http://www.tampabay.com/news/humani...america-stymies-armless-man-trying-to/1033012
Thumbprint rule at Tampa Bank of America stymies armless man trying to cash check
TAMPA — Steve Valdez used one of his prosthetic arms to slip a check to the teller at Bank of America downtown.
"She said, 'Obviously you aren't going to be able to give us a thumbprint,' " Valdez recalled.
The teller went to get the branch manager to find out what to do, Valdez said.
Valdez was born without arms, and this wasn't his first time cashing a check at someone else's bank.
The check was from his wife, so he took it to her bank Thursday, thinking that would make it simple.
Not this time.
He could not understand why his two forms of photo ID were unacceptable.
He said the manager gave him two options: open an account or come back with your wife.
He did neither.
Instead, he went back to his desk at the Hillsborough County Public Works Customer Satisfaction Center, called his wife and told her never to make him go to her bank again.
"There were a few extra expletives," joked the 54-year-old Tampa native and Hillsborough High graduate.
Bank of America spokeswoman Nicole Nastacie said the policy of requiring people who don't have an account at the bank to put a thumbprint on personal or business checks is a decade-old practice instituted to prevent fraud.
Tampa attorney Maureen Deskins has handled more than 10 cases of discrimination against the disabled.
She said under state law, once a disabled person asks a public establishment to alter its rules or guidelines within reason, it's up to the establishment to prove that request is unreasonable.
Deskins said she would need to know more in order to say whether this situation was a violation of the disabilities act. The bank's overall policy determines whether, under the law, Valdez had been treated unfairly.
Even so, Bank of America called Valdez to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused him, Nastacie said.
"We should have offered alternative requirements if an individual is not able to give a thumbprint," she said.
Valdez said that even as representatives were apologizing they were explaining that the branch manager was just following bank policy.
"That's just shocking to me," he said. "This can't have been the first time this has ever come up."
Thumbprint rule at Tampa Bank of America stymies armless man trying to cash check
TAMPA — Steve Valdez used one of his prosthetic arms to slip a check to the teller at Bank of America downtown.
"She said, 'Obviously you aren't going to be able to give us a thumbprint,' " Valdez recalled.
The teller went to get the branch manager to find out what to do, Valdez said.
Valdez was born without arms, and this wasn't his first time cashing a check at someone else's bank.
The check was from his wife, so he took it to her bank Thursday, thinking that would make it simple.
Not this time.
He could not understand why his two forms of photo ID were unacceptable.
He said the manager gave him two options: open an account or come back with your wife.
He did neither.
Instead, he went back to his desk at the Hillsborough County Public Works Customer Satisfaction Center, called his wife and told her never to make him go to her bank again.
"There were a few extra expletives," joked the 54-year-old Tampa native and Hillsborough High graduate.
Bank of America spokeswoman Nicole Nastacie said the policy of requiring people who don't have an account at the bank to put a thumbprint on personal or business checks is a decade-old practice instituted to prevent fraud.
Tampa attorney Maureen Deskins has handled more than 10 cases of discrimination against the disabled.
She said under state law, once a disabled person asks a public establishment to alter its rules or guidelines within reason, it's up to the establishment to prove that request is unreasonable.
Deskins said she would need to know more in order to say whether this situation was a violation of the disabilities act. The bank's overall policy determines whether, under the law, Valdez had been treated unfairly.
Even so, Bank of America called Valdez to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused him, Nastacie said.
"We should have offered alternative requirements if an individual is not able to give a thumbprint," she said.
Valdez said that even as representatives were apologizing they were explaining that the branch manager was just following bank policy.
"That's just shocking to me," he said. "This can't have been the first time this has ever come up."
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