I hope the manager at the Bolingbrook Steak 'n Shake learned something:
Never stand between a PMSing woman and her shake.
On January 23rd at 4 p.m., I drove up to the Steak 'n Shake. I used the drive thru as I always do--I pull up to the window and the first thing I do is inform the employee that I didn't order at the speaker because I'm deaf or can't hear. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I get my order filled and go merrily on my way. Occasionally there's a little struggle to get them to take an order at the window but they always end up filling it.
On January 23rd, I drove away from the drive thru minus the shakes I ordered. You can read more here: Deaf Mom Denied Access.
Most people left comments in support, a few shared their own drive thru frustrations and a few left nasty comments. I went ahead and let those comments through, because I think there are some valuable lessons in those. One person asked a simple question:
"Let me ask you something... why didn't you go inside to order??"
Here's why: because I'm no different from anyone else.
People with disabilities have a right to equal access. Had this manager made the simple accommodation of accepting my order through the window, I would have gotten my shakes and gone on my merry way.
The manager's refusal to serve me is discrimination. I cannot use the speakerphone. Sure, I could have gone around again, put my order in by speaking, but if he asked me, "Did you say you wanted a small, medium or large shake?" then the order would not have gone through anyway. I am deaf, I cannot access speech through a speaker.
The point is, there are simple accommodations that can be made and the first accommodation has to be attitude. As Jo Waldron says, "Attitude is the worst barrier of all."
Let's break down those attitude barriers.
