I had the most bizarre meeting this morning with upper management at work. Several months ago, I asked to have an automatic door opener installed on the exterior door of our building. I was so naive, I thought that if I just made people aware of something that was needed, they would see how sensible that was. After weeks of no discernible response, I brought it up with upper management. More waiting. Eventually I was told that this request had made UM realise that it’s not just about a door opener; they need to formulate a policy for the company. I was very encouraged by this.
Today I was given the result of meetings held to establish the policy: when an employee has a request for a benefit not offered by the company, she should talk to her manager, who will talk to HR, and get a response. It was hard not to let my jaw drop open! I said I wasn’t sure I would have come up with quite that policy; I was hoping for a policy on attracting and retaining disabled and/or diverse employees, and a commitment from the company to honor the spirit of the ADA by making their facilities accessible. So now that we have a policy, I’m supposed to talk to my manager. Sigh.
