapter Board and the Affiliate board. Selena
> Sundling-Crawford and Steve Crawford had a really awful experience with a
> company who clearly discriminated against them on the basis of their
> blindness. Please read the e-mail and , please help out by contacting the
> company at their information listed below. Tell them that they need to
> change their policy, as it is against the law. Also let them know that you
> will pass along the issue of discrimination to everyone that you know. For
> people like this, affecting their wallet is one of the best ways to really
> get to them.  
> 
> Your help is greatly appreciated. 
> 
> Thanks, 
> 
> Jeannie 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is what Selena's e-mail says and asks from us:
> 
> 
> 
> Please read all of this & help us. Please 1st repost this everywhere & ask
> that they all repost it 2.  2nd please call & email them & let them know
> your name, where u r from, & that discrimination is wrong & illegal. I am
> asking this of everyone not just blind people. I really want them to be
> flooded with calls & emails from all over the country. The short story is
> that we were told that we could not go on a zip line tour.
> 
> 
> 
> The name of the co. is Denali Zip line Tours. P.O. Box 221 Talkeetna, Alaska
> 99676. 907-733-3988 Cell: 907-355-6658 Email: msw at denaliziplinetours.com
> 
> Website: www.denaliziplinetours  
> 
> 
> 
> The name on the card is Mark Wildernmuth & I believe he is the owner. The
> person that told us no is Jim Farburn, maybe spelled wrong bc it's not on
> the card. I don't know if they r a public or private co., I'm guessing
> private. This is their 1st or 2nd season. The owner also owns an RV park. I
> don't know if the tour goes into the national park. I made the reservation
> w/a travel agent, Chrisy @ Talkeenta Travel on July 25th. I did not disclose
> our blindness bc 1, I am under no legal obligation 2 do so & 2, bc I had
> just disclosed Steve's blindness 2 the Vancouver aquarium & they said that
> he could not do the beluga whale encounter, not because they were afraid of
> him interacting with the animal but bc there were steps involved in getting
> 2 the whale. They offered us the dolphin encounter but we've already done
> that so many times. 
> 
> 
> 
> We pre-paid $149 each for  the zip line tour. We showed up & signed the same
> waiver form that everyone else signed. Jim looked @ Steve & then looked @ me
> & asked if that was 4 me referring 2 Steve's cane. I told him no that it was
> Steve's cane & that he is totally blind & that I have some vision (I had
> also written this on our waiver forms which he did not review) but that this
> wasn't going to b a problem because  we have both zip lined before  several
> times. He said that he didn't think he could let us go because it is a
> safety issue & that he had 2 go call someone. He walked out. I don't think
> he called the owner, I think he called 1 of the guides. He came back & said
> that we could not go because  we could not c the hand signals. I asked him
> what signals & he demonstrated the come on & stop signal. My head went on
> tilt waiting for the rest but that was it. I asked why they couldn't just
> say go or stop & he said that the guides r not trained to do that but that
> "maybe" they could work on that 4 next season (6 months from now). I asked
> him how much training they needed to use words that they already knew like
> go & stop & he said that I didn't have to b sarcastic. I told him that I was
> asking an honest question. We explained again how we have done it several
> times including in this state just a few days ago & we told him about many
> other things that we have done. I mean we're over qualified 4 this. For us
> this is nothing more than walking & chewing gum @ the same time. He said
> maybe if we had told him sooner they could have done something. Yeah right!
> I told him that I could go first & tell Steve when to stop & the person
> behind him could tell him when to go but he kept saying no. We went
> horseback riding earlier that day & the guide did not need additional
> training 2 say duck. There was room on the next morning's tour but he did
> not offer to figure it out by then & let us go on that one. He said he was
> upset because we hadn't told him sooner.
> 
> 
> 
> Can u believe his nerve? He is discriminating against us & he says he's
> upset! Do black people have to say they're black before hand? Do women have
> to tell him that they r female ahead of time? Do people in wheel chairs have
> to call him ahead of time? The people in Mexico figured it out & they didn't
> even speak English. I explained 2 him that ADA is the law of the land & that
> if he doesn't let us go he is discriminating against us & that is against
> the law & that I will take action. He said that he's sorry I feel that way.
> 
> 
> 
> I said ADA is not a feeling, it is the law. The secretary issued us a
> refund. I left the travel agent a message about which companies to recommend
> & which ones not to & why. We came here because the cruise ships come here
> as a pre & post tour so they r recommending this as an optional add-on. Even
> though I planned my own post cruise tour, I want to try  to get the cruise
> ships not 2 offer this tour anymore. Most people do not do their own
> research 2 find their own tours so this will really hurt them.
> 
> 
> 
> Just an FYI, these people actually elected a cat as their mayor & he has
> been their mayor for 8 years now & is a stray. 
> 
> 
> 
> Selena Sundling
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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