diversity, my @$$!

[shnen]

argh! so I was just informed that our staff holiday party is being held at the same place as last year... which would be fine, if it were wheelchair accessible.

See last year we went, and one of our coworkers is in a wheelchair... he had a hell of a time getting in the building, and to make matters worse, the bathrooms were in the basement, down a narrow steep staircase. The restaurant doesn't have to be totally accessible since its a historical landmark (one of those fancy places in an old mansion). He only stayed for 2 hours laast year, then left because he didn't want people to have to carry him to the bathroom.

so now, they booked this place again! So a bunch of us are buoycotting the lunch.

all this after the company made everyone do diversity training...
obviously it didn't stick... :rolleyes:

thanks for the rant :)

[Azure]

I don't blame you for being bothered, it doesn't sound like a thoughtful move.

Did anyone mention this to the HR people last year though? If not you should do it now, and file a real complaint with them.

[shnen]

no, see my company is over 35, 000 people, so HR is for all of them... this is just our immediate department, which is about 80 people...

[Silver_Alhena]

Yes but if your company has an equal opportunity policy, can't your co-worker take it up with HR/the union?

If your work had their Xmas party in a venue that banned women, or blacks, and there was just one person that couldn't attend, I would concider that discrimination.

Going on the diversity training at my work, the whole point of it was to effecively stamp out workplace discrimination.

In my team there is a girl with Cerebal Palsy, and our Team Leader is heading for a hip replacement. Despite neither of them in a wheelchair, any social events would have to be in a suitable venue for access.

[shnen]

see they aren't banning people in wheelchairs... they have a handicap parking spot... but since it's a historical building they don't have to modify it for that access, so in a place called Scarborough, east side of Toronto, its totally within laws.

and I just found out that they booked it when they thought he was going to be gone... he is a contractor, and they put the deposit down thinking he wasn't going to be here anymore...
*sigh*

[Silver_Alhena]

Well, if you're boycotting it anyway, why not organise your own in a suitable place? :)

[Morgandria]

That's rotten! I definetely agree - organize your own lunch someplace totally accessible, and send your message with your absence. I think it makes it worse that they didn't think he'd be there - what if someone else was disabled and going to be present? That's just rude. >:(

-M.

[kblackthorne]

This still needs to go to HR.

OK, so this guy was going to be gone. But what if, in the meantime, someone had an accident & wound up in a wheelchair?

This is actually worse, because the deliberately chose to ignore handicap accessibility, because they decided it wouldn't apply.

Having a parking-spot does not equate to being handicap-accessible.

You can discriminate without banning a thing: Just make it a practical impossibility (like this).

Sure, the building doesn't have to comply, because that would mean destroying a historic structure.

That's irrelevant.

It's about the actions of people in your company, not the restaurant's historic status.

Your office chose to go there, knowing it was not accessible... and even knowing there was a person this would hinder. There are probably others who find it inconvenient. I'm only 31 & look healthy, but I have arthritis in both my knees. If I had to take stairs to the basement to use the restroom, at the very least I would be in pain. At the worst, I would hold my bladder until I couldn't take it anymore, make my excuses, and leave.

So the defense that the "only" person it would affect wasn't there is pretty much BS. Maybe BS covering up shoddy thinking, but still BS.

[materra]

I'm with Katherine on this, tell and yell. Besides all her points add this, what if someone brought a guest there thinking it is accessable? It isn't, no corporation should allow this and knowing it isn't accessable is even worse. I have to use a cane alot and occationally crutches... I couldn't got there safely either.
Your HR inspite of it's size needs to address this.
Good luck. BB

[Chibi-Fallon]

Americans with Disabilities Act has many many lawyers. :D Inculding one who's my auntie. 80 Granted, weather or not they could do anything I don't know. But it's a nice big name to throw around. ;)
And that's just kinda rotten in the first place. There's gotta be other places to hold the thing. What meanies.

[shnen]

they book the facility in september.... this is when they thought the guy I am talking about was going to be gone, since he is a contractor we were told no more contractors after our fiscal year end, which is Oct. 31.
So it turns out that it was all a big misunderstanding and everyone feels bad about it, but they already put the $500 deposit down on it...

all sides around, its just a sucking situation... really the company I work for takes pride in its diversity, which is why this made me so mad in the beginning...