I recently read this story from Dr. Mark Mostert about a major airline’s inability to deal appropriately with a person with severe hearing loss.  If the Fail Blog had a corporate failure section, this would be on it.

…my wife, Deborah, has a severe hearing impairment – both ears. Deborah wears state-of-the-art hearing aids that are only somewhat helpful.

Last week my wife turned up at the United counter in Norfolk, Virginia, to check in for her flight.

United Airlines employee: Says here you have a disability. Do you need assistance?

Deb: Yes, I’m deaf.

Puzzled silence.

United Airlines employee (somewhat sullenly): Do you need assistance?

Deb: Yes, I have a severe hearing impairment.

United Airlines employee (now a little irritated): Do you need assistance?

Deb (sighing): Yes, it’s very difficult for me to hear anything. . .

United Airlines employee (obviously ready to move on): Do you need a wheelchair?

I find this exchange interesting because it does not appear to start with malice on the part of the UA employee. I can only imagine that the UA employee could not conceive that a person who was conversing with him and responding to his questions, could label themselves as “deaf.”

Is this ignorance?  Yes. But, not malice. The cure for ignorance is more information, which Deborah provides:

I have a severe hearing impairment.  It is very difficult to hear anything.

But instead of the expected the “a-ha” moment, the employee offers her a wheelchair. FAIL!   

I do not expect everyone to be sensitive to every disability. People are just not very good at putting themselves in someone else’s shoes.  But, when someone takes the time to explain their needs to you, take the time to listen and try to help.

Via Disability Matters.