Down in a Blaze of Glory

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Packets: Sent = 25, Received = 22, lost = 3… Oopse, wrong ping!

That’s right. We’re not talking about the console output from the TCP/IP ping command; we’re talking ping pong! I participated in another office tournament this afternoon, where I was narrowly defeated 25 to 22 by a very worthy opponent. Two significant exceptions to the traditional game rules enable me to participate: first, a coworker guides my hand to the ball and, second, I earn two points for each successful play to the opponents single point. A blast was had by all!

Karen’s Dial-A-Ride Disaster: Late to Work Again!

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Yes. That’s right. There are more serious problems to report with our metro area’s Dial-A-Ride service. Karen has worked four days this week. Dial-A-Ride made her late to work on two of those days! Check out the following e-mail thread.

I wrote the following note on Karen’s behalf:

Hi Rose, Denise, Andrew and Gary,

Karen Hughes was late to work this morning July 7 thanks to inefficient routing and a complete failure to take appropriate corrective actions. This incident represents the second time in one week she has been made late to work! This state of affairs is completely unacceptable. Are you people even considering that one could actually lose their job over excessive tardiness? What are your company’s attendance policies? Since we as people with disabilities endure a 70 percent unemployment rate, your actions or inactions represent real harm to us when we are forcibly made late to our jobs due to the largely preventable circumstances outside our control. We expect actions to be taken to prevent this in the future. Of course, we also fully expect an explanation and a show of accountability for this morning’s uncorrected errors, which resulted in harm done only to Karen. Debbie refused to directly communicate with dispatch, only telling Karen that she would arrive at work by 7:50. Certainly, 8:15 is 25 minutes later than 7:50? The driver asked Rocky to take corrective action, but she refused. Obviously, the incident was preventable on several fronts. First, correct routing yesterday would have avoided the entire problem in the first place. Second, Debbie should have made the correct choice to proactively communicate with dispatch to see what corrective actions could be taken at the moment. Third, Rocky should have asked the driver to drop off Karen. Obviously, the second and third actions would not have been optimal, so prevention was essential at the routing stage. Rose finally called me back at 8:37. She left a voice mail indicating that I needed to give her time, that this wasn’t going to be resolved in three minutes and that there were no “quick fixes” for this matter. Obviously. Of course, I understand these things. Thus far, there have been no real fixes, either quick or otherwise. I actually find those comments slightly patronizing and insulting to my intelligence. Sometimes, I am left with the impression that people who deal with me are under the mistaken assumption that, solely due to my disability, I also lack such attributes as intelligence and a willingness to act to correct injustices. Come on guys. Please! Let’s be accountable for the two incidents on Tuesday and this morning and lets devise a plan to prevent these problems from recurring. Let me just ask you all one question. I do expect an answer to this question, if you are truly sincere toward people with disabilities. How would you feel if you lost your job due to poor attendance that was completely outside your control and was actually caused by the incorrect and inefficient actions of others? I’m looking forward to a real, sincere and effective response. Thanks.

Given the severity of this incident and our absolute insistance on prompt correction, I wrote a second message after two and a half hours with no response from anyone.

Hi Rose, Denise, Andrew and Gary,

While we understand you need some time to investigate and come up with resolutions to prevent incidents like the one that took place today and on Tuesday morning, we do desire and expect reasonably prompt action. Karen works tomorrow also. Wouldn’t it make sense to start toward a solution, taking actions to avoid yet another potential problem tomorrow morning?

Thanks.

Denise responded as follows. Though incomplete, it is a response nonetheless.

Darrell and Karen, I have taken a look at the trip for tomorrow and locked it onto the route. This will help for tomorrow. I have also once again spoken with my dispatch staff and explained that appointments are important and need to be kept. As you know Darrell we are currently working on a plan for scheduling trips with appointment times in a different method making more important the appointment time over the pickup time. We will keep you informed as to the progress of this and what we are planning on doing.

I responded to this note with the following reply.

Hi Denise,

Could Karen also have some tickets for these incidents, please? It is definitely the least that could be done for a situation that could potentially cause the loss of Karen’s employment. If that would happen, it would make you responsible for the wholely unnecessary and preventable decrease in the living standards of a person with a disability. So far this year, Karen’s attendance hasn’t been all that great in comparison to her non-disabled coworkers, and that’s all thanks to EVDAR. Karen is an extremely conscientious, reliable employee, but some of the actions of EVDAR from time to time have given the opposite appearance.

I am awaiting a response on the tickets, hoping that it will also include other information concerning how this recurring problem will be prevented in the future.

Karen started her own thread on this matter. Check out her initial message this morning. Note that her references to EVDAR represent East Valley Dial-A-Ride.

Hi Rose & Denise,

As you know I was 20 minutes late this morning! I should not be LATE TO WORK! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED ESPECIALLY SINCE i SPOKE TO DEBBIE WHEN i GOT ON THE VAN AS WELL AS THE DRIVER,DAVE, CALLED IN & SPOKE TO ROCKY ASKING IF HE COULD DROP ME OFF AT WORK BEFORE DROPPING THE OTHER PASSENGER OFF AT BASELINE! I spoke to Debbie shortly after getting on the van, around 6;40. I had expressed my concern that I would be late as well as mentioned the routing ISSUE , asking her to put me on hold & speak with dispatch to see what could be done & possibly reroute the rides. She did put me on hold, but did not have any worthwhile information, nothing that was helpful or meaningful! All she said, Dispatch said, you won’t be late, don’t worry! I was upset with her because she did not take this seriously, listen to what I was asking & needed! Darrell & I have been passengers for over 6 years, & know howlong it will take to get from point A to point B! We usually are very acurate & when, we call the eVDAR office, its for a reason! Anyway, we went on to pick up this Lady on Del Rio which is South of Southern. She was going to 48 th & Baseline & had to take Phoenix Dial-a-ride to go to one of the Foundations for the Handicapped. She is Developmentally delayed & I also think PHYSICALLY disabled too. She had to be to her destination in Phoenix by 8am. After Speaking with you Rose, I understand, that she did get to her destination on time. Although, I believe noone should be late to work or anywhere for that matter, I think, if you had to choose getting me to work & getting her to work at one of the workshops for the handicapped, you should prioritize & drop me off at work before her. Most of these workshops, foundations for the Handicapped, do not care as much, whether, their employees are late, but they do here at Hyatt! Every employer should not accept if any employee is late for work. Of course, we all are going to be late, once in a while, but it should not be tolerated. People can lose their jobs if they are
late too often! We did not leave Baseline until almost 7;30 & then were on our way to drop me off at work. Keep in mind that this is rush hour & how far this
is from Double tree! As you know, I did not get to work until 8;20! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! as you know I have an appointment time of 7;50! ROCKY SHOULD KNOW BETTER! SHE HAS BEEN AN evdar EMPLOYEE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SHE SHOULD KNOW WHETHER or not I will be on time! She should be looking more carefully, paying attention to the details; looking at factors such as location of passengers home , their destination, how many miles he/she will be traveling, traffic conditions & so on! I do not know what she was thinking, saying that I will be to work on time! She was extremely inaccurate! This is the second day this week that I was late to work! Please, investigate what happened! Why did the router route the rides like this? I should not have even been on the van with Alfreda! Also, there was a communication breakdown somewhere! Rocky & Debbie act like they do not care whether we are late! Something needs to be done Guys! This is inexcusable! I am furious! Both of us are! This has happened way too many times EVDAR needs to do their jobs, look at details & be more efficient! Noone should be late! I said something at 6;40 this morning, so changes could have been made, should have been made, so I would be to work on time! I never should have been on the same right as the other passenger. Please, call us back! Denise, I still have not heard back from you into regards to being late to work & being picked up late Tuesday evening. We would like a call back or a response to this message as soon as possible!

Karen

As of 3:20 this afternoon, Karen has not received a response to that note, though she did receive a phone call. I guess people are afraid to respond in writing? Karen wrote another note as follows.

Hi Denise & Rose,

Thank you for responding to Darrell’s message as well as checking on tomorrow’s rides. We agree, that the appointment time is much more important than the pick up time. If we need to be picked up earlier or later, to assure that we will be to our destination on time, please communicate to us & the other passengers. Sometimes, if we get picked up early, Routers/dispatchers seem to think they can just insert another pickup & do not consider other passengers needs; what time he/she needs to be at their destination or how long they have been on the van for example. Prior to the schedule changes in May, I had a ” request time” of 6;15, but a pick up time of 6;40. The ETA on most of those days was 6;40. Karral was my regular driver Monday through Thursday & Garry usually picked me up on Fridays. On the weekends I have a 6;45, & this is not usually an issue on the weekend. Furthermore, when I would be picked up by Karral or Garry at 6;40, we usually only had one pick up & then would drop me off. The routers & dispatch, felt if, I was picked up sooner, that I would be likely to be late because they would route more passengers on my van, making me late to work! Ever since, the changes, EVDAR can not seem to get it right! Please, do something! You can not get passenger’s late to work! As Darrell said, I am a responsible, dependable employee. I take my job here at the Hyatt very seriously! Please, do not make me tardy again! Also, I too, think, you should send us tickets for today’s & Tuesday’s incidents! I still have not heard back from you Denise regarding Tuesday! We also would like a response to Darrell’s question. We truly would like a well thought * Today’s Thought Provoker”* response to this! This is very important to us! We have known people whom have lost their jobs due to frequent tardiness! WE look forward to hearing from all of you in the next day or so!. Take care.

Karen

P.s. Please, can you check the status of my ride for the morning at the end of the day today? if there are any issues with my morning ride, please, call us. I will be more then happy to get picked up earlier if need be!

Beware: At work, Even The Fun Can Be Inaccessible

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I wrote the following e-mail to my boss and another coworker concerning an incident that took place this afternoon here at the office. Not only are a number of aspects of my job inaccessible, but it seems that even the occasional opportunities to have a good time can be inaccessible, too.

Hi Don and Russ,

This morning, Don, you gave me one of those poker chips as a reward for my job performance. Shortly after noon, I agreed to participate in a ping pong tournament. Later, around 1:15, Russ, you took that chip back as an “entry fee” for participating in the tournament. If I didn’t have one, apparently, I would have been charged a dollar. Now, guys, I’m sure this was all explained somewhere in printed form, but, alas, I am a blind person who is physically unable to drive or read print. I can do anything else you can do except for those two things. I agreed to participate in the ping pong tournament because I was invited and it sounded like fun. None of this was explained to me at all! I am held responsible for something without it first being fully explained to me. This happens in other situations, such as the occasional potlucks we have, where I find out at the last minute strictly because nobody bothers to send an e-mail or otherwise provide me with this information in a format other than the apparent printed signs, sign up lists, etc. I have mentioned these issues in the past, but things continue to happen. Don’t worry. This is not urgent or otherwise work related. It only impacts my ability to fully participate in the occasional fun things we do here in the office. I just want you to understand that, when things like this happen, I feel disrespected and offended. Please understand that my only issue is that I can’t see anything. That means I need to receive information in electronic or some other nonprinted form and that, from time to time, you might just need to explain things to me before I make my decision to participate or not. In this situation, my decision to relinquish the chip, or pay the dollar if I didn’t have one, was taken away from me because I participated without having this information. I feel really frustrated, hurt and upset when my ability to make decisions in my life is impacted by information that wasn’t provided to me in a form I could use. I am expected to know these things, yet how can I know when it is sitting out somewhere in only printed form? It isn’t just or right. Oh, well, life just goes on and on, and this is sadly oh so typical. Thanks for your time.

Loss of Yet Another Accessible Solution: Omega HH2 Talking Multimeter and Thermometer Taken Off the Market

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Read this article from Handiham covering the discontinuation of a talking multimeter and thermometer that provided essential accessible information to blind amateur radio operators and other electronics enthusiasts and professionals. As I read the article, I became extremely concerned. Why? Please feel free to post your answer as a text comment or call the comment line at 206-350-6925.

Phone Max is Minimal to the Task

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Karen reports that her Phone Max training turned out to be a complete waste of time. The software provides only the extensions of inbound calls; it does not provide the guest’s names or other text based information. The goal is to obtain all the information (both name and number) of each inbound caller. Does anyone have any useful information that would be helpful in gaining access to NEC telephone systems?

Phones Made More accessible, Maybe

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While Karen learns a new software application called Phone Max to enable her to access information displayed to hotel employees on their telephones, I am dealing with a new application called Apropos that adds greater management capabilities to our Cisco voice over Internet telephone system. In the past, we have all taken for granted our abilities to pick up a telephone and use its tactile buttons to answer or place calls. What happens when the entire telephone system is digital and dependent on potentially inaccessible telephone hardware or soft phones?

Download and Listen

Beating the Odds at Every Turn: Emily’s Inspirational Story

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Emily is an inspiration to us all. Her story is one more of hundreds of thousands of reasons why we must continue to press for the accessibility we need to enable us to participate fully in the world around us. Keep up the great work, Emily! We at the Blind Access Journal wish you great success on your journey. If there’s anything we in the technology sector of the blind community can do to assist you, let us know.