At approxiametely 1pm today My partner in life Ella, was in bed bath and Beyond on 6th ave in the flat iron area of Manhattan while she was in the store she noticed a deaf couple communicating with american sign language. As she did a staff member of Bed Bath and Beyond loudly told them to “stop waving their hands like that in the store it was rude!”
They kept signing because remember “they’re deaf” the women repeated it louder and then confronted the couple. Ella stepped in and told the ignoramus they were deaf and it was sign language and their legal right to use. To which she rudely repeated “well I think it’s rude”
“Momma always said stupid is as stupid does” to qoute forrest gump, What are you doing America? I was stopped by TSA and asked to “arise stand and wait in the corner while my chair was X-RAYED and when i said thats a medical impossibility she ordered a strip search because I was close “combatant” and when confronted the TSA guard told her supervisor she thought” wheelchairs were when rich white folk were so rich they were too lazy to walk so they get themselves a chair!”
Bareburger not only threw us out for a service dog, but aggressively chased me down the road screaming, and now Bed Bath and Beyond tells deaf people “stop waving your hands in my store it’s rude?”
Perhaps corporate America it’s time you not only did criminal record checks and resume conforation, but include a test on IQ in regards to things such as above, because as I always say
EXPECT OUR EXISTENCE OR EXPECT MY RESISTANCE
Disabled Access Denied ! 
I was threatened with being thrown out of the Nashville airport because I refused to stand up so they could check under my wheelchair seat cushion. Now I have to say that I was at that time an AKA plus I had the joint removed from the other leg and antibiotic glue beads packed in the space so I had no knee and could not bend my leg nor put weight on it. This was shortly after 9/11 and the National Guard were there so I had two Guardsmen with their automatic weapons trained on me while be told they were going to escort me out of the airport and I was going to miss my flight back to CA.
Hi, thanks for your comment. It’s sad that any of us should have to go through that. In 2011, at LAX returning from Australia I had a similar experience. Check out the story on this blog called Stand up, get naked and bend over.
I can barely type this without resorting to obscenity, I’m so incensed by people like this. How they get jobs and keep them in a customer-service oriented business is beyond me. But in reality, if they had to apply IQ tests to positions like this, they’d have to start paying a whole lot more…
My 16 yr old with a nervous system disorder, diabetes and extremely hard of hearing was denied a handicap seat on the bus at the Grand Canyon because “she looks fine to me” the bus driver told us and “if you don’t move back we would be””dealt with”” by someone with authority”. We were shoved to the back. It was raining hard (someone died there that day from lightning, that’s how bad the storm was) and my daughter who cannot stand for long periods stood holding a pole. That left her unable to communicate with sign without getting jostled or knocked down and she was literally holding herself up. She was turning white and we kept yelling for the man to please let her sit and help us and he refused to stop. 44 minutes she was forced to stand, got off the bus and promptly passed out! It was 30 min before we could leave the canyon after she came to and we ended up having to spend the night at the hospital in flagstaff because of all that. Needless to say the staff at the canyon were great, he doesn’t work there (as far as we know or so we were told) and we were given a refund… But still. Really. People need educated. Disabled people can look like everyone else! We get nasty looks from people and yelled at when she uses her handicap plaque. Well excuse me but we live in a place where we have snowbirds, or people that live here 5 months of the year for our nice AZ climate… They think they own them and say well she looks fine. People are just ignorant! We also have had a car flip us off and gun around us after they almost hit my daughter when she passed out! Really.
I am able bodied and fully-sensed, I’ve never had to endure any indignity or humiliation or harassment of the sort described here – but if I should be in a position of observing same being visited upon another you can be sure that I will stand up for them in any way I am able (literally, if they need a seat, and metaphorically, if some idiot needs things “explained” to them). Stories like these make me furious… and while I am ordinarily a very quiet person who doesn’t like to be the centre of attention, just DON’T make me lose my temper because you won’t like that. Every creature deserves their dignity, and little tin-pot dictators who think that a badge or a driver’s seat gives them any ultimate authority to deny anyone that dignity should be educated, forcibly i fnecessary, as to the realities according to which other lives may be lived. And that those realities require, if not their compassion and empathy, at the very least their respect.
Thankyou, now if we can only transpond your ethical and moral code to all who walk upon this land we the dis and otherwie abled may stand(metaphorically speaking of course) a chance at equality in all that we putour efforts do. again thnakyou for being here and thankyou for your honest empathy to all you purvey.
I have a problem applied online application for a job…one of the company named Toy R’ US emailed me rejected me again.. last year in 2012 and this year 2013. I looked up website to see deaf people applied to this company 5 lawsuit against Toy R US. So I went to the store today (12-23-13) and ask for HR manager…one of employee said what the purpose to see HR, I looked for a job. The employee said sorry the store is not hiring anyone right now. I told her that this is second time, 2012 and 2013. I am deaf and this company is discrimated against handicapped. I already research online and 5 deaf lawsuit against your company. I will be next lawsuit to your company. She stared at me as I walked out. I hope many customers will start complained to Toy R US. I will yell at customers …dont buy toys from Toy R US…they are not hiring handicapped people to work. That is violation of ADA laws.
Tell All Deaf people to boycott against Toy r US. Toy R’ Us will lose business in the future.
It’s been a couple of years now, but my son and I were nearly kicked off a public transit bus while on our way home from my son’s occupational therapy, because he was rocking, in his seat, humming and would squeal every now and then. Just what he needs to do to deal with the sensory nightmare of riding a bus. If we had a car, I’d use it, but we don’t. The driver actually said to me to keep my kid under control. I explained to him that he has autism and this is what he needs to do to keep from melting down. The driver then said, either get him under control or I will, his behavior is very distracting and if you don’t make him stop I’ll make you get off the bus. I shouted at him this time. HE HAS AUTISM. THIS IS WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO TO DEAL WITH BEING ON THIS BUS. HE IS DISABLED (plus he was four). YOU JUST NEED TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE KICKING US OFF THE BUS WOULD BE DISCRIMINATION. He actually called in to dispatch office to ask if he could, in fact kick us off the bus and he was told no, because autistics rock, hum and make other sounds, particularly children. One ignorant bus driver and he was pt in his place by one angry mommy and his own dispatch office for even suggesting he would kick us off. Of course all the other riders were muttering about what an asshole he was. Three stops later, when we got off to go home, I was still seething, and he said, not I apologize for my inexcusable behavior and treatment of your minor and disabled child, but he said, have a great day, and thanks for using Tri-Met. Really, we greatly appreciate your business… All I could do was glare at him and mutter yeah, if I had a choice I wouldn’t.
Thankyou for replying and I am sorry this happenned to you, sorry for the delay in replying was in an area without wifi for two days
About a year ago I broke my leg. The same leg I had injured in the military. I was using a walker and had to have a brace on my leg for 3 months. So I had some shorts on that were a bit bigger. So rather than wand me which I asked for. I was told no I could walk. So they wanted me to hold the shorts up stand on the walker and try to take a step to get through the metal detector. After about 10 minutes of trying to do this. The supervisor who was there decided to let me get wanded as a 1 time courtesy that they could do. I was so mad I was seeing red. When I talked to his boss to make a compliant about it. I was told that is the way it is and if I had issues I would need to look at other locations for medical help than the VA. Still upset about it.
I had a different experience. Years ago I got run over by a city bus which left me missing FAT on my left hip area. I can walk, but underneath my clothes I am scarred quite badly. Unfortunately for me, I had to be bodily tapped down during a recent trip through the security at the airport. The girl asked me what I had in my pockets. I told her nothing.. my hip is missing tissue and when you are patting me down you are actually feeling my bone because I am missing fat and tissue.. although I was not beeping,,, she continued to ask me questions holding me up and making me feel attacked,. and finally because I was annoyed and rushed to catch my flight.. I pulled down my pant to show her my scar tissue.. I am not embarrassed of my body.. the girl was shocked.. I told her that there is a way to ask questions and she didn’t know how to ask them…. they should teach these people to be less rude. I found her so rude…… if I was not beeping as she passed her scanner, then why ask me questions about why when she was patting me down it felt odd to her…… putting me in a bad place to explain… I haven’t travelled again since… because of that experience.. I use my car ONLY.. no more planes…