Steering Column problems of the 2016 Ford Fiesta

I picked up this Ford Fiesta 5dr vehicle 9/29/2016 (automatic transmission) new & at that time I noticed that the steering column lock/unlock lever for the tilt/ telescopic wheel was very hard for me to engage/disengage to adjust the height of the steering wheel. . I asked at that time if the lever could be adjusted for ease since I am a 76 y/o female with not much strength in my hands, perhaps if I were a 20 y/o agile male it wouldn't be such an issue. . I was told by the dealer that they could not adjust that since it is a safety issue to change that; while I understand the safety thing I also know that my hand, thumb, arm & wrist are suffering from this 'design flaw' & I will speak with my doctor next week in regard to this pain. . I'm not sure who designed this lever to be so hard for some people to use & adjust but obviously they didn't take into consideration older female drivers . . While I paid for this feature of the tilt/ telescopic wheel I'm having a difficult time taking advantage of this feature because of the lever issue; in addition I am short so need to get closer to the steering wheel to drive comfortably. . Shame on the auto designer for what I consider a design flaw done without testing before releasing to the entire public. .