When Persistence Pays Off

This is a bit of a follow on to my Advocacy Tips post and is cross posted to Disability Voices

One of the tips I gave in that post was to be persistent.  The example I gave was one of my local supermarkets.  My chair would only go through the wide aisle checkout and it was often closed when I visited.  The staff would open it when I asked but they had a bad attitude towards doing so and made me uncomfortable.  As a result I didn't go there often and had actually decided I wouldn't shop there again.

I had personally made something like six complaints to them, mostly verbally but I'd also written to head office at least twice.  My sister had also been so infuriated the last time I had problems there that they got letters of complaint from both of us about that.  And none of the responses I got were of any use.  A lot of them actually seemed like they were designed to "shut me up".

Yesterday, my sister sent me a text saying that they'd redone all the checkouts in there and they were all wide aisle ones now.  My Dad took me up there for some shopping this evening.  And I could have got my chair through any of the checkouts.  I was tempted to try that but I didn't.  It was a really great sight.  And once again, I have the same thing everyone else does in this town - a choice of where to shop (I won't go there all the time because it's further away but I will be able to go there again!).

I'd love to think that they've done this just because of my complaints but I'm not naive enough to do so - and I know I'm not the only person whose had those problems.  But it's a definite example of why complaining, campaigning and advocacy are so important.  And what happens when your persistent - because it really can pay off.

I've been being a complaining crip again

I just typed a really long ranty I've had a bad day blog entry.  But then I deleted it because what is the point.

Lets just say that I've made three complaints this year.  Two of which were about access or DDA requirements not being met.  One was a case of shocking customer service.  Two of the complaints I've taken to higher ups (one of which had the higher up telling me "you just need to be patient" to which I said that I'd been patient and wasn't doing it any more.  The second had the higher up apologising, agreeing it wasn't good enough and promising to investigate.)

And two of those three complaint were made when?  Today.

Yeah, is it any wonder that I'm in a grouchy bad mood right now?


UPDATE: Just had a response to one of my complaints from earlier.  They were really responsive to my comments.  I'm really pleased.

Cinema Fail

A friend and I attempted to go and see Disney's A Christmas Carol this afternoon. I say attempted because it turned out to be the 3d version.

She has unnamed neurological issues and didn't even make it through the titles before she had to leave because it was doing a number on her vision. I forced myself to try to watch it but gave up eventually and left because I felt incredibly sick. I still feel kind of rough now and I know that my friend had to go to bed because she felt bad.

I let the matter go when I left the cinema (although their customer service had already proven to be bad) and am debating if I'm going to let it go or write a letter. But my friend spoke to a staff member and asked for a refund (which was refused) - she had said in passing when we went in that she had a neuro issue and then when she complained was told that a lot of people with neuro issues have problems with the 3d films.

And googling provided me with a page that said people with a lazy eye (which I have as well as my CP) and other visual problems can have issues with them.

ARGH!

If a company knows that people with neuro issues may have an issue with their 3d films why haven't they got signs up listing that?!?! My mum said that maybe they think you'll know that already. But 1) We had wondered about my friend (but not for me although I'm thinking it's probably not the CP/neuro side of things which made me nauseaous it just gave me nausea as my mum has a similar issue with 3d films she says and she's Neurotypical) but didn't know or have any indication of known links and 2) surely in a day and age where a packet of microwavable pasta sauce has to have a warning that it may be hot when microwaved, the cinema must be required to have a sign - a sort of "informed consent" thing?

Also why do they only have 3d showings and 1 or 2 2d ones?! The listings outside the cinema made no mention of it being a 3d one although I see on the website the 3d showings and 2d showings are listed separately.

Seriously not impressed.

No More

I've had enough.

Whilst my parents are in New Zealand I'm having extra support.  And it's driving me crazy.  Crazy I tell you.

Almost all of my carers have been late - and only one of them bothered to let me know.  On Monday the carer was 45 minutes late!  She commented that I didn't look happy.  I told her that I was pissed off and had better things to do than waiting around for her to show up and in future to make sure I was told.  She told me that she didn't feel well and all about her stress and family problems.

I've heard repeatedly how much they hate their jobs.

I ate half of my dinner one day and discovered I'd been given southern fried chicken that was raw in the middle (how I didn't get food poisoning I don't know).

And one saw fit to tell me that she went to school with someone with CP and she thought it was "really very sad."

It's always kind of been the thing that you don't complain about these things - my mum frequently tells me she thinks the agency are good over all and it could be worse so leave it.  And when I do speak to the office staff about things the usual response is "that's not like so and so" or "everyone else really gets on with X" so I gave up on them.

I was thinking about it earlier this week.  If I was at CAB and I told a client that I felt their problem was really sad or that I hated my job or went "you think you've got problems... try this on for size" all hell would break loose - and rightly so.

So why is it "acceptable" for carers?

Well, not any more it's not.

I just sent an e-mail to the director of the care agency telling her I've been having issues (listed some of them briefly) and asking her to call me so we can discuss the matter.  I'd have called her myself but I didn't want to go through the useless office staff.  And also, this way it's on their bill and judging by how much they charge they can afford it better than I can.