Abui to be fed up with the lack of equality regarding disability

[Millymollymandybestie]

Although I personally do not like class myself disabled I am Hard of hearing- profoundly deaf in one ear and some loss in the other. I was not born with hearing loss and is a result of a genetic condition. And as a result feel very much part of the hearing community

My dd has send and Ive been looking for something I can work around her as it’s been a struggle for the whole family with what I am currently doing.

I found a franchise opportunity that I though would have been perfect for me and enquires about it only to be told that I need to use the phone. I asked whether I could completely the phone work via email to be told it needs to be via the phone to build customer relationships

Aibu to think 1. Most businesses use email and I shouldn’t be told I can’t access this opportunity based on a disability especially when I have suggested a reasonable alternative.

1. As a franchise you are paying to buy the business. If I wanted to complete the telephone work via email / face to face then surely that’s my decision as I will be self employed?

But fed up as really thought this was something that was ideal for me.

YABU. It's a phone based job and you cant use the phone. It's like me applying for a Spanish telesales job with no Spanish and saying "yeah but come on everyone speaks English surely"

That’s not how a franchise always works though. Managerial decisions about marketing strategy, CRM etc will often be made centrally and franchises are obliged to follow policy. Perhaps you could hire someone to do the phone based CRM?

It’s a franchise opportunity surely how I decide to get business is up to me - if it was a telesales job In calls centre then I would completely agree but that is not how the opportunity it advertised as.

So basically what you saying is companies shouldn’t make reasonable adjustments unless you are already in the company prior to needing an adjustment to be made

Franchises tend to work like one big company but they aren't. Franchises all need to offer the same service and be very consistent. They can't do it one way at one place and another way at another. I sympathise with your position but I would look for something different that doesn't involve using the phone unless you can hire someone to do that part for you?

I really do think you need to look elsewhere perhaps pick a customer facing role...I mean one you can be face to face with customers.

I sympathise OP, but im sure you have lots of other strengths

I'm disabled. The company should bloody be flexible to your needs. Afterall it's not a big change. Plus get a special phone. My Dad is mainly deaf and he has a special phone

YANBU and it is discriminatory as their lack of reasonable adjustment is excluding you from the role.

YANBU and it is discriminatory as their lack of reasonable adjustment is excluding you from the role

The job involves CRM via the phone. Using email is not a reasonable adjustment. It would be very difficult to convince a customer to buy something over email.

OP could get a phone with a loudspeaker though.

Running a franchise would mean you are self employed, so you'd need to fund this yourself.

A phone with a loud speaker doesn’t really help it just distorts things. I think I’m just disappointed as nowhere did it say that it was tele sales in otherwise I would have never been interested in the first place. It says sales and but it’s quite localised so it implies face to face meetings.

I don’t think it’s the same as applying for a tele sales job in Spanish and going yeah but everyone speaks English. You could learn Spanish I can’t relearn how to hear.

You say you have some loss in one ear. Can you not use that ear? I guess it depends what you class as some loss; it makes it seem like one ear has minimal hearing loss.

It really depends on who I am speaking to on the phone tbh how clear they are, if they have a strong accent, how fast they speak. People who I’m familiar with I’m ok with husband mum grandma etc. But I wouldn’t like to have to use the phone because it can be difficult and by using email I couldn’t get the wrong information if that makes sense.

A franchise is not employment, so there's no requirement on the parent business to offer reasonable adjustments.

It must be very frustrating when people suggest you get a loudspeaker!

There does need to be more adaptability for people that cannot use the phone. However in this situation I can see the parent company's point if telephone contact is key to their business model. Also there is a lack of understanding on your part about how franchises operate, they're far more prescriptive than you think.

Could you set up a similar business without the franchise?

Yes I think I have under estimated how much input they would want.

No I don’t think I could set something up similar but I think I do need to go self employed doing something.

YABU

Have you considered a headset? I have poor hearing and struggle with a normal phone handset, and as you say, speakers can distort. But I bought a phone with a headset socket and a cheap headset and it works a treat. Also means I have both hands free for writing/computer entry etc.

Yep, sorry but YABU.

Franchises work by all being the same, run the same way, same business model.

Would McDonalds be as successful if you went into each one and they did things differently, like in one town they don't do big macs, in another no veggie stuff, in another they have chosen to serve the Japanese menu...

Unformity of service/product is important.

I don't try getting jobs that involve standing, walking, running... I use a wheelchair, I can't do those things and not all jobs will be appropriate to adapt, that is how life is!

If this is the business which you're sure is for you, and you really want to commit to make it a success then why don't you get a screen phone? They're a few hundred pounds but it would allow you to do the job.

Can you apply to Access to Work funding? (If you are in the UK - google it for more info) This would provide funding for you to have a PA to help you with telephone tasks etc due to your impairment.

We have done this several times in my workplace with very successful results. For instance we employed a disabled colleague who could not use the phone so Access to Work provided funding for a PA to help colleague with these tasks.

You say you have some loss in one ear. Can you not use that ear? I guess it depends what you class as some loss; it makes it seem like one ear has minimal hearing loss.

It doesn't work like that. I have a little bit (and I mean a little bit) of hearing loss with tinnitus and really can't hear some voices well at all, particularly men's voices and in situations where there's other noise around me. I'm very reliant on lip reading to fill in the gaps and on subtitles on TV and often struggle on the phone.

Get in touch with a charity that specialises in this type of disability and see what’s available and if you can test drive any of it to see if it works for you. I have two partially deaf colleagues but both needed different equipment on their phone to enable them to use it. One has a pen amplifier for office conversations too. The other doesn’t need that, she just tells us to speak into her good ear as she prefers that and we respect her preference so we do. Everyone’s different. But if you know you need x y and z to be able to use a phone then things like that are reasonable adjustments that companies should be able to make for you were you to work for them. Good luck OP

Thanks for everyone’s comments definitely some stuff for me to look up

Would also highly recommend Access to Work funding - it’s such a good resource.

Also, take a look at Evenbreak’s website: resources, advice and a job board - all catered to those who are differently baked.

Abled not baked! iPhone hates me...

Access to Work will not fund someone self employed until they prove that they have a viable business already established and are turning over I think 8K a year.

It is a great resource and I have funding from AtW but its really geared up to those in employment, the self employed have to jump through some fairly substantial hoops and it is not designed to support start up businesses.