SIGNAL BOOST

[deelaundry]

Does anyone know of a disability advocacy group that could provide guidance/advice for a friend of mine who needs a refund and apology from a company (US-based) that didn't provide services that were paid for? Cruise line promised an accessible room and assistance for a person with physical disability (and charged for it), then put the person in a non-accessible room and consistently refused to provide physical assistance.

Comments

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

She could start here, the Center for Disability Rights
http://www.cdrnys.org/

Disability Advocates are lawyers. She'd do better to search "disability rights" and speak to advocacy people there.

That is outrageous. She should also write to her local representative, outlining the situation and how it legally disobeys the ADA. Sometimes that helps.

[(Anonymous)]

The Consumerist web site has instructions on how to send an executive customer service e-mail:

http://consumerist.com/2007/05/how-to-launch-an-executive-email-carpet-bomb.html

Those can be surprisingly effective in getting restitution.

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

The New York Times has a regular feature, "The Haggler," which deals with all kinds of business shortfalls, including travel/tour companies. (The most recent one involved an airline that was stupid enough to not deal fairly with Ralph Nader, of all people (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/your-money/ralph-nader-and-the-airline-refund-the-haggler.html?_r=1&ref=thehaggler).

Being the NYTimes, they can quite often get response better than Joe Blow average person. Contact info is in the column linked above.

Others are archived here (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/columns/the_haggler/index.html?scp=2&sq=haggler&st=cse).

[romeo46.livejournal.com]

If your friend is a vet or family of one try the VFW or American Legion. I swear those guys know EVERYTHING about dealing with disabled rights and regulations.

[hibernia1.livejournal.com]

No helpful input, but I want to wish your friend the very best of luck with this!!!

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

as both a disabled person AND a disabled rights activist I am absolutely fucking appalled by this. what the hell cruise line did this so I can see to it they get all kinds of bad publicity?

[knitty-woman.livejournal.com]

There's a woman who blogs extensively about disabilities and travel issues (especially relating to cruise ships). here's the link:

http://emerginghorizons.com/expert/

She might have some suggestions for your friend.

From my very brief, non-legal research on this issue, it looks as though while the Supreme Court ruled that cruise ships are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, there aren't yet any regulations approved that determine in what ways they have to comply, which means that you may not be able (yet) to file an ADA complaint.