[NFBMO] Is shopping assisstant a courtesy or legal requirement?

[Daniel Garcia]

Thank you for your response to this. I also posted this to the chapter president's mailing list and there is a similar consensus that it is not a courtesy and that we have to be flexible if there are real staff shortages.

The O&M instructor said that the next day she showed up with another student to the same store and he was given help.

I think that the moral of the story is not to call ahead although that would be helpful for the blind patron and the store. Other chapter members have reported similar experiences; when they call ahead they are told there is no help available.

Regards,
Daniel
Daniel Garcia, President, Kansas City Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
dangarcia3 at hotmail.com
(816) 621-0902
www.nfb.org
www.nfbmo.org
Live the life you want.



From: NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Coccovizzo,Linda A via NFBMO
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2022 3:43 PM
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Coccovizzo,Linda A <Linda.Coccovizzo at mcckc.edu>
Subject: Re: [NFBMO] Is shopping assisstant a courtesy or legal requirement?

I  would recommend that the student and/or instructor reach out to Price Chopper headquarters, and find out exactly what their  policy is, and take it from there. I have been doing a little bit of reading on the ADA.gov website,. It seems that a business cannot deny goods and services based on someone's disability, as long as they offer those goods and services to any customer. The only exception is in the case where the safety of the business as well as customers could be hindered.
https://www.ada.gov/reachingout/intro1.htm

From: NFBMO <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of David Andrews via NFBMO
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2022 7:30 AM
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>; NFB of Missouri Mailing List <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Cc: David Andrews <dandrews920 at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [NFBMO] Is shopping assisstant a courtesy or legal requirement?

It is required by the ADA. It is not a courtesy. They may regard it as such, and we will need to be flexible because of real shortages, but their staffing problems don't get them off the hook.

Dave

At 08:28 PM 9/21/2022, Julie Dawson via NFBMO wrote:
I always thought it fell under public accommodation with a touch of courtesy.
----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel Garcia via NFBMO<mailto:nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List (nfbmo at nfbnet.org)<mailto:nfbmo at nfbnet.org)>
Cc: Daniel Garcia<mailto:dangarcia3 at hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2022 7:45 PM
Subject: [NFBMO] Is shopping assisstant a courtesy or legal requirement?
Hello, Friends:

One of my chapter members who is an O&M instructor sent me the following message today:

?I am wondering if you could help me with a problem. One of my students called Price Chopper yesterday to schedule shopping assistance. They said they could no longer perform that service due to staffing issues. Is that not a reasonable accommodation anymore? If it is how do I alert the store about compliance? ?

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is having a shopper provided by the store considered a courtesy or does it fall under the framework of public accommodation?

If it is viewed merely as a courtesy, I am afraid that other stores will use the same excuse whether or not they have adequate staffing.

Regards,

Daniel

Daniel Garcia, President, Kansas City Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
dangarcia3 at hotmail.com<mailto:dangarcia3 at hotmail.com>
(816) 621-0902
www.nfb.org<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.nfb.org/__;!!NQI0uig!mxAO8Vbm-wTYFLwAo6qbSQGhLiirG-kRfwWxaNvGw_mDGwGIvaRy8JAiHGV7s152KBJ-21IRi_B9YfiBvFWP7Eo$>
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