About a month ago, my service dog, caregiver and I walked into the store you managed. We only went in there to get some much needed items as I had just been through a small kitchen fire the week prior and was staying in a hotel. I had no food for my dog nor I, and very little money so we went to your store. As I was in there, my service dog got very sick and made a mess.
I honestly didn't know what to do nor did my caregiver as she was new. Sir, I am Autistic and suffer from PTSD and Autoimmune Diseases/Conditions. I was so stressed that I froze. I disassociated from the world we live in. I decided that getting the food and hygiene items was more important than asking for help from you, so quickly and quietly I bought my things and left your store and for that I am deeply sorry about.
I know I shouldn't have just left the mess, I know that I should've asked for help but it was impossible for me to ask. Being Autistic and having PTSD, it makes it hard to do such tasks when you are stressed as it is. I didn't make anymore of a mess and I didn't make a scene, I just bought my items and left.
But you decided it best that you follow me to my car, wait till I was in the car, and verbally assault me. When told what was really happening, you didn't care. You made it known by telling me so then banning me from your store.
Sir, do you really understand what you did? Do you have any understanding of what you have done?
No? Let me break it down.
Someone who was already distraught, someone who felt that nothing was going right, who really didn't know which way to turn, who was sick with worry, anxiety and strife, who's PTSD was badly triggered by the fire, walked into your store to get items like a tooth brush and food because you're a cheap store and she could afford it.
She didn't realize, however, that her service dog was sick. He isn't a robot, she can't just say HEY don't be sick! She didn't realize this and when he got sick, she did her best to not make anymore issues. So, embarrassed, scared, and already disassociating, she spent money her parents gave her AT YOUR STORE and left.
You decided that you knew better than others, whether you were wanting to impress or you thought you were better than her, you rushed out and yelled at her. Pinning her in her own car with no way to get out. You called her names, you demeaned her, you humiliated her in the middle of the parking lot, you not only triggered her Autism but you triggered her PTSD and thus putting her in a worse situation than before. She did nothing but apologize and say that she was sorry for not asking-- but could you blame her? She's already scared to death and you just made it worse, making it to where she may never want to ask for help again. By the time you were done, you tore apart what little left of her world she had. She did nothing to you, yet you attacked her. Furthermore, you then banned her from your store once you heard she was disabled. She cried and you laughed at her pain, how evil can you be?
I don't care what your position is at the store, I don't care who you're trying to impress, I will say this: you had no right to attack me and do what you did. I apologized, and although I should have asked for help, I couldn't. I am still working on that part of myself. I am still trying to change it, but you put me further behind in the process.
I am sorry I had to call your company, what makes me feel even worse is that you had to learn the hard way by losing your job that you can't do this to people. I truly hope you have learned that no matter how upset you are, it's not ok to attack someone and even moreso not ok to discriminate a disabled person. I feel horrible at how this turned out, at the fact you were fired but I couldn't stand by and allow this to happen. What if the next person wasn't as strong as me? What if at the moment they had decided to give up on life? And you did that to them? What if the next person didn't have a voice to speak up against you and you kept doing this for years? You needed to learn and I am sorry that it had to be this way. I do not like to see people punished, but if I stood around silent worse may have happened.
I hope next time this occurs both you and I know how to handle it better, I know I am working on it and I hope you are as well.
I learned a very important lesson from this situation though, that you can't be quiet about these things. You can't just sit there and ignore what happened because then the world will never change. As my therapist says "the squeaky wheel is never ignored!".
"You don't just give up. You don’t just let things happen. You make a stand. You say "no." You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away!"
~Rose Tyler (Doctor Who; Steven Moffat~
A Disabled Advocate
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