Al Gore has nothing to do with this story. But, we're certain he's wondering why they won't serve our hero. (Getty Images)

From the Boston Herald online:

A wheelchair-bound Weymouth man suffering from multiple sclerosis says he’s being denied his right to a hot cup of coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts.

Donald Hayes said he’s bought coffee before by driving his motorized wheelchair up to the drive-up window at a Dunkin’ Donuts shop in the middle of a Weymouth shopping-market parking lot.

But now, that Dunkin’ store, which has no inside seating and only serves drive-up customers, has told him he can’t use the window anymore and refused him service, citing traffic safety concerns.

“It’s discrimination,” said Hayes, 54, who says he’s an ordained minister with an online following.

Hayes said he’s thinking of taking legal action if he can’t whirl up to the window to get his java.

“I’m just defending my rights,” Hayes said. “I’m not looking for monetary compensation.”

- Read the rest of the story

Tags: dunkin donuts, wheelchair, drive-thru

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This entry has 29 comments: (Add your own)

#29 Comment from waxllps
1/15/07 6:48 AM | Permalink

Until just recently I never knew how difficulty it really was to get a wheelchair into any building and I've been disabled for quiet a long time. I'm a 100% disabled Vet and have been since 1999. Just since Christmas I've moved to a wheelchair. I've been asking the VA for a wheelchair for 4 months now. I haven't gotten that wheelchair from the wheelchair from the VA YET!!! The wheelchair I'm using is a donation from someone that saw my story on the media because the VA turned me down for all of my needs. They made such a bad look of themselves that someone had seen cases of this before that their own father had this happen to them before and gave me their father's wheelchair whom had died and didn't need it anymore. The VA said this wheelchair wasn't good enough for me but they didn't have the one I needed. I needed to go to the city hall to pay my water bill but couldn't because they didn't have a ramp for a wheelchair. Everytime I need to go to pay my bill I have to call and have someone meet me at the door so they can take my bill at the door. THIS IS CITY HALL!!! ISN'T A PUBLIC BUILDING SUPPOSED TO HAVE A RAMP? The post office didn't even have one until this month...they just put one in.
#28 Comment from mrstevenwparker
1/13/07 5:53 PM | Permalink

The donut shop is perfectly right to refuse him service at a window where cars normally pass, it is to protect him from harm. The donut shop should consider a walk up window designed to accomodate walk up customers and wheelchair bound patrons. I work as a bank teller in the drive thru and I operate a walk up window where cars park then they walk up to my window. It works out great for wheelchairs too. They are both wrong.
#27 Comment from khm057
1/11/07 9:31 AM | Permalink

I think the company better wake up and smell the coffee. I wish him the best and hope he wins his right to get his cup of joe.
#26 Comment from collectsrocks
1/11/07 8:46 AM | Permalink

I have a close friend/neighbor who uses a motorized scooter. Recently she was denied service at the drive-up window of her bank being told, "this window is reserved for cars only," and she was told to go inside to do her banking. Interestingly enough the front (and ONLY) door of the bank is NOT wide enough to accomodate her scooter, nor is it wide enough for a standard wheelchair of ANY kind. Also the door to the bank is very heavy and is NOT easily opened by a person without handicapped problems. Inside the bank there is no counter low enough for a person in a wheelchair or scooter to do business.
For those persons not aware of the Americans With Disabilities Act the Federal government has set forth laws and legal standards for businesses to accomodate persons with handicaps AND for persons using wheelchairs and motorized scooters. I do not know if the Dunkin Donut store across the street from the drive-thru one mentioned in the article subscribes to the Federal/ADA rules and laws or not; but if THAT store does NOT have the proper accessibility for wheelchairs and scooters then the usage of the store with the drive-thru would be the only course of action for the man mentioned in the story.
The bottom line of this situation is what are the laws, especially those set down by the ADA for handicapped accomodations.
#25 Comment from tunes77in
1/11/07 8:12 AM | Permalink

This man who uses a motorized wheelchair is NOT the same as a "walk-up" customer, and he should not be judged in the same category as a person physically able to actually "walk up" to the window. Anyone who lumps him into that same category should spend just one day in his shoes, to see the difficulties and challenges someone who is wheelchair bound has to face each day, just to have access to places that everyone else has access to. I fault Dunkin Donuts for NOT being handicapped accessible, regardless of whether there is a place across the street or not. If they can't be handicapped accessible, then they should be required by law to make the building accessible for those who are handicapped. Most businesses these days, along with schools, etc., have been made handicapped accessible, so Dunkin Donuts should not act like they are exempt from having to be accessible. Saying the are concerned about the "safety of their customers" is just a poor excuse. If they are concerned about the safety of the customers at the drive-through, then they need to add onto their building and have some indoor seating just for those who are handicapped. That would solve the problem.

I myself have a daughter with special needs, and have experience with wheeling kids around in wheelchairs.

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