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Comment by mavili | Hacker News Reader

"This is discrimination. I don't know sign language and I don't have text relay. I can't use my voice."

This his reply to instructions telling him he can ask for sign language or use text relay if he cannot use his voice. I hardly see this as discrimination. This is in no way different from a perfectly able person saying it's discrimination to expect me to read and write! Sign language is the language of the voiceless.

Life isn't perfect. Of course we should do as much as we can to make life for the disabled easier. But seriously people feel so entitled and expect so much from everyone. People need to accept that not everyone can accommodate 100% of needs. Governments should, but not private entities.

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Let's say that tomorrow you get a really bad sore throat. Like, the worst. So bad that you can't speak.

How much sign language do you know right now?

Disabilities can be temporary or situational. They can be long-term or sudden.

I'd wait until my sore throat is gone. And if I have a disability for longer I'd have to learn to navigate the world my friend. Just like me and you have had to learn to read and write. Funny enough, we also had to learn to use a phone. Oh how dare companies expect us to know use a phone and dial a few digits!

And this is why it is called "empathy" training.

Wow, this gas leak looks really bad. Let's hope my sore throat gets better quickly so I can call for help about this.

No need to use sign language. Had the "can't speak" experience after a dentist visit. Took out a piece of paper and wrote down what I wanted to say and showed that instead. These days people would probably use their phone and type it out.

I would probably use the sign language interpreter option and write down what I want to say on my phone or on paper.

(unless they have some weird policy to only serve customers who use sign language)

It's actually not uncommon for deaf kids to be forbidden or discouraged, depending on era and local pedagogy, from learning and using sign language. And like any language, it's harder to learn later in life. ASL isn't just English with handwaving. It's a whole other language. Same with all sign languages.

Hilarious that people downvoted this.

The writer is fooling you all. Virgin literally provided solutions to his issue. A text relay service is the answer if you must speak on the phone. I remember using AT&T text relay as far back as early 2000s. Any person that can't speak would be totally familiar with this solution.

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