For several years, I had been giving blood to the New York Blood Center. I have the red card assigned to me and have followed all the rules and procedures intact. I have successfully given blood and remain medical fit to do so.
However, there seems to be one little problem that makes it difficult to participate as a donor.
The staffs’ treatment towards me during the interactions exists where my vision is involved involving paperwork and notices. I’m legally blind (not to be confused with totally blind). I am physically unable to read small print, which is what most of the paperwork and notices are in. I request assistance in filling out forms and staff give me a lot of argument. In the past, they would follow the arguement with assistance with some teeth sucking and a few snide remarks. Read more of this article at
In the past appointments made, I’d come and I was told, but I wasn’t getting any assistance at all and I’d was expected to fill out any paperwork myself in the office if they were going to see me afterwards, so those past appointments, I gave no blood at all.
Finally, one day, I came and ran into the same problem, only this time, the receptionist called security to have me removed from the office and escorted out of the building, which was not necessary because I had done nothing to cause any trouble, and I always address the staff in a civil manner and in civil tongue.
I had also brought this issue up to people who call me from the man call center that makes appointments. I have specifying that I’m legally blind as my reason for requesting assistance, and require either large print accessible format, or assistance. All they do is apologize that I have difficulty. One woman from the call center said that she felt really sorry for me and recommends finding a nearby Lyons club. I was told on the phone that it doesn’t matter where I go to give blood, that if forms are not properly filled out by the donor, they are not eligible to give blood. And so several places refuse to make appointments with me.
If the policy on refusing to assist people who are blind or visually impaired does not change, I’ll have no future opportunities to give blood.
I would hope that they would want to consider whose loss that really is. The New York Blood Center cares more about
Recently, I had contacted them and they had informed me that their DEI program protects them against any liability for not accommodating Caucasians with physical disabilities. They had been informed by their attorneys that they can discriminate based on loopholes in certain laws that had been amended varied from state to state. I tried to fight this but I either get people telling me that I am right, but they can’t get involved, or that I am wrong, and I need to accept that times have changes.
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