Deaf woman says Post Office discriminated against her

A deaf lady needing help with questions regarding packages and the teller was too uncaring (or lazy) to write it down for her to read

It's unbelievable how cruel and unkind people can be some times

PORT ORANGE, Fla. -

The woman wants to remain anonymous, but she texted Local 6 about what happened when she asked the clerk for help with mailing some packages.

"She became agitated when I informed her I am deaf and need her to write down the answer to my question," said the woman.

The woman claimed she explained three times to the employee that she is deaf and can't hear but said, "I pointed to the paper she had pulled out. She mocked me by pointing at the paper I had but speaking at me again. I asked for a supervisor. She became angry and pointed that I had to go away from her section of the counter."

When the woman confronted the supervisor and said she wasn't OK with being denied service and that their staff needed better training, she said another employee handed her a note that said, "Call your congressman who do not have to write down for you. It's not the law!! Get an interpreter."

She says she was then asked to leave, as the final piece in an experience she called “humiliating and degrading.”


“Honestly, I cried in the car. People like that make you feel like garbage,” she told the news station



The executive director of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services said not only is it the law to help someone with a disability, it's up to the other party to accommodate

"It's actually inappropriate to ask a deaf person to provide an interpreter. They are not, according to the ADA, required to provide the interpreter. It is those individuals that they are doing business with. It is their responsibility to provide the accommodations," said Sinnott.

SOURCE



We deal with disabled people like this all the time in our business and it is no trouble at all to stop and write answers/questions down for them or for them to write to me
Some can read your lips, but may not can speak

Yes, it may slow you down some but come on people, have a heart and patience
What will it hurt to show some compassion and kindness??


What is wrong with people now a days
Some people can be so cruel and the sad thing about it, they don't see it that way
Pathetic really


I apologize to this Lady myself for this ignoramus person's actions
What a shameful thing to do IMO

Welcome to the world "we" created. Enough said. Don't ask why. It's obvious. Think about how to fix it. Anyone can speculate on attrocities. How you act on them defines your integrity.

a reply to: snarky412

Yeah its ashame. I wonder if this is indicative of government employee's who seem to have an attitude with people and if you dont do it there way they get upset with you and dont want to work with you,. I wonder??

a reply to: snarky412

I believe in todays world, one of the biggest problems is peoples lack of caring for each other. Our society(American)unfortunately caters to this way of thinking.

a reply to: 5thNovember

So much for the social and humane competence of the Port Orange postal workers.

She did receive an apology from postal mucky mucks, but why was she put through such humiliation and embarrassment to begin with when she was their client, for goodness sakes? I sure hope the workers got a serious comeuppance.

a reply to: snarky412

That employee and supervisor are stupid. I'm surprised that the supervisor was ignorant about the laws as it's required for them to know.

Maybe the employee was ashamed of her bad grammar or whatever reason it was. Still there was no excuse. She could have gotten another person to do it for her.

I've had no problem with this anywhere almost 100% of the time. If people do have problem it's usually because of bad grammar or unable to write but at least they tried (I've had some people try to use their hands to explain).

I believe in todays world, one of the biggest problems is peoples lack of caring for each other. Our society (American) unfortunately caters to this way of thinking.

Sadly you are correct, I'm afraid

Yeah Im not going to just go ahead and swallow this hook line and sinker.

There have been a number of incidents (think the "poor" waitress that was allegedly denied a tip because she looked like a lesbian) where people want attention and manipulate others and media. People get all up their own self righteous asses, don't ever doubt the person because the person is handicapped or somehow different, then these people get flooded with donations to kickstarter campaigns.

A freaking text message to a news station is now all it takes for a witch hunt.

Two employees (who probably deal with disabled people daily), including a supervisor, were dumb/disgusting enough to treat her this way?

Of course if it happened as described, it's disgusting behavior, but I'm not going to hop on the bandwagon and automatically assume this woman is telling the truth. I'm sure this thread will be flooded by people that have had a bad experience with the post office and totally buy it because they had to wait too long in line to get a package though.

I take it it wasn't for calling her names behind her back?

2nd doodle op didley bada bing wang dang doodle.

Sorry! Watched Dr. Who earlier.

just to shine alittle light on the other side of the story. my mom works in a post office. and in talking ive learned the postal service severely over works their employees. they have very large work loads and very tight schedules to adher to and im not just talking the ones who deliver. even the ones behind the counter all day are in a constant rush from clock in to clock out. this ontop of layoffs to save money equals very disgruntled postal workers.

yes these workers were rude and deserve a sacking for this behaviour. but atleast you know now they arent just mean for the hell of it. they are mean because they are angry because they too are mistreated.

not that it justifies anything. but perhaps helps shine light on the cause and thus an aid to a solution