The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has been around for almost twenty years. Barbara Ruel, 71, describes herself as “profoundly disabled.” Because a degenerative organ disease makes it very difficult for her to hold a pen, see, hear or leave her home without help. When she asked HSBC for help she was told “No”.
The ADA is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal.
HSBC is quick to use the word “No”, regardless of circumstances. Born and fostered through HSBC Finance, the word “No” is heard without reservation throughout the HSBC system. Apparently HSBC in Buffalo is no exception.
HSBC is proud of Buffalo New York even though the city is on the list of 10 worst cities in which to live or find a job. It is easier for HSBC to look good in Buffalo than other cities. Perhaps residents of Buffalo, including HSBC employees, hear the word “No” quite often.
When 71-year old Barbara Ruel tried to dispute a charge for merchandise she said she never received, she was told by multiple HSBC customer service agents that she would have to fill out a dispute form — something she was physically unable to do.
This is a training issue for HSBC, and at some point someone at HSBC should have know about the Americans With Disablilites Act.
“I asked for consideration under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and asked if I could dictate the answers to the form and have them write it for me,” Ruel said. “They said, ‘No.’ ”
Instead, Ruel dictated her complaint to the New York State Attorney General’s office, which worked on her behalf and came to a nationwide agreement with HSBC to be more accommodating to people with disabilities.
The agreement outlines a new national standard in serving customers with disabilities, including. Under the agreement, HSBC has promised to make changes to its Web site, offer statements and other forms in multiple formats and offer reader services via its toll-free customer hotline.
When our website receives a complaint about HSBC we always tell the submitter to contact their state attorney general. It is nice to see results in the Ruel case. (We currently have a backlog of 35 complaints about HSBC not yet published.)
HSBC has vowed to step up training and monitoring of hearing-and speech-impaired relay service calls, make clearer the procedures for dealing with customers with disabilities and appoint an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator to be sure the company meets customer needs.
That should be easy to enforce. For every job opening in Buffalo New York there are six unemployed people. Like many other cities suffering form urban blight and decay on this list, years of high unemployment have taken their toll on Buffalo. Thousands have fled leaving large parts of the town unoccupied and boarded up.
There are few remaining job opportunities for those that remain and the typical alcoholism, drug abuse and crime that usually follow are big problems in Buffalo.
Buffalo is home to HSBC USA and the HSBC Arena.
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