Ignoring Disabilities Act Costs Business, Good Will
A few weeks ago, on a Saturday, my husband and I drove to Spokane to shop for furniture for our new home. We were headed for the “Gigantic Furniture Sale” advertised by Ennis Fine Furniture on North Division.
Since I use a three-wheel electric scooter for mobility, I was delighted to see two parking spaces for people with special needs. After pulling into one of them, I was disappointed to see a padlocked iron gate at the top of the accessible ramp into the store.
I was more than disappointed to see that the area beyond the gate was crammed with patio furniture. While I waited in the pickup, my husband walked into the store to inform the employees that his wife was in the car and wanted to enter the store to shop. He was told: “We do pretty good (with accessibility) except during patio season.” End of conversation.
Usually, I feel capable and accepted, but seeing the locked gate and not being able to enter the store caused me to feel disabled and rejected. As we drove away from the store, my emotions ran the gamut - from anger to rage to sadness to dependency.
The following Tuesday I called the store and asked to speak to the manager. He was out of town for two days. To record my frustration, I wrote a letter but did not mail it. On Thursday, I called and spoke to the manager, Rick Ennis, and read my letter to him. He was appropriately remorseful and told me that action would be taken to correct this flagrant obstruction of accessibility. He invited me to return to shop in the future.
The following Sunday my husband and I drove to Spokane and pulled into the same parking space. We were surprised and pleased to find the gate open and an accessible path to the front door. We entered the store and in less than an hour bought a sofa.
Some business owners feel that complying with The Americans with Disabilities Act is a burden. (One part of the act requires businesses to accommodate people with special needs.) But I believe it is an opportunity for businesses to expand their clientele. In this situation, Ennis Fine Furniture and I were both winners. I found the perfect sofa. They made a fine sale.
MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.