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Residents tell Danbury disabilities commission about barriers to banking, appliances, social services and taxes
Summary
Several attendees described access barriers during open discussion: difficulty obtaining large-print checks, hurdles with automated service lines for appliance repairs, unexplained suspension from a nonprofit program, and significant car-tax increases for residents on fixed incomes.
Members and guests used open discussion time to report concrete access problems that affect daily life for people with disabilities.
Isabelle Dumber, who identified herself as legally blind, described trouble accessing bank services: some banks provide large-print checks only to account holders and at high cost. "One particular bank does provide them, but I have to have an account there," she said, explaining that alternatives are costly and many banks do not offer the checks.
Participants also described consumer and service-access frustrations after a gas-leak incident: Eversource arrived quickly and shut off a gas leak, but contacting appliance manufacturers (Maytag/Whirlpool) required navigating automated systems that were inaccessible to some callers. One participant said a technician read serial numbers to the manufacturer because she could not use the automated menu.
A participant reported being suspended from New Heights (operated by Catholic Charities) for one month without being told why and asked who oversees eligibility or recourse. Chair Gentile suggested contacting Representative Johanna Hayes' office (ask for staffer Hailey) to follow up; commissioners acknowledged they did not have direct oversight of that nonprofit's internal decisions on the record.
Isabelle also described a state-level change in vehicle valuation from the blue book to MSRP that increased her car tax about 50% despite local deductions; members said residents can appeal assessments with the tax collector.
Why it matters: These examples show how procedural and administrative barriers—bank product rules, automated customer-service systems, unclear nonprofit eligibility decisions and state tax changes—can compound access problems for residents with disabilities.
What the commission can do: Commissioners offered practical suggestions (contacting specific staffers or offices) and emphasized persistence when seeking help; they also reiterated that some issues (e.g., nonprofit program decisions, state tax rules) lie outside the commission's direct authority.
The meeting concluded without further formal action on these complaints.
