autisticPepole not allowedin supermarket? (what??)

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They can't ban autistic people because they're autistic; but they can ban us if we have, for example, had a meltdown and ended up breaking things. That is quite reasonable, because if you have meltdowns and you can't take precautions to prevent from breaking things, then you shouldn't be in a store alone anyhow. And it does stop them from having to charge you for what you've broken.

On the other hand, just banning autistic people categorically, or banning them because they are different or because they might have non-harmful meltdowns in the store, is prejudice and shouldn't be allowed.

If I remember correctly, the OP has had meltdowns in this particular shop in the past, and on one occasion threw tinned food around, which must have been alarming for staff and other customers and could have resulted in someone being seriously injured.

The shop management are responding to more than just the one incident described in this thread.

That does make sense. And it indicates that the OP needs to figure out what to do about these meltdowns before they put themselves in that position again--if only just to predict them long enough before they happen to get yourself out of harm's way, back to the car perhaps or back home. Throwing canned goods can be rather dangerous, and having public meltdowns is an embarrassing experience even if you don't throw anything.

I just hope that the OP doesn't give up on learning how to safely go shopping. If it's at all possible, it's a very useful skill to learn.

The reaction of the shop makes more sense and I think it can be justified. Other peoples safety, etc. overrides discrimination. (it's not discrimination if it's justifiable)

Nintendofan, I understand that it's the behaviour of others that you find so difficult to ignore or deal with, and I also know from previous posts that your home situation is difficult and your mother's health isn't good.

Can you get some kind of support worker, through Social Work, who would be able to accompany you when you go shopping? Someone who can help you with self-calming and who can help you get out of stressful situations safely?

3 things...
1. Is there an anti-discrimination board in the UK to report the incidents you have highlighted?
2. Are there alternative shopping centres in your area? I would boycott this store and take your business elsewhere. Perhaps promote the incident on facebook or internet to get other local people in your area to boycott this store.
3. Are you able to address your behavioral issues in public through either an OT and/or drug therapy? Is it a question of financial support then can you apply for funding support?

Apologies if you have already addressed any of the above. Society is not very geared toward dealing with people who are different. Are the teenagers who bullied you unique? I recall somebody else from the UK posting here last year who claimed their disabled relative was the victim of ongoing bullying in a housing estate and was afraid to go outside.

im guessing you are one of those that dosnt have the autism at my level of suverity,,,... i uncontrolably beat my head and legs with my fists on a daily basis and im just as allowed to go to a supermarket as the averege person. i want to learn to be independent.
and that you didnt read that post propley.
it was 2 very small cans of fizzy pop that were being paid for at check out, in our own trolley, and boys were HARRASING my younger brother when we just wanted to leave, they escalated it before i did, they were also CLEARLY harrasing us the whole time we were there in the shop infront of carless staff, we were there for about an hour being harrased and irritated by these near adult teenagers. all they needed to do was get them to stop, or at least stop them from giving us extreme harrasment at the self checkouts, they let it get to that extreme due to carlessness, many strangers came up to the staff and mentioned they seen it alland that i was enterily not in the wrong in the slightest for reacting the way i did. and i wouldnt say the staff are. theve clearly seen me going into the shop on my own since the last "incodent" which was months and months ago..exuse me forbeing suverly autistic.

i am as ive said somany times. immodarelty suverely autistic. not aspergers there for i dont control my behaviour like the averege higher functining, and i dont know what trigers metldowns. i beat myself in the head with closed fistsdo you realy think i would WANT to do that in public? i automaticly own a car to? no i use a disabled bus pass.. and i cant learn if they keep morons in the shop and kick me out.

nope, knowone gives a s**t.

1. dont know
2. no only small shops very very very small, every shop nearly is charity shops, betting shops (gambling places), pubs.... there used to be a gamestation (a videogame shop) that i loved so much but it closed down.
3. dont know, profesinals dont realy want to help.

This is really bothering me. I've got an idea.

Nintendofan, you could give us the name of the store (and, if possible, the name of the manager). We could all write in to the national head office and complain. We could even forward this thread in our complaint. Maybe I could even try to write up a complaint for others to use, with some details (like the date when it happened and things like that).

It might be worth a try. What do you think?

em i said in the post its ASDA which is made by the wallmart company in the UK.

Sorry about that, I should've gone back to see if you had mentioned it.

It looks like ASDA has had similar problems in the past, and has been forced to make public apologies and pay fines because of its practices:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/2009/ ... -21652029/

http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/ ... -case.html

http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/ ... lepsy.html

Which location is the store where all this happened? I want them to know where it happened.

So far what I think I'm going to write goes like this:

An autistic individual who has been the victim of bullying from other customers in one of your stores has effectively been banned from that location, due to having made a scene (causing no harm to anyone) after repeated and excessive bullying. The manager has claimed that disabled persons should not be allowed in the store. In reality, the appropriate step would have been to ban the teenagers harassing the disabled individual. The store in question is the one located at [location]. This is completely unacceptable. If I simply receive a form letter in response and no action is taken, I have no problem contacting media in your area, disability activist groups, your parent company Walmart, anti-Walmart activist groups, and whoever else I can think of, as well as encouraging others to do the same. It only takes the click of a mouse to send the details. I am in Canada, so this is already international.

Have a nice day.

That's horrible how they can essentially blame you for what happened. And how can they know who is best to support you when you're out in public!? Idiots. Your brother seems to have done a good job in helping you.

It's stupid of them to have punished you - It seems like they were trying to act in your best interests, but they don't know you personally, so how could they know what your best interests are? That's prejudice as well as discrimination.

They really should try to track down the guys that were provoking you and ban them, it's simple. Then you would be able to go about your business without people interfering and making you feel like crap. That goes for the public as well as the staff. I'm glad that some members of the public had some compassion and basic common sense though.

Just seems like the ASDA staff made a right hash of things and you're right to complain. Things like that shouldn't happen again, and they need to learn.

I've already explained the course of action which needs to be followed up thread. If Nintendofan is serious about wanting to take matters further, he needs to follow that advice. Following other, well meaning advice, could potentially damage his options. I say that as a UK law student with first hand experience of disability discrimination and the legal processes involved in standing against it.

Yes you do. I've already told you. It's the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. You can ring them on:
0845 604 6610

email them at:
[email protected]

or write to them at:
Equality and Human Rights Commission Helpline
Freepost RRLL-GHUX-CTRX
Arndale House
Arndale Centre
Manchester
M4 3AQ