Don't know about the latest "wood" designed genius bars, but when I worked for a year as an MG, we had the original "curvy", all-white, tapered bar - seamlessly blended into the left side was a wheelchair-height slide out desktop, so someone at a seated level could pull right up like you would at a desk. Saw it used once in my entire time there.
Still, in the picture in the article, it seems there is a desk height section connected to the GB - even though they have some products perched on it - I would imaging that would be where wheelchairs could set up comfortably.
And as the other poster indicated, the overall design, including accessibility requirements, would have had to been approved by the city. Sue the city if you don't think the standards are right, not a company who legally abides by the standards
But it makes such good press to sue Apple, doesn't it?
the last 3 times I've been in an apple store I've had the clerk ring me up right on the floor with one of their little portable terminals. Why the staff didn't use those I can't say.
The words "accessible" and "convenient" are two different things. ADA requires that any place where the public goes be "accessible," however that doesn't mean that there have to be elevators and ramps everywhere with nothing more than 5 feet above the ground.
For example, the mall closest to me (Independence Center, for those here in the KC metro) is a three level facility. It's a big, open place. For the general mall concources, the only way for a wheelchair-bound person to travel between the top two floors is to use ONE elevator available in the mall or travel to an anchor store (Macy's, Dillard's, or Sears) and use their elevator.
Can you get there from here? Yes, because it's accessible. Is it easy to do? No, because it's not convenient.
From what I saw in the picture, the Genius Bar is accessible with the lower section in the foreground. To reach things high up (which these ladies would need to do in any retail store), they should ask for help. The only issue I see is the height of the elevator buttons. If they are too high then that should be fixed, however the ladies could still ask for assistance in pushing them.
All the Apple stores are new and so would the elevators. I can't image an elevator manufacturer selling an non ADA compliante elevator. Not in last 7 years
Now if they had gone maybe 3-5 times, each time noticing the issues, and each time informing the manager, then yes, Apple needs to step in..
Sorry, but no. Its not up to the customer to return time after time and beg for compliance with the law each time.
I've spent a lot of time in the SF store, I think Apple needs to get its act together fast. This is a place where Steve's 'style sense' is going to bite him in the ass.
SF tolerates a lot of things, but this isn't one of them.
in europe it's much worse and most stores or restaurants don't have anything accessible to wheelchairs. very sad... people in a wheelchair have to ask for help for everything...
I don't know about the rest of Europe but the UK has had the Disability Discrimination Act since 1995. Most public buildings have wheelchair access even though we've much older buildings than the USA, not that that affects any Apple store.
IIRC the lift in the Regent Street store doesn't have ANY buttons, which made me chuckle somewhat.
It's a reference to a charade gesture meaning: correct. Also where the phrase "right on the nose" comes from. I was implying my agreement with meh 2's statement that: "Sad if true. Sadder still if contrived."
...only pointing out the silly idea that so many people hold that the world owes them something.
Aah... the song of the entitled. Its so easy to accuse people of expecting a handout when your good life has been handed to you on a platter. (And don't claim it wasn't. If you're born healthy, you've already got a leg up.)
I love those who chant 'equality of opportunity, not results', and then make sure some don't have the same opportunity due to education, health, ad nauseum.
What a load of crap. Here is another classic example of some a$$hole trying to cash in on Apple. I bet the other 10 stores they went to that day had counters out of reach too. I live in an area that has one of the top largest malls in the US, and I don?t think there is a single store there that has "handicap accessible" counters. All the counters are normal standing height.
Sorry you're handicapped. You can?t expect the whole world to conform to just you. Granted, ramps and wide accesses to bathrooms and buildings are a must. You must admit, once you start complaining about product and counter heights, you?re getting a little out of hand.
I hope this case and those two ladies get thrown out of court. They obviously have an axe to grind with the whole world, and are using Apple as a forum for their own political agenda.
Go after Apple, or the cell phone case kiosk guy? Who do you think?
Lawsuits are for people who are having issues with right and wrong. Not for people trying to get results after only ONE trip to a store. Now if they had gone maybe 3-5 times, each time noticing the issues, and each time informing the manager, then yes, Apple needs to step in and replace the manager with a competent one. But from what I've read, this is an issue that could have been taken care of with the manager instead of wasting even more of taxpayers money.
Did you even bother to rtfa? It was more than just one time.
And how is it up to the manager? Did the manager design the store? No, Apple designed the store, and obviously these ladies feel that design did not meet federal and state law.
Sorry you're handicapped. You can?t expect the whole world to conform to just you. Granted, ramps and wide accesses to bathrooms and buildings are a must. You must admit, once you start complaining about product and counter heights, you?re getting a little out of hand.
I hope this case and those two ladies get thrown out of court. They obviously have an axe to grind with the whole world, and are using Apple as a forum for their own political agenda.
I agree. I remember about 7 months ago I was in a RadioShack store (GASP). They were resetting the stores nationwide to lower opened products.
I noticed that the store manager was in a wheel chair and was re-arranging the shelves. I thought to myself, that's nice RadioShack does not discriminate. While I was watching the store manager he stood up and walked around the store.
I asked a young lady working there what the manager was trying to pull. She said that all the stores had to move anything that was out of the box, for demo purposes, down to the lowest shelves and they had to be reachable to people in wheelchairs. They even had to rent a wheelchair to make sure they complied.
It was nuts. I looked around and almost everything that was open was just above my knees.
I don't think it went over too well, as of my last visit, things seemed to have been re-arranged better. The store didn't look like it was set up for 3 foot toddlers anymore.
I'm all for equal rights/access, but special rights/access for a handful of people that makes for inconveniences for the vast majority of people just makes me furious.
I'm curious about your real world experiences as a retarded person. How have you been able to adapt?
I love it when a thread evolves through various topics, say from reasonable access for persons with disabilities, then to obesity (for some unknown reason), and then into questioning the level of retardation in another poster. For seasoning, you even get a small dose of "what's the meaning of the word 'ignore'?"
Comments
Still, in the picture in the article, it seems there is a desk height section connected to the GB - even though they have some products perched on it - I would imaging that would be where wheelchairs could set up comfortably.
And as the other poster indicated, the overall design, including accessibility requirements, would have had to been approved by the city. Sue the city if you don't think the standards are right, not a company who legally abides by the standards
But it makes such good press to sue Apple, doesn't it?
For example, the mall closest to me (Independence Center, for those here in the KC metro) is a three level facility. It's a big, open place. For the general mall concources, the only way for a wheelchair-bound person to travel between the top two floors is to use ONE elevator available in the mall or travel to an anchor store (Macy's, Dillard's, or Sears) and use their elevator.
Can you get there from here? Yes, because it's accessible. Is it easy to do? No, because it's not convenient.
From what I saw in the picture, the Genius Bar is accessible with the lower section in the foreground. To reach things high up (which these ladies would need to do in any retail store), they should ask for help. The only issue I see is the height of the elevator buttons. If they are too high then that should be fixed, however the ladies could still ask for assistance in pushing them.
Now if they had gone maybe 3-5 times, each time noticing the issues, and each time informing the manager, then yes, Apple needs to step in..
Sorry, but no. Its not up to the customer to return time after time and beg for compliance with the law each time.
I've spent a lot of time in the SF store, I think Apple needs to get its act together fast. This is a place where Steve's 'style sense' is going to bite him in the ass.
SF tolerates a lot of things, but this isn't one of them.
in europe it's much worse and most stores or restaurants don't have anything accessible to wheelchairs. very sad... people in a wheelchair have to ask for help for everything...
I don't know about the rest of Europe but the UK has had the Disability Discrimination Act since 1995. Most public buildings have wheelchair access even though we've much older buildings than the USA, not that that affects any Apple store.
IIRC the lift in the Regent Street store doesn't have ANY buttons, which made me chuckle somewhat.
WTF does that mean?
It's a reference to a charade gesture meaning: correct. Also where the phrase "right on the nose" comes from. I was implying my agreement with meh 2's statement that: "Sad if true. Sadder still if contrived."
Isn't to "intentionally ignore" an oxymoron?"
Uh, no. Since 'ignore' is a a choice, its more 'redundant'.
Is that crack I see
could be a thong.
Isn't to "intentionally ignore" an oxymoron?"
No, because "to ignore" doesn't necessarily have anything to do with "ignorance." One could choose to ignore someone as an insult, for example.
...only pointing out the silly idea that so many people hold that the world owes them something.
Aah... the song of the entitled. Its so easy to accuse people of expecting a handout when your good life has been handed to you on a platter. (And don't claim it wasn't. If you're born healthy, you've already got a leg up.)
I love those who chant 'equality of opportunity, not results', and then make sure some don't have the same opportunity due to education, health, ad nauseum.
Sorry you're handicapped. You can?t expect the whole world to conform to just you. Granted, ramps and wide accesses to bathrooms and buildings are a must. You must admit, once you start complaining about product and counter heights, you?re getting a little out of hand.
I hope this case and those two ladies get thrown out of court. They obviously have an axe to grind with the whole world, and are using Apple as a forum for their own political agenda.
Go after Apple, or the cell phone case kiosk guy? Who do you think?
Lawsuits are for people who are having issues with right and wrong. Not for people trying to get results after only ONE trip to a store. Now if they had gone maybe 3-5 times, each time noticing the issues, and each time informing the manager, then yes, Apple needs to step in and replace the manager with a competent one. But from what I've read, this is an issue that could have been taken care of with the manager instead of wasting even more of taxpayers money.
Did you even bother to rtfa? It was more than just one time.
And how is it up to the manager? Did the manager design the store? No, Apple designed the store, and obviously these ladies feel that design did not meet federal and state law.
Sorry you're handicapped. You can?t expect the whole world to conform to just you. Granted, ramps and wide accesses to bathrooms and buildings are a must. You must admit, once you start complaining about product and counter heights, you?re getting a little out of hand.
I hope this case and those two ladies get thrown out of court. They obviously have an axe to grind with the whole world, and are using Apple as a forum for their own political agenda.
I agree. I remember about 7 months ago I was in a RadioShack store (GASP). They were resetting the stores nationwide to lower opened products.
I noticed that the store manager was in a wheel chair and was re-arranging the shelves. I thought to myself, that's nice RadioShack does not discriminate. While I was watching the store manager he stood up and walked around the store.
I asked a young lady working there what the manager was trying to pull. She said that all the stores had to move anything that was out of the box, for demo purposes, down to the lowest shelves and they had to be reachable to people in wheelchairs. They even had to rent a wheelchair to make sure they complied.
It was nuts. I looked around and almost everything that was open was just above my knees.
I don't think it went over too well, as of my last visit, things seemed to have been re-arranged better. The store didn't look like it was set up for 3 foot toddlers anymore.
I'm all for equal rights/access, but special rights/access for a handful of people that makes for inconveniences for the vast majority of people just makes me furious.
I'm curious about your real world experiences as a retarded person. How have you been able to adapt?
I love it when a thread evolves through various topics, say from reasonable access for persons with disabilities, then to obesity (for some unknown reason), and then into questioning the level of retardation in another poster. For seasoning, you even get a small dose of "what's the meaning of the word 'ignore'?"
Or maybe that's 'devolves'.
It's entertaining either way!
Not really, as neither of the women could reach the elevator buttons on their own, according to the complaint.
K
Shouldn't the permitting process prevent such a situation?
Although the City of SF should be sued for signing off the permit, I doubt they've as much ka-ching as Apple.