unsexy but interesting topic

[§cαrL£t]

This isn't a sexy topic. I know, however, that sometimes we talk about disability politics here. I was remember a story today and I wanted you guys (and girls) to sound off on it.

I was once a Starbucks barista. At our training session, the guy training us naturally gave a big speech about the importance of diversity. He said, as if we were in second grade, "When you think of diversity you probably just think about race, but what else does diversity mean? How about age? Or, here's a story for you ..."

The story he proceeded to tell was that a man in an electric wheelchair had applied for a job at Starbucks (I believe he had cp but i could be wrong). Clearly the typical Starbucks job requires full mobility. However, instead of turning him down right away, the store manager went to her manager and they hatched a plan.

They built a very sturdy tray of sorts that attached to the back of the wheelchair and held a coffee dispenser and cups. This particular Starbucks location was on the bottom floor of a big office building. The man would go in his wheelchair to all the floors of the building and people would fill themselves cups of coffee and he'd collect the money.

"And guess what?" said the trainer as he told us that story. "That store's sales increased a lot. He did great."

I murmured something about exploitation which the trainer quickly refuted with some dumb comment about how good it was for this man to earn a paycheck.

First of all, as a wheeler, would you go apply for a job that you were poorly suited for? Would you do it just to prove something?

Secondly, I'm sure for some businesspeople it's nice and all to have your coffee come to you instead of having to ride the elevator down a few floors to get it, but seriously, how much of this is "I'll buy coffee cause it's right here" versus "I'll buy it because a poor cripple is selling it?"

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this one.

When I heard the story I thought "that is so goddamned patronizing" (both on the part of the store manager and the customers), not "wow, what a heart-warming example of a diverse workplace."

[faith]

A totally different take on this...

Did it add value to the store? Did the service increase sales? Did SB bring in more money because of this?

I think if I were a coffee shop owner (SB or not) and I could hire someone who added value to my store and increased my sales, that is what would matter.

It seems a win for all involved... but then again I am looking at it from a business perspective.

[matisse]

It's not all that different from so many restaurants making sure that their hostesses are hotties.

I don't think I would apply for a job that I was not suited for. But I would definitely use my disability in any way I could to help my workplace get more business.

[rollingbear]

For myself, I felt it was a heartwarming story on diversity. GB those that gave this young man a chance to work. I would imagine that he had one heck of a great personality and enjoyed his job immensley.

Not sure why he was poorly suited for it. Is it because the coffee was in the back of his chair rather than an AB,abled bodied, pushing a cart in front of them.

For me, this goes to show that the world is changing for the disabled. They are out there proving that they can work a job and make profits for those that take the chance on hiring them.

thank you for that story, it made my day.

[§cαrL£t]

Oct 20, 2008 23:02:41 GMT -5 matisse said:

It's not all that different from so many restaurants making sure that their hostesses are hotties.

That's a really interesting take on it, Matisse. I hadn't thought of that.

[roger888]

I would only ever go for a job if I enjoyed it,job satisfaction is everything for me.If an employer made some adaptations to a working environment that meant I could do a job to a level that I was happy with then I would accept it.Been in too many jobs that I hated.

Whether anyone thought it was politically correct to have a disabled person in that work place doesnt come in it.I have never really cared what anyone thinks of me as a working disabled person

[Triassic]

i think it was a little of both; yes, definitaly there was some patronization going on(i'll bet you anything the cp barista dude became a kind of 'mascot')...but he was also providing a real service; you better believe that there are folks who are too busy/lazy to go down to the lobby for their coffee. they'd be truly happy to see 'that wheelchair guy-dave?, don?, what's his name anyway? guys got a great attitude' rolling down the aisle.

[E]

Oct 21, 2008 0:00:19 GMT -5 rollingbear said:

For myself, I felt it was a heartwarming story on diversity. GB those that gave this young man a chance to work. I would imagine that he had one heck of a great personality and enjoyed his job immensley.

I just about vomited from that.

Let me recover.

Hold on...

Phew.

Okay. That was close.

In any case, no, I'd never apply for a job I didn't think I could physically do, hoping the staff there would "hatch a plan" to work me in. As my mother informed me from a very young age, I "couldn't be a roofer," so I better be able to use my brain.

Now, will I use my crippled deformations for my personal gain? Heck yeah. They certainly cost me. I'd like to see some modest return on my investment. As matisse hinted, do waitresses wear low cut tops for tips?

To be honest, though, I don't see where it's given me any benefit in my career. If anything, adapting my own business for me has been expensive.

One way I notice I do gain from my gimpdom all the time is I'm more easily recognized/remembered, so it doesn't take me more than a few visits to become a regular somewhere and start receiving better treatment... whether it's at a bar, restaurant, bank, store, etc.

[mrjefffurz]

i would certainly consider the physical demands of a job as it would effect my health,,,im not 45 anymore and i cant go at it as hard as i once could,,,and i wouldnt expect an employer to make major accomodations just so i could do a job,,,alto one actually wanted me bad enought to construct a ramp that allowed me access to what became my office,,,what he couldnt adapt was the prejudices of my direct supervisor (he set up my computer and made "wheels" my password,,,he never wanted me there and within 3 weeks i was the casualty of war between the boss & the supervisor,,,in my current situation theres 1 small issue i face because i cant access the actual construction sites of projects that ive did the design on but it rarely comes up that i am needed to make a visual inspection of some factor,,,do i think people use me because of my dis status,,,usually not,,,daddy warbucks, who kept me on exclusive retainer for a couple years may have consider that since his father had been SCI but it may have also bee that he knew the dis didnt mean i couldnt do a good job for him,,,,as for using my dis to further my position,,,that makes me more than a little queasy...

[§cαrL£t]

Oct 21, 2008 8:22:31 GMT -5 E said:

I just about vomited from that.

E, that made my day

Not sure why he was poorly suited for it. Is it because the coffee was in the back of his chair rather than an AB,abled bodied, pushing a cart in front of them.

When I said he was poorly suited that was because the original job required standing, walking, etc. He applied for a position that required these things. He was perfectly suited to serve coffee from the back of his chair, except that this wasn't in the job description. The idea to deliver coffee to the individiual floors only came after the manager tried to think up something for this man to do.

[Phil]

I wouldn't ever take a job where special accomondations were made for me. If I'm to compete with my fellow employees, I'd only do so on a level playing field that nobody can come back and say "Sure Phil leads in sales, but he's got that special gizmo the company purchased that gives him an advantage." And no, nobody's going to attach anything to the rear of my chair and turn me into a living pickup truck.

Question 2, hmmm. I'm sure there was some patronization. How much, who knows?