At the bank

In the normal scheme of things, I do my banking over the phone. That is, I use my bank's phone system to do such things as pay bills, transfer funds, and check my account balances. Occasionally though, I visit my bank branch in order to either obtain cash or to cash or deposit a cheque. Sometimes I need to obtain a money order as well.

Most of the tellers at my branch know me so there is never a problem whenever I interact with them directly. They speak directly to me. They ask me questions, and we engage in friendly banter. However, whenever I happen to run into a new teller, the fun sure starts.

They often start by asking the person with me what would I like to have done; "What does she want to have done." I allow them a bit of time and when I have had enough I calmly say: "I would like to have ..." Or, "You can ask me directly. No need to ask my friend." My friends and even my mom are always very in tune with this scenario as whenever they are asked they simply say "I don't know, ask her!"

In most cases, it works but sometimes it takes some work on my part to help them understand that I can speak and think for myself. O well! Just another day in the life of a blind person.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell others about how a blind person interacts at the bank. Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.