Woman with Speech Defect Prohibited from British Columbia Casino Premises
A woman from Canada named Crystal-Lee Bodnik was denied entry into the Cascades Casino in British Columbia twice. This happened because the security guards mistook her for someone who was drunk due to her speech impediment, lupus, and arthritis. She also has disabilities that make it difficult for her to walk straight.
In the most recent incident on July 22, the guards stopped her from going into the casino and claimed she was "intoxicated" and "stumbling." When she presented them with her identification and explained her disabilities, they still refused to let her in. She even tried to speak to a manager, but received no help.
Crystal-Lee explained, "I felt like I was being singled out just because of the way I talk, and it's not my fault." She added, "It's actually traumatizing. I want to cry about it."
When asked for a response, Cascades Casino Langley said they are "looking into this incident." Their director of public relations, Tanya Gabara, said in a statement, "We are reaching out to the customer and will work with her to gather the facts of the situation and take any learnings into consideration for future customer interactions."
Crystal-Lee is not only discriminated against by casino staff, but also by police officers who have falsely assumed she was intoxicated. To help others understand her condition, she carries medical notes from her doctors. These notes explain that her difficulties in walking and speaking are due to her health conditions. However, she still feels embarrassed and worried about how people will react to her.
"It's an ongoing issue, and I don't know what I can do to stop it," she said.
Elaine Boyd, the executive director of Disability Alliance BC, a regional advocacy organization, says that this situation is not unique. Other disabled individuals in the province of British Columbia have been wrongly believed to be intoxicated due to their disabilities, which include speech impediments, multiple sclerosis, ataxia, and cerebral palsy. Boyd believes that the issue stems from a lack of awareness and training of employees who interact with the public.
She expressed her concern, "It's really rather unfortunate and (I'm) ashamed that this happens to a number of people with disabilities, usually due to just lack of awareness of disability in general, and empathy and appropriate training by those who are delivering service in our communities." Boyd hopes to see changes in the law and regulations that will ensure accessibility training to prevent similar situations from occurring.
Crystal-Lee hopes that by sharing her experiences, casino staff and others will become more sensitive and accepting of those with speech and muscle-related disorders.
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Source: www.casino.org
