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HANDICAPPED DISCRIMINATION AT WALMART

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14: I went w/ my sister shop at WALMART [Supercenter #2137 **** New Hope Commons Dr Durham, NC 27707] This store is poorly run &;;;;;;;;;;; mismanaged.

I have numerous disabilities (Aspergers Syndrome w Sensory Processing Disorder; ADHD; Learning Disabilities; Multiple Sclerosis; Diabetes {+ many more} & was recently (May 17, 2021) found to be CANCER FREE after battling STAGE 4 METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (+ cancerous lymph nodes {I had 2 surgeries + chemo & radiation) for more than 2 years. I walk fairly well; try to exercise regularly but when shopping I rely on a MART CART because of fatigue & I tend to lose my balance.

On this day more so than others I needed the MART CART because July 11th I was stung badly by a bee & my right calf was very swollen & sore.

We arrived at the store shortly about 11:30 am, there were no MART CARTS available. The greeters attitude was simply,

We don't have a cart

The greeter made NO ATTEMPT to find a cart for me. This really angered me not just because of the attitude of the employee but the fact that more than 3/4 of the time when I go to this store there are no MART KARTS available. The store makes MART KARTS a very low priority.

They are infrequently retrieved from the parking lot where they have been left by customers an often not plugged in to be recharged.

There was one MART KART that a woman was sitting in it she said waiting for a bus. She was waiting there minimum 35 to 40 minutes monopolizing the cart but not using it! My sister went to do the shopping & I at first said on a bag carousel by the front of an unused register. A man dressed all in black w/ nothing on identifying him as an employee approached & said I could not sit there, when I balked, he said he was security.

I returned to the lobby where the woman was still sitting waiting for a bus monopolizing the MART KART.

In the inner lobby is other shopping carts, a machine-like device they use to pick up shopping carts from the parking lot & cleaning supplies. I sat on the device that was not being used to pick up the shopping carts from the parking lot. I was followed out of the store by the same man dressed in black who then told me I could not sit there. He ordered me to go outside & sit on the bench.

[Due to COVID there are no benches in the store or in the lobby]. I explained that I could not do that the bench in question which in the direct sunlight it was almost 90 degrees. Having Multiple Sclerosis I am extremely heat sensitive. Having just beat cancer I am susceptible to other kinds of cancer which the sun can cause.

I was getting up off the floor when another employee again w/ no name badge approach saying she was the manager & wanted to know what the problem was & I explained it was the same problem there always was there were no MART KARTS. The gentleman again yelled at me to get off the equipment that they used to get the shopping carts for the parking lot. At that point, I sat on the floor I was away from other carts, away from the doors & not blocking customers was not in any way impeding customers/ staff from walking, blocking the doors, or causing a disruption.

The man dressed in black continued to speak to me rudely & disrespectfully. I was then ordered again to go outside on the bench & I again explained for medical reasons I could not sit in the sun.

He ordered me to give him my sisters name. I gave her first name & then thought,

Why is he asking this question?

That was when he said he wanted her name because he was going to page her & have her take me out of the store. I would not give him my sisters name. While still sitting on the floor I called WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS.

I have difficulty holding the phone (limitations from Multiple Sclerosis) & had the phone on speakerphone (low volume). Knowing I was calling WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS angered both security and the store

Just as I was connected to WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS another WALMART employee came out of the store approached me (passing the manager & the person claiming to be security) & said,

There is now a MART KART available

I thanked her, got off the floor & went get the MART KART. As I passed the security man he stated he was calling the police.

IMPORTANT NOTE: During this entire incident beginning to end I was on the phone w/ WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS

I ignored security & got on the MART KART, I found my sister. WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS was very understanding & said this is not how we trust treat customers I explained that when I went past the security guard he said that he was calling the police WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS told me not to worry there did not appear to be any further issues.

The man at WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS took my information & was very understanding of the incident that just occurred & listened intently as I explained how the MART KARTS are not being maintained or charged on a regular basis.

I was on the phone several minutes w/ WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS I found my sister & we touched base as far as purchases. I then split w/ my sister I went to the PET DEPARTMENT & then to the STATIONARY DEPARTMENT. I was there more than 20 minutes I had at least a dozen purchases in my cart.

As I went to find my sister again I was approached by THREE POLICE OFFICERS. I told WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS that the officers were blocking the MART KART.

WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS was on speakerphone & spoke to the officers he said,

There are no further issues you do not need to bother this woman her upset was to because of there were no available MART KARTS her goal was to get a MART KART is achieved that goal & is perfectly calm

The officer said that the security manager made a trespass warrant against me.

I needed to leave the store immediately. WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS said I did not need to leave the store because I was calm. I was done w/ this whole thing that day I said to WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS I will leave just because I cannot take this anymore let me just give my items to my sister she has to pay for them anyway. The officers refused to allow me to find my sister & give her the items I was told I could not make any purchases in the store either myself or through my sister.

The officers holding on to the MART KARTS ordered me to ride the cart up to customer service in the WALMART store & then they physically escorted me out of the store.

The officers demanded my ID w/ my name address phone number etc. I would not give it to them. They did not have a right to detain me. I asked WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS to remain on the phone w/ me during the finality of this which they did.

Well I was talking to WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS sitting on this hot bench in this sun which is detrimental to my health one of the officers grabbed my knapsack. They got my name off a luggage tag I said that WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS I do not care because that is my nickname I do not use that name. At that point, another officer grabbed my knapsack away from me rifled through it & found my wallet w/ my license in it.

Once the officer illegally obtained my identification information I was told that I had a THREE-YEAR BAN FROM WALMART. Even WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS was taken aback by this lunacy!

I still would not get my sister she needed to finish shopping & she was gonna finish shopping.

I walked WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS d in the direction of my sisters car still speaking to WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS followed by a police car (they sat a short distance away from me until my sister came and we pulled out of the parking lot). I sat down under a tree where it was shady & WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS transferred me to the WALMART ETHICS DEPARTMENT. ETHICS COMPLAINT REFERENCE # wmt210583

I attempted to file COMPLAINTS with:

#1 CIVILIAN COMPLAINT REVIEW BOARD

> I left a message NO CALL BACK

#2 LOCAL ADA COORDINATOR

> file an ADA (Handicapped Discrimination Complaint against WALMART & the DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT)

> I was told that the ADA COORDINATOR was ON VACATION & would not return until the BEGINNING OF AUGUST (there is only 1 person in all of Durham who can take an ADA COMPLAINT?)

> later in the afternoon (4:54 pm) I received a call from STACEY POSTON (919-452-****) who said she worked with the ADA COORDINATOR; she took the ETHICS INCIDENT # & DETAILS OF THE COMPLAINT TO DATE NEVER HEARD BACK FROM HER (or anyone else)

Barring me from this store is not only UNWARRANTED & DISCRIMINATORY but causes UNDUE HARDSHIP. This WALMART STORE is in a strip mall with 20 or more nearby stores.

I do not have a car (I sold it to pay medical bills) I rely on my sister 100% for transportation.

There are occasions where I need ME TIME; because this strip mall has an abundance of stores it is a convenient location for my sister to drop me off so I can spend a few hours shopping alone.

RELIEF SOUGHT:

#1 removal of the THREE-YEAR BAN FROM WALMART

#2 training & DISABILITY SENSITIVITY to all WALMART employees

#3 improved policies regarding MAINTENANCE; CHARGING OF MART KARTS & RETRIEVAL OF MART KARTS FROM THE PARKING AREA

#4 assessment of the USAGE OF MART KARTS in this store; PROVIDE MORE MART KARTS in keeping w the NEED/ USAGE AT THIS STORE

#5 OVERALL ASSESSMENT of this WALMART re:

1] HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY (many aisles too narrow &/or littered w debris making passage for people with disabilities IMPOSSIBLE)

2] RESTOCK POLICIES: employees often abandon large stock / restock in aisles impeding passage for people using wheelchairs (MART KARTS) & other assistive devices; employees that SHOULD be stocking/ restocking merchandise from these carts are often observed on their cell phone &/ or socializing rather than stocking/ restocking

Walmart Durham - New Hope Commons Dr

Durham, North Carolina POLICE DEPARTMENT

City of Durham, NC Government ADA

DOES NOT WANT TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER

STACEY POSTON ADA COORDINATOR IN DURHAM NC REFUSES TO HELP

RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM Tyra Hailey Sides, Store Manager 2137

Ph- 919-489-**** | Fax-919-489-****

T0h01il.s02137.us@***l-mart.com

I have called her now 9 TIMES - NO ONE ANSWERS - THE NUMBER JUST RINGS & RINGS & RINGS & RINGS & RINGS & RINGS - FINALLY IT TIMES OUT

[now on 11th CALL TO THE STORE]

[now on 14th CALL TO THE STORE]

NO ONE WILL ANSWER PHONE!!!!!

WALMART CORPORATE REFUSES TO HELP ME CONNECT TO THE STORE

THE DURHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT - CAPTAIN BOB - 919-560-**** EXT. 28203

LEFT ME A MESSAGE THIS MORNING WHILE I WAS W MY DOCTOR - I HAVE CALLED &; LEFT 3 MESSAGES FOR HIM

HE DOES NOT ANSWER THE PHONE & REFUSES TO RETURN MY CALLS

NOW 28 CALLS TO LOCAL STORE

7 CALLS TO CUSTOMER RELATIONS

I TELL CUSTOMER RELATIONS I CANNOT REACH THE STORE THEY SAID THEY WILL ESCALATE CALL

instead they put me thru to ETHICS DEPARTMENT - ALREADY HAVE ETHICS NUMBER - THEY CANNOT HELP ME

CALL 8 TO CUSTOMER RELATIONS: man working from home HIS DOG BARKED LOUDLY THRU ENTIRE CONVERSATION

he could not hear me

I could not hear him

LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM

User's recommendation: Disabled People Not Welcome.

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

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HeII I would have banned you also. You're nothing but a complainer, troublemaker, and self entitled @$$wad.

If you were that disabled then your sister should have been doing all of your shopping. Or perhaps you should consider HOME DELIVERY. No one owes you anything... especially Walmart.

As for "WALMART CUSTOMER RELATIONS" staying on the phone with you through that entire lengthy self imposed fiasco... lol you're also a bad liar. I've dealt with their customer relations dept. They handle calls in an efficient manner.

They DON"T just sit on a phone for that amount of time just listening to the background situation. Add MENTAL ILLNESS (and honesty) issues to your "disability" list. FYI: I am also physically disabled and have serious mobility issues. Along with Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, with arthritis all over my body.

Somehow I still manage to act like a DECENT human being and not get banned from Walmart when there isn't a riding cart available at the moment. You brought that situation upon yourself.

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