Lnanaa

Communication breakdown: Deaf woman sues mall
By J.M. Lawrence
Sunday, December 12, 2004

A deaf Massachusetts woman claims a New Hampshire mall store clerk had her arrested and ``humiliated'' her after she requested pen and paper to communicate and refused to leave the store.

Rhonda S. Abbott, 45, of Haverhill is suing the Mall at Rockingham Park, Prints Plus, mall security and three Salem, N.H., cops under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Abbott ``was subjected to great indignities, humiliation and disgrace'' on Nov. 3, 2001, when she tried to present her receipt for a framed print, according to her attorney.

She claims former manager Denise L. Smith ordered her out of the store and later called mall security when she persisted trying to communicate.

Two off-duty Salem, N.H., officers who were working for Control Security Services handcuffed Abbott and had a police cruiser take her to the police station, according to the suit filed in federal court in Boston. The two officers were named as Louis J. Currier and Jeffrey Ouellette.

The current manager at Prints Plus referred questions to the company's corporate headquarters in Concord, Calif., which did not immediately return a call.

Don Gardner, an attorney for Salem police, said he will move to dismiss the complaint for lack of jurisdiction in Boston.

Susan Wolf-Downes, executive director of Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services in Concord, N.H., said she believes Abbott's experience is credible.

``It's doesn't surprise me. It's sad to say, but things like this happen all the time to us,'' she said through an interpreter. Asked whether Abbott should have been carrying her own pen and paper, Wolf-Downes replied, ``Why should she?''

Deafness

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Nusentinsaino

I would beat the shit out of those guys!

Cheri

Not again..

It happened to a friend of mine too when she went through a fast food drive-thru the cashier wouldn't give her a pen and paper or a menu to check-off The cashier threaten her that she will call the cops if she didn't leave the drive-thru because, she was holding up the cars behind her. :::shaking my head:::

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Steel X

some people who don't have any experience or knowledge about deaf people and their culture are always stupid anyway

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Steel X

It happened perhas a couple times at chick-fil-a where I work but I wasn't there at that time, but my brother was and he was the cashier at the drive thru and a deaf drive handed out a piece of paper and he typed down what the driver wanted and he had no problem without having to threaten the driver to get out of the way or he would call the cops...you would get fired if you don't treat the customer with respect.

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Ziusudra

That's crazy, all that fuss over a simple request of pen and paper. I've seen so many of my friends request that and people quickly catch on as to why they need it. It's a shame that people don't understand enough about deaf people.

Reba

I am just curious. Why Deaf people don't carry a pen and paper? I am hearing but I carry pen and paper. That is how I can write down notes, phone numbers, or lists for myself. Wouldn't communication be quicker and easier if you already have a pen and paper ready?

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"This most beautiful system [The Universe] could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being."
-- Sir Isaac Newton

Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.
--John Adams

Gemtun

I carry pen and paper but I always leave them in the car. Sometimes you just dont think about that because it is not like you will expect someone to be so rude or obnoxious to you if you request a paper and pen.

Even if I do write on my own paper and pen, some still get nasty, especially at drive throughs. That is why I only frequent these who know me well to avoid any unpleasant experiences.

downing

i always carry mini doodle mini pad...new thing...it comes in keychain now, i just wipe it off with a bar and write it down. they sure comes in handy. sometimes I forget to bring paper and pen, stores or fast resturants must have it ready no matter or what.

I am fixing to call Wendy's Hamburger resturant about what happened to me last Tuesday that went over my head.

I went up to order hamburgers for the family, this mexican guy couldn't understand me, I asked for paper and pen, he didn't get it...I had to physically sign finger to paper writing... to get the concept that I need a paper and pen.

This worker went under the counter and looked and behold!!!!!!!!

he gave me this manual book of Wendy's menu in BRAILLE?!?!?! U think i can drive and can not see to order?!

I told the worker that I want manager, he understood that part, the manager came by, I said i need paper and pen so I can make some orders. the manager did get me paper and pen, i wrote down,,, behold!!!!!

this manager is mexican, he can not read ENGLISH??! he kept asking me what is cheese? I said cheese, the orange square thing you put on hamburger, he went oh oh oh and said it in spanish. I went what the hell?! how can wendy hire people that does not read English and how can they communicate people?!

I have no idea how to reach wendy's, I have looked online, no avail....what happened to the society?!

Reba

Did you try this?
http://www.wendys.com/w-6-5.shtml
Contact Us
We'd love to hear your comments or questions about Wendy's® or this web site. While we are unable to respond to every piece of mail personally due to the high volume we receive, your comments will be given serious consideration.

Wendy's Consumer Relations
Wendy's International, Inc.
4288 W. Dublin-Granville Rd.
Dublin, OH 43017

Phone: (614) 764-3100

Also, some of the restaurants have "customer comment" postcards at the tables, that might have contact info.

__________________
"This most beautiful system [The Universe] could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being."
-- Sir Isaac Newton

Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.
--John Adams

PeteEMT

Best part I always like is when you ask for a Paper and Pen and they hand it to you. Totally not getting that you need *them* to write.

Nesmuth

My Deafnewspaper.com commentary for January will be about people getting busted, shot at, and treated like bullcrap all for asking for pen and paper to communicate.

Richard

mysteriesofthes

My husband and I NEVER use a "drive-through" unless our son is with us!! We always go inside any fast food store. We look at the menu very carefully and try to place our orders as accurately as possible..with voice only.

We still get funny looks when we speak. One lady, a clerk, asked my husband what country he was from as she didn't know that he was an American from what she called his "accent!"

I wanted to tell her that what she must be calling an "accent" was the way that the two of us speak all of the time!

Mommyof3

Yea, i can see problems today, Downing.
Paper and Pen to keep communication with Foreign peoples from store or resturant
BUT
it is not all.
Same thing happen with Relay and Deaf person who want to order foods to delivery or carry-out.
It happen to me too many time. In my mind, F@#k! i am so sick of people from resturant or store think that Relay is Selling something that they dont interested in or said "I never heard of Relay but No thank you and Bye" Ugh!
Once i was on Phone relay to order China foods and that asian or china woman speak Foreign Lanuage as Relay told me. She said will get someone to speak English, Pls Hold. So Young girl answered the phone so i ordered foods. I did make sure double check to see if she get my orders. So what happened was that driver bought the foods to my house and paid him. I check inside of Bag to see if they get right orders and paper that they Circle of Menu. Again! GEEZ they forget my favorite Crab Ragoons to bring. UGH! I called them and b!tch them out. They was sorry and forget to bring. So the driver bought it over and gave me Crab Ragoon.

Make me wonder why Foreign Owner from Resturant or Store dont understand Deaf people to keep communication with paper and pen? it is not hard to show body lanuage so they can see. But what about Foreign people themselves? English and Deaf people dont understand their lanuage, too. I just wish that BBB should suggest Foreign People attend to learn English as Second Lanuage and Learn about Deaf or Blindness which they always tend to communication with like Paper/Pen, Picture of Menu, and Brialle of Menu. That will be more fast service and smooth.

Also, Once i was football cheerleader with girls from WSD and we went to MSD (Minn) for football game. We went to McDonald's to order Breakfast and Every Employees know alot about Deaf. They are ready pass out of paper with Menu. All we do is circle of foods and drinks that we wanted to order. Employee will read it and order it up. That was so Cool! That was impressive to me that they know about deaf cuz it is very close to MSD. No wonder.
Mommyof3

Reba

Ha, ha, that happens to hearies too! I always have to check the orders for mistakes.


That's great! I wish more restaurants would become educated in customer service that way.