By returning the conversation to a matter of law, as Indigo Nights does,
she makes an important point. It is fundamentally a legal question, and
one which I assume most members of this list lack the expertise to
answer. (No, being an intelligent person or having read the statute are
not substitutes. There are sound reasons why practicing law takes time,
study, and the ability to pass complex exams.)

Look at this way: how much credence would you give to a discussion on a
list for lawyers about an exhibit plan or a solution to an object
conservation problem?

I am not saying these aren’t important issues to us all, for it is clear
that they are. But it seems to me that if we want to discuss legal
requirements and obligations, we should be sure we bring the expertise
to the issue that we expect when discussing issues involving matters in
our own fields.

With all due respect to Indigo Nights, and forgive me if you have legal
expertise in this area which you did not disclose or which I overlooked,
my experience with the case law surrounding issues of reasonable
accommodation or discrimination showed me that the issues were not
particularly cut and dried. I believe we are better off focusing this
discussion on the training and behavior of visitor service staff. For it
is their actions and attitudes that are much more likely to determine
whether a situation has a successful outcome. If the matter ends up
being resolved in court, it is a fair bet that both visitor and museum
will lose.

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