ADA 34th Anniversary July 26

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ”It wasn’t until the pandemic that I realized how disabled I was and how horribly disabled people are treated,” reports Author Rozanne Weissman.

As July 26 marks the 34th anniversary of the signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Weissman remains appalled at her discriminatory first-hand experiences—topped off by an airline manager from its executive office calling her AND SWEARING: “We don’t believe you have hand/wrist/online disabilities if you can do a (f*!#*~g ) tweet!”

Weissman’s tweet indicated that she could not book needed airline reservation online because of disabilities, couldn’t reach the airline by phone for a week, or find human accessibility services.

Rozanne’s Story:
“After this airline manager harassed me and swore extensively, I got off the phone and sobbed uncontrollably while sitting with my family on our first in-person gathering the second summer of the pandemic. Afterward, I explained it was the culmination of how I had been treated with disabilities during the pandemic plus everything I couldn’t do living solo with no help during the pandemic. In a delivery world, I couldn’t even open most packages, some carryout containers and bottles, hold anything heavier with one hand without dropping, handle many things online with just an iPhone

“I have ‘hidden disabilities’—observers would see that my hands and wrists ‘look normal.’ They would not be aware that I have serious hand/wrist disabilities and NO computer anymore (doctor’s orders).

“Prior to the pandemic, I had people and places that helped—Apple helped set up my iPhones since my first iphone 5. The company has a strong accessibility commitment that makes me a loyal customer. For faster Wi-Fi than I had at home, I worked at Apple, my health club, and my neighborhood library where I found a helpful young man that kindly turned my iPhone verbiage into documents and put up my videos and all I wrote to create my ‘Rozanne’s Wildlife Travels’ YouTube channel.

During the pandemic businesses weren’t concerned about blatantly breaking ADA laws. For three years, my bank illegally used the disability wheelchair symbol on their impossible-to-open-front door. I begged for the bank or passersby to help open the door. Other businesses just disabled automatic accessible doors.

Unable to have any online financial accounts—too dangerous—I couldn’t report fraud on my credit cards. It was impossible to reach any financial firms by phone. I don’t know what all these people working at home were doing but NO ONE was providing customer service.

I was a customer of a huge investment firm for a decade. They determined ALL customers MUST be online only, and they wanted to penalize me monetarily for being disabled and having no computer/no printer PLUS charge me regularly also for monthly paper financials.

And of course in 2021, there was the challenge of getting an appointment for a Covid vaccine. In DC, it was impossible to get an appointment by phone. And despite my creating two entire wildlife children’s books in my new career as an author on an iPhone, I couldn’t book a vaccine appointment on my iPhone!! The DC government clearly does not know the basics about accessibility and meeting needs of disabled and seniors.

“At the start of the pandemic, I was ill-equipped for the Zoom Age. My WiFi left much to be desired. For phone calls only: I had an old, light, reliable flip phone with a great speakerphone
that fit comfortably in my hand. But it was held together by rubber bands!
My iPhone 6 had to be recharged 2-3x a day for everything else. I live solo and had NO ONE to work with me to set up a new iPhone and badly needed iPad for Zoom classes, virtual meetings, and going virtually into school classrooms for my new career.

Optimistically, I accepted a booking on a Facebook Live 45-minute book show that would live long term on YouTube. I needed a miracle: an Apple person to help me find and set up the right new iPhone and iPad for my accessibility needs in time for the show. When I enlarged and looked closely at my iPhone 6 July 4, 2020 fireworks shots from my condo rooftop, I clearly saw a big white Apple surrounded by red. Was this a sign from Apple founder and former CEO Steve Jobs that he would send someone to help me in time for my FB live book show? YES! I got the perfect person: a former Apple 🍎 employee who also knew every other technology. Fortunately, he was also on hand in-person re all technology for two live TV shows that still live on YouTube.

“In the full-time, pre-pandemic work world, I was an award-winning marketing communications executive with a heavy work load and lots of overtime running a department plus multiple simultaneous deadline-oriented campaigns—all based on market research with websites that had to be turned around in three months. ALL were ADA compliant.

“My hands became excruciatingly painful from nonstop long hours of overuse. A hand specialist told me he only had one patient worse than me and thatI had to cut down my hours to no more than 1/2 hour of repetitive work daily and get assistive technology.

Despite the doctor’s report and the ADA, it’s still hard to believe I had to go to a lawyer and file suit to get my modest accessibility needs met.

The judge said he couldn’t imagine an employer not paying a relatively small amount to keep a motivated award-winning manager who wanted to be able to work. He asked the lawyer for the reason and was told that ‘the employer didn’t believe my client would USE the technology.’ The judge asked me if I would—and I said absolutely! I have no other way physically to do the work.

“I used voice recognition software and trainers to setup and upgrade the software for some 18 years on this job and then as a marketing/ communications consultant for major companies, businesses, and nonprofits.

Rozanne Weissman
Rozanne Weissman & associates
+1 202-904-0727
RWCommerce@gmail.com

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