by Frank Synoground
There are numerous homilies about how it takes time to achieve something, e.g., “It takes time to rush into something”; “Rome wasn’t built in a day”; and “The longest journey begins with the first step.”
If we want to see change we should be willing to do something about it. But we also may need to add patience to our persistence. I have pursued some advocacy issues that affect me personally but may have relevance to the needs of other people with disabilities as well. For example, one day I went to cash a check at a branch of my bank which I had not frequented before. When the teller asked for I.D. I offered up a credit card and my state of Oregon identification card. She said she could only accept a driver’s license, not the I.D. card. I pointed out that being blind, I did not have driving privileges. Apologetically, she said that it was bank policy to require a driver’s license.
I confirmed with management that indeed, the insistence on seeing a driver’s license was bank policy. I wrote letters and made phone calls to bank management, citing the Americans with Disabilities Act and explaining how their policy discriminated against all people who could not obtain a driver’s license. I further pointed out that a state I.D. card had the same requirements to obtain it as the driver’s license except for the driving test. For over a year we went back and forth, with me sometimes getting commitments from them to revise their policy and then being told they would not.
When I finally accepted the reality that the bank was not going to change its position I filed a grievance with the Department of Justice (DOJ). After about six months the DOJ wrote saying they had accepted my complaint and would investigate. Now and then, I would contact them to see what was happening and was always told that my complaint was still an active file. Finally, four years after filing, I received a letter from the DOJ saying that they had settled the case and that the bank henceforth would accept an Oregon identification card as valid I.D. Satisfaction didn’t come quickly but it did finally arrive.
Two years ago I was summoned to jury duty. When I got to the court house I discovered that there were no accommodations for a person with a visual impairment. I noted that each person entering the jury waiting room was handed a juror’s handbook. I was offered nothing beyond a suggestion to go find a seat and wait for my name to be called. I did get on a jury that time and got to know one of the judges. He and I tried to bring about some changes at the courthouse but got nowhere.
Again this summer, I got a summons to report for jury duty. This time, I called ahead and connected with a person who, because of our conversation, had expressed a commitment to see things made accessible. It hasn’t happened yet but I am more confident than ever that it will.
Over a year ago, I noticed that curb extensions were being installed around the city. These extended “sidewalks” are at street corners where the sidewalk is extended out past the parking strip so that there is a shorter distance for pedestrians to traverse across the line of traffic. These “extended sidewalks” are a very good idea for older folks who may be a little more frail than younger pedestrians, people using mobility devices, and those who cannot move quickly. The problem for a blind cane user is that there is virtually no tactile way to determine when one transitions from the walk to the street. Since the walk ends right at the point where the traffic flows, the extended sidewalks can end up being very dangerous. With one step you are on the sidewalk, with the next step — splat!
I don’t care to be run over, nor do I want anyone else to be injured. I began raising the issue everywhere that I could think of, including the local transit district’s Committee on Accessible Transportation, various city departments, and the National Advisory Committee on Pedestrian Rights of Way. Recently it seems that people are finally listening and looking for ways to resolve the hazard.
I believe that I have finally convinced others of the importance of my position, because now the decision makers are calling me, rather than my having to call them. The transit district has sought my input on potential solutions at light rail and bus stop locations, a local shopping mall has been in touch to seek advice on tactile warning strips, and upper-level policy makers within city government are now expressing an understanding of the problem along with a willingness to make changes.
The point is that change can happen. It may take a lot of persistence and even more patience but one person can be successful. One’s motivation may be basically selfish, as mine has been, but it never hurts to point out that others can benefit from our successes. You don’t have to go it alone either. Consumer organizations like ACB have great folks who would love to help you slay those dragons. One person can make a difference. It may take a little more time and patience than we might wish, but the effort is well worth the making!