Jumping in — Peggy’s Bridal
In December I was forwarded an e-mail from a woman who had gone to a bridal shop with her newly engaged daughter to shop for a wedding gown. What should have been a happy event turned into one of those tales that makes one gasp with indignation. I sent a letter to the manager of the shop. I’ll let the letter speak to what happened to the mother of the bride-to-be.
December 18, 2006
Peggy’s Bridal and Tuxedo
3025 Monroe Avenue, Suite 200
Rochester, NY 14618
Dear Manager,
A very disturbing incident involving a customer has come to my attention and I am referring the matter to you in the hope that this will soon be resolved to the satisfaction of all involved.
On November 18, 2006, a woman and her daughter approached your shop located at 3025 Monroe Avenue, Suite 200, in Rochester, NY. The woman’s daughter had recently become engaged, and was looking to purchase a wedding gown. As they entered the shop, a female employee quickly approached the two, and referring to the mother’s wheelchair, stated, ” I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I don’t want the wheelchair on the carpet because it will get it dirty.” Both were shocked at the statement, and noted that other customers were coming in from outside with their shoes on, potentially dirtying the carpet as well, but nothing was said to them. Needless to say, both mother and daughter were quite upset; indeed, the daughter left in tears.
The action taken by your employee toward these potential customers was not only profoundly insensitive, but illegal as well. In denying access to the shop to a person using a wheelchair, your employee violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title III of the ADA governs public accommodations and services operated by private entities. This includes shops, hotels, theaters, gas stations, restaurants, and other businesses.
I would like to meet with you to discuss the incident, and to work with you and your employees on improving your sensitivity to people with disabilities so that this will not happen again. Thanks to the ADA, people with disabilities are able to participate in all facets of life, so there is a strong possibility that you or your employees will encounter many potential customers with disabilities. I would hope that the prospect of new customers would outweigh the minor issue of dirty carpeting.
Please contact me at 585-442-6470 ext. 164 by January 8th to set up a meeting. We can meet at my office, located at 497 State Street in Rochester, or I will be happy to come to your shop. I look forward to working with you.
Respectfully,
Anita Cameron
Systems Advocate
Regional Center for Independent Living
On December 20, I received a call from Darlene, the manager of Peggy’s Bridal. She was extremely concerned, even a bit scared, and wanted to tell her side of things. She stated that they would never discriminate against anyone, and felt that there had been a misunderstanding. Darlene admitted to being very upset over the incident, feeling that perhaps, it had not been handled properly. She immediately agreed to a meeting on January 12. I contacted Mrs. S, the mother, to see if she or her daughter could make it, but neither could.
On the appointed day, Chris, Arlene, and I met with Darlene at Peggy’s Bridal. We were given a tour of the place. It was posh and swanky, to say the least, with wedding gowns and dresses that cost as much as a luxury car, and tiaras that probably cost half of my yearly salary. Really, I’m not kidding!
Surprisingly, the place was very accessible. The fitting rooms were wheelchair accessible, as was the restroom. Chris and I tried them out. There was enough space down the aisles that someone using a wheelchair would not brush up against the gowns. Really, the place was ideal!
After the tour, we gathered in the front with Darlene and her staff, including some who had come on their day off to attend the meeting. Darlene explained that they had not been in the location very long. Their previous location was cramped and inaccessible, and they wanted to make sure that this location would be accessible to all, so they took a hand in the design of the facility themselves, just to be sure.
According to them, Mrs. S. and her daughter came in on a Saturday, a day that is normally very busy with folks who have made appointments. Walk-ins are welcome though, and as Darlene tells it, mother and daughter were already inside. They wanted to clear a space for them, and somewhere in the hubbub, a remark was made about Mrs. S.’s wheelchair. That’s when things went South.
I gave a quick crash course on disability etiquette, and we had a discussion about the importance of the carpeting, and how things could have been handled better. They were very gracious about it, and asked us how, in the future, they could go about this without seeming discriminatory. The problem, they explained, was that many of the gowns had already been purchased, and were being altered to fit the bride. Some of these gowns had very long trains that would extend onto the carpet, and if the carpet were dirty, the gowns, themselves would get dirty, and as I stated earlier, these gowns are pretty expensive, and would probably cost a mint to be cleaned. Darlene wanted to require everyone to remove their shoes and wear booties. She wanted to know how they would handle this with someone who used a wheelchair, crutches, or a walker.
We suggested that they put up a sign instructing everyone to remove their shoes and change into booties (provided by Peggy’s Bridal) in wet, inclement weather, and to place a mat at the door where someone using a wheelchair or other mobility devuce could dry off. Towels could be offered, and assistance could be given, if needed, to dry off wheels, etc., and folks with blindness, visual, or reading impairments could be informed of the signage so that they would not feel singled out. Staff must be present at the front door at all times to avoid the mishap of the previous month. We also suggested that they contact Mrs. S., and let her know what happened, and offer her some sort of small restitution for what she went through. Everyone thought that the ideas were very good ones, and Darlene said that they would attend to them soon.
We talked at length about interactions with people with disabilities, and it seemed that they were indeed, sensitive. We told them that in the future, all staff must be cognizant of their behavior and attitude, and that they must think carefully before they speak to anyone, no matter how harried they are, or how bad the day is going. Failure to do so would result in precisely what they were dealing with — the loss of a potential customer who was not only very angry, but who knew enough to get a disability rights group involved.
Overall, the visit and meeting went well. I was dissapointed that Mrs. S could not be there because we will actually never really know exactly what happened. From Mrs. S.’s point of view, they were uncaring and insensitive. Needless to say, the folks at Peggy’s Bridal thought that it was a simple misunderstanding. I feel that the truth is somewhere in between. I’m just glad that this has been cleared up, though probably not to Mrs. S.’s liking. She wanted us to throw the book at them, and was probably disappointed with the resolution. I have not heard from her since I informed her of what happened. I would hope that in the future, if possible, the person who we are advocating for could be present during the resolution of their problem. It would be so much better for all concerned.
I do intend to go back and see if they have done what they promised. The weather has been abominable, but when it clears up, I’ll pay them a surprise visit.