Ok, now that the recession isn't over, (commerical real estate loans continue to default to the tune of a 7% jump from June through August), there is no need to turn our attention away from one of the industries that got us to the economic mess we are in right now: the banking industry. We all know about Bank of America's role in writing bad loans, in swapping loans/assests/default warrants, and scooping up U.S. cash via the bailout (and other skeevy maneuvers). But, here's a new low for good ol' BofA. Join me below the fold for a story that is far from snark.
Reuters is reporting today that an armless, Florida man, Steve Valdez, was denied cashing a check drawn on his wife's account at a BofA branch in Tampa despite showing two forms of identification. Why? Well, because he could not provide his thumb print! Oh, there's another reason too: apparently Bank of America has not heard of the Americans With Disabilties Act (the ADA). It's a commonsense law designed to insure that those who are less-than-normally-able will not be impaired when doing business, like, say, cashing a check. Specifically, under Title III of that Act:
no individual may be discriminated against on the basis of disability with regards to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation. "Public accommodations" include most places of lodging (such as inns and hotels), recreation, transportation, education, and dining, along with stores, care providers, and places of public displays, among other things.
Mr. Valdez was told by BofA that he either had to bring in his wife (how's that for infantilizing someone with a disability?!) or open an account with them. Once the story went to CNN, BofA kinda, sorta, knew what to say:
Bank of America said in a statement cited by CNN: "While the thumbprint is a requirement for those who don't have accounts, the bank should have made accommodations."
As far as Bank of America is concerned the Cable News Network has more clout than the ADA.