Aloha, fellow cane travel instructors!
I write because the training center where I work is about to take our students parasailing at a tourist parasailing place that has denied us repeatedly in the past. I want to ask for people to offer their wisdom on how we can most effectively address whatever they try to pull on us. We made a reservation, but they don't know that the group is blind, again.
Before I started working here last summer, the agency had already tried twice to go parasailing with this company. We have done it successfully with others, but this one is a lot closer to us geographically, and we want to develop a productive relationship with them. In years past, we have debunked all of their arguments about how it isn't safe for a blind person, and we have refused to set up special training programs for the blind as a prerequisite for parasailing.
In response to our past attempts to parasail with them, they have published on their websitehttps://www.hawaiiactivities.com/en/hawaii/oahu/a/111466/?cid=oahu_hawaiian_parasail&gclid=CjwKEAjw2qzHBRChloWxgoXDpyASJAB01Io0tfjJAIhvAsnrdB1b037OVSomHCwnREjRjmN0z8pZZxoCCLrw_wcB the following statement:
*Children 5 years old and above can participate in this activity.
*Persons with visual impairment are not allowed to participate in this activity.
I have done some research on the issue, and I found the following:
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. ? 12182. Title III prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by those who offer public accommodations, i.e., a facility, operated by a private entity that provides services to the public. (Similarly, Title II of the ADA prohibits such discrimination by public entities.)
They have even gone so far as to shut down their business for the day to avoid serving our blind customers in the past. We have written letters, invited them to our training center for a tour (which they have avoided), and offered to educate them about the capacity of blind people. Our program director has had conversations with the company's owner. The progress just has not happened yet.
We are going to go try to transact business with this company, and we want our students to know that the blind have the right to live in the world. Since we have run out of ideas, we would probably next invite some TV news reporters if they try to deny us again to see if we can get them some publicity. Certainly, this is one of those situations where the Federation can help the state agency, too.
So, what ideas can people offer to our training center in Hawaii?
Mahalo!
Justin
Justin M. Salisbury, MA, NOMC, NCRTB, NCUEB
Legislative Committee Chair
Honolulu Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu