Insensitive Custys Constantly Comment About A Visual Impairment

Hey, Crazy Cashier here. I actually have switched to a different place since I took this name but it still fits. I love the new place I work, all my coworkers are pretty nice and such.

My one problem is that the font on the screens and many barcode items that are printed in-store are much smaller. I’d rather they be bigger and all that but I’m not gonna go like ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) on them and such to try make it change or anything. Even though probably a lot of the cashiers would appreciaite too.

The only reason it bothers me a lot is because I noticed at this place I get so many more comments about my sight, whereas the other store, they only noticed it when I looked at produce that I hadn’t memorized the PLU yet. It just gets tiring to keep addressing people on why I don’t have glasses. I keep telling myself they’re trying to be friendly and such but it just makes it awkward when I respond.

Second most popular category is the “I totally understand how you feel because I have glasses/slightly bad sight."

It’s like, no you don’t because if you can use glasses to have normal vision then you can’t understand. Although it is neat the two or three people who have come through my lane who do understand/know someone who actually visually impaired. But most people don’t.

It’s odd though that except for the really stupid comment about sight the customer is usually nice otherwise.

Best examples being:

“Did you have to take an eye test to get this job?"

I’m sure ya’ll could come up with witty remarks to that but I just said no and it’d be against the ADA anyway.

I had another customer try to be funny by, after finding out I was visually impaired, tell me that several of his clearly marked/priced items I had yet to scan were a nickel (when obviously they weren’t). I went with the classic retort of “Hahaha, that’s funny (pause) except it’s not.“ Followed by serious expression.

The one that’s made me the most mad so far was on a slow night, so another cashier was bagging for me (usually we don’t have baggers). I was looking at the screen closely (like to check things like if an item scanned twice, or if I’m checking it’s price or for the total, etc) and I look close to make sure I am seeing correctly.

Right after this the customer LAUGHS (continuous laughing not just like one short ha!) and while doing this says to the other cashier, “Look how close she’s looking, it's like she’s putting her nose up to the screen!"

I don’t think the other cashier heard/understood and she’s super nice anyway so she wouldn’t have laughed anyway.

But it’s like, SERIOUSLY? Exactly what part of me having sight problems and trying to do your order correctly is funny? Maybe instead of looking closely I should just put that you’re getting 40 green bell peppers or something. (You know, cause the PLU starts with 40.) That’s not even the worst part. Obviously she wasn’t subtle when she said this.

So I stated, “I'm visually impaired."

Usually this make people back peddle into an apology or something that shows they understand it probably would have been better to say nothing. I don’t really care if it’s an apology or not. I just want them to get that it’s maybe not a good idea to comment on things like that. When I say that though she said nothing, she just continued on chattering about something else, whatever it was we were talking about before. That’s probably one of the first times I’ve actually wanted an apology from a customer for making a stupid comment about my sight.

I guess it’s the price I pay for trying to do my job right by making sure I can see the screen correctly. And there’s no avoiding it since I look at the screen at the end for the total, so of course the next customer sees me doing it.

--Crazy Cashier

Comments

[Riferous]

Tell 'em "I must have hearing problems too, because it sounded like you just said something really stupid, and I'm sure that's not at all what you said. IS IT???

[KitKat]

Why not see if you can get a larger print sheet with the appropriate PLU numbers so that you can memorize them?
Also, yes my vision can be corrected with glasses; however, I needed to go to an eye specialist to get my vision to 20/25 (it was 20/40 for the first 13 years I had glasses).
You have a right to be able to see/be given what you need to succeed in your job.

[mayamarie]

I'm a little confused... you're visually impaired enough you need to be an inch away from the screen, but you don't have glasses to help with that? a 10 dollar pair of reading glasses might help at least.

[Timekeeper's Twit]

YES! this all of this! I get all the same things. Even with my glasses I have to be very close. I get comments all the time. or when I use my magnifier I STILL get it! Ugh. It's like, obviously there is a reason.

also maymarie: it's' not quite that simple. there are optometrists and ophthalmologists. An optometrist looks at the overall health of your eye, while an ophthalmologist specializes in glasses and tools to help low vision people. However it is really difficult to get in to see these specialists and an optometrist sometimes can't help. I was given a prescription the last time I went, but was told to see a specialist.

I am so glad this was posted since February is Visual Impairment Awareness Month. I feel like I need that shooting star that says "the more you know" haha. If anyone would like to talk about this kind of stuff more in depth, please feel free to message me on Facebook! I'm attatched to my nam here, and some of you know me. but Crazy Cashier, please know you are not alone!

[The Last Archimedean]

As someone who is visually impaired in a way glasses or contact lenses don't help, I feel for you. Hopefully your customers start collectively growing a brain.

[Crazy Cashier]

@maya : Part of the problem is that I"m not just near sighted/far sighted( I forget which is which honestly) , reading glasses and such are generally for that type of person . (which is a much more common thing, which is why there is a common solution for that)

Even corrected my vision was only slightly better / still in the officially "legally blind" status , that being 20/200 for distance). The other problem is my eyes, like many others are drastically different sight in each eye.

er I wasn't mentioning how I solve when I can't read stuff since I wasn't sure if that'd give too much of a hint to who I am.

I know most of the common PLUs . Things like apples though many apples look similar so I just look to make sure. Some of the labels I know by just seeing what colors are used for the label like black/yellow is honeycrisp apples and such. Then you gotta watch out for the organic ones too. It'd help if people actually knew what they buying too. Had two guys get the wrong type. One guy got mint when he thought he got cilantro and another who switched parsley with cilantro (which is a bit more understandable). The system list is alphabetical too so it makes it easy enough to find what I'm looking for with PLUs. It's more like the meat labels they print out because they're literally like size 5 font.(if that) and when it doesn't scan it's frustrating that I have to use something to be able to read the darn thing. Same with the fishies , sometimes they write the number on there in handwriting and it's readable otherwise it's a super teeny tiny number and I'd rather not scan the little guys and I'm worried about accidently hurting them or something...

[KitKat]

If you're squinting and close up to the screen, you're nearsighted. If you need to back up to see, you're farsighted.

@TimeKeeper's Twit: it is possible to get in, however sometimes you do need to bother them repeatedly to get an appointment (at least I need to at my specialist's; they don't quite understand that I currently live 3 hours away and can't constantly rearrange my work schedule)

[Greenhouse Gal]

It's really not the same thing at all, since it was a temporary thing--but back in my gas station days I had a bad bout with tendonitis, which meant I was wearing wrist braces for a bit. I got SO MANY "what happened to you?" questions, it really pissed me off. Asking personal questions (or making stupid jokes), particularly when you don't know someone (and no, being a regular doesn't count as 'knowing me'), is really intrusive. It maybe gave me some empathy and insight into what folks with actual disabilities put up with all the time.

Crazy Cashier, I'm sorry you have to put up with ableist crap at work all the time (and in other places, too--I'm just guessing). I don't have any particularly helpful suggestions to offer to you, but thank you for the reminder to *me* to not be stupid/make assumptions/make stupid jokes when interacting with folks who may have a disability.

[CoG]

Ah, I had a friend with a visual impairment. Hers was genetic, and her eyesight would switch from fine to nearly-blind constantly. She had to carry a magnifier everywhere. Part of me felt bad for her, but I knew she had always been that way, and for her, it was normal. Nobody asked her about it, but she was a big girl, and would have used that to her advantage if someone got rude! :D I'm sorry you have to deal with it, though. You shouldn't have to put up with people being rude because you're just you.

[Crazy Cashier]

Just two helpful videos about this for anyone interested.
I have cataracts ( I feel fine mentioning this since I've never mentioned that part of my 3 part eye condition/s) However my vision isn't as bad as the video but I think it gives a good way to visualize the different between normal sight and those with vision problems
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVQvqmze5SU

also there's a series of videos called "The Truth about Disability" which I think give a good insight on what it's like to be disabled .(in a variety of ways)

[Crazy Cashier]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7ruJQKO2nc
^ This is the third episode of the series and it's about stuff people say to disabled people and their opinions on it.

[TimmieHoe]

why don't you have glasses? Being visually impaired usually doesn't mean no need for glasses. If you hate people making fun of you for needing to look super close at the screen, consider doing something about it instead of sucking it up (like ask the manager to make the font bigger or you know, get some glasses)

I am visually impaired (astigmatism) and it's normal for me to wake up and grab my glasses, I've never gone a day without them. I wouldn't take them off or not wear them and then get mad if someone poked fun of me for having to squint or cover one eye to read something.

[The Last Archimedean]

TimmieHoe, some visual impairments can't be fixed with glasses. I have one that has already required surgery on my right eye and will require the same surgery on my left eye in the future. Glasses will do nothing to help. It's possible Crazycashier has a similar issue.

[Crazy Cashier]

@Timmehoe : It sounds as though you wouldn't count as disabled, if with glasses you basically can see normally. Disability when it comes to vision is based generally on corrected vision (aka with glasses) (which is why people with telescopes on their glasses to see can get licenses, since otherwise they wouldn't be able to drive). So when I say "visually impaired" I am specifically referring to those who are considered disabled .

Infact I used to wear glasses for a very short time (about a year) however the improvement was quite small and I still had to use my vision devices. After that year I stopped because I couldn't even notice that small difference it made in distance after some time.

As I mentioned even corrected I was still in the legally blind range of distance (20/200)

If it was a normal computer I would have no problem adapting it to suit my needs. However (correct me if I"m wrong) register type systems can't be altered with things like font size.

Although in the survey they had us take I did specifically suggest making the meat tags bigger.

[AmigaTech]

Colourblindness can't be fixed at all, and yes, some of us have that, too.

--AT

[The Worst]

I wear glasses, but it was next to impossible finding an eye doctor that didn't just shrug and say "Can't help you, you're blind as a bat." Even with glasses, I have double vision that no doctor has been able to fix yet, and it's all been exacerbated by a recent eye disease (healed now, but I didn't get all my vision back). Glasses are great and I'm glad they help me even a little, but they can't work miracles. They're a tool, they're not magic, and one tool can't be expected to fix every broken thing.

[Crazy Cashier]

@Amiga : Yeah I know one of my friends in blind camp had special colored glasses but I' not sure how much it helped her color blindness. Yeah there's not many tools out there for the color blind either. besides maybe the tool that states what color an item is.

@The Worse : Yes that so much! Glasses aren't magical!

[Kit]

For anyone reading this article and viewing glasses as magical fix-all tools, allow me to explain how glasses work.

Owing to natural variance in body shapes, sometimes eyeballs are either too long, or too short. This results in the lens at the front of the eyelid not curving to the right focus, and as a result, at different distances things seem blurry. Glasses use concave or convex 'additional' lenses to accomodate for this problem, therefore you can focus through them.

The problem is, this only works if the problem is with the lens, and is something even and regular. And there are a huge number of problems which can occur outside of this.

For example, I can cite myself. I have something called a macular odema (I think I spelled that correctly) which is when fluid gets behind the retina and squashes the eye out of shape. Because of course this isn't a consistent shape, the resulting blurriness of vision cannot be fixed by a regular shaped lens. To take another example, which I have only very minorly, I also have a small cataract in one of my eyes. A cataract is basically a small cloudy spot in the lens - the lens itself can be working perfectly, but if there's a murky patch on it, you ain't seeing through it any more than you'd be able to see through a dirty pair of glasses. And if I am one person and I can support two examples of non-prescription sight problems, I am very sure that there are a million more besides.

Glasses are not magic fix-alls, and believe you and me - people actually don't like not being able to see. If they're having problems with their vision, enough for people to be laughing at them, you can bet that it's not just because they don't feel like doing anything about it. And yes - they will have been prescription tested. Trust me on that one.