Living with a disability means often advocating for services and accommodations you or your loved one truly needs. Knowing how to advocate effectively can result in a more favourable outcome.
At last week's Readers' Café, I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Putz, the Deaf mom denied service at her local Steak & Shake drive-thru because the employee refused to take her order at the window – an accommodation necessary for her disability since she is unable to hear to order at the menu speaker. During the interview, she shared how she is advocating for her right to be served with appropriate accommodation.
Listening to her story, these tips for effectively advocating emerged:
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Clearly state what you need and why. When the employee initially refused to take Karen's order at the window and told her to drive back around to place her order at the speaker, Karen explained she is Deaf and cannot hear through the speaker to place her order. She stated that she required accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act. She even pulled back her hair to expose her hearing aid to prove she wasn't faking it.
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Be assertive, not aggressive. Karen was understandably upset during the incident, but she kept to the facts. She resisted any urge to curse at the employee or to call him a stupid jerk. Being rude or violent would have diminished her position.
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Think through your actions. When the employee threatened to call the cops for disrupting business, Karen did consider parking herself in that drive thru lane and letting him call them. She said, "I thought it through quickly and came to the conclusion that if I did that, I would look like a stubborn customer causing a ruckus. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong and I knew I had the law on my side." Short-term satisfaction may not be the best in the long run.
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Seek support. Once she got home, Karen reached out to others for support. She
shared her story on her blog and through other social networks, like
Twitter. Subsequently, she has heard from hundreds of Deaf and hard of hearing people who have also struggled at drive-thrus and has learned
Inclusion Solutions has documented over 6,500 cases of complaints through a survey they distributed. Having this information will only strengthen her push for change.
Karen also contacted a lawyer friend from
Equip for Equality. Granted, not everyone knows a lawyer, but having someone – whether a friend, colleague, pastor or parent – in your corner to offer support can be beneficial, particularly if the process becomes long and tedious.
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Hold your ground. Upon returning home, Karen could have easily brushed aside the incident as yet another annoying and upsetting encounter when living with a disability, but she followed through with what she told the employee she would do: she contacted the corporate office to report the incident. She has since met with corporate representatives and is waiting to hear back from them regarding the next step. Knowing Karen, she will not back down or waver until an adequate solution is in place.
Stay strong. Compromises may be necessary along the way, but continue advocating until your true needs are appropriately met.
Visit Readers' Café to read the entire interview with Karen.
