Matthew-

While I fully agree that some with disabilities would be insult or offended
by your staff going through your exhibit blindfolded or in a wheel chair,
how else do we show our staff what kinds are issues might come up?  These
people are right, that by doing so we still don't know what its like.  But
at least we are trying.  How can we possibly know?  Have you ever asked
someone who responded to you that why that question?

As for your statement that we are only hearing one side of the issue, you
are right.  But I also haven't heard the Kimbell speak up on this discuss
either.   I would love to know their side the story.  But I was only using
this situation as a sort of case study of an incident that I had the facts
to. If the Kimbells side of the issue would change the entire story I for
one would welcome it and would gladly re-evaluate my remarks.

Also, I didn't think that anyone was that hot-headed about this topic.  But
if we were I'm sure we didn't mean to give that impression.  I have always
looked at this discussion list as though every one on it was an equal and in
that way we could debate various issues as such without the worry of getting
to emotional.  I doubt many if any of us would be able to hold these kinds
of debates in our workplaces which is one the reasons this list is so
valuable.

As far as what was said to the Kimbell, I didn't think that the remarks made
directly to the Kimbell where that terrible.  Most agreed that from what we
understood to be true, this situation was not handled in the best way.  From
there the discussion when to whether or not strollers should be banned from,
possible solutions to unexpected occurances assocated with ADA, and why or
why not we should create limits such as the banning of strollers.  Many of
us used elements of the incident to highlight our agruments but that was
all.  Personally, I felt this issue had focused rather quickly away from the
Kimbell itself to how a situation like this should or could be handled in
all museums.  If that is not the way the conversation was percieved by
others then please let me apologize for not being clear in my responses.  In
addition let me extend an apology to the Kimbell for making them feel like a
target in our debate.

Sincerely,
Tracie




---- Original Message -----
From: Matthew White <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 10:58 AM
Subject: Re: Discrimination at the Kimball


> Richard S. White Wrote:
>
> >  And I second the idea of having docents and
> > tourguides tour the museum in a wheelchair.  We also take our docents
> > through blindfolded and using a cane as we do many programs with the
> > visually impaired.
>
> But keep in mind that such exercises can be offensive to some in the
> disabled community. I am not sure I completely understand why or if I
agree,
> but then never having been even temporarily without any of my abilities I
am
> not sure it is for me to agree or understand. I believe the thinking goes
a
> little like this: "You can never know what it is like to be me, so any
play
> acting you do will never come close to the reality that I have to live
with.
> To assume it does is presumptuous and offensive." If I have mis-stated
their
> case I apologize to all concerned. I just wanted people to know that it is
> an attitude I have met with in the past and that you may also run into it
> when designing your programs. Lesson to learn is that no two people, even
> people who share what we would think to be a character defining
> characteristic such as a disability, are alike in their outlook,
> personalities, or sensibilities.
>
> I have spent a lot of years being and training front line staff in retail,
> gas stations, parks, restaurants, and museum just to name a few and one
> thing I have learned is that what happened at the Kimball could have
> happened to any of us, at any time. No matter how well you train your
staff
> and no matter how excellent they are, there will always be the potential
for
> running afoul of a visitor on some issue be it ADA or some other equally
> important or completely petty issue. And just as soon as you think it
can't
> it will. All the moral indignation I have seen directed at the Kimball
these
> last few days can only be from people who haven't had it happen to them
yet.
>
> Bear in mind that no two people  on this planet are exactly the same. Each
> one has their own ethics, sensibilities, experiences, prejudices, biases,
> education, pet peeves, etc. etc. There is no way you can plan for them
all.
> What you can do is do your job to the highest possible standard, prepare
for
> the problems you most expect, but be flexible, be understanding, be
patient,
> and build in a grievance procedure that takes your front line person off
the
> hot seat ASAP (they are after all, probably the lowest paid people in your
> museum, if they are paid at all) and gets the visitor to a supervisor as
> well as quick response system that gets a letter or other communication
from
> as senior a staff person as possible to the aggrieved party in as short
> amount a time as possible. Be prepared to make changes if needed, but also
> be prepared to tell an aggrieved person that you are comfortable in your
> policies and plan to stick with them.
>
> And as a person who has been through more than a couple of these
> controversies I am amazed at the number of people who are criticizing the
> Kimball with, as far as I can tell, ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE STORY. Do you
treat
> your staffs like that? Do they get disciplinary action as soon as a
visitor
> complains? Do you bother to get their side at all? As far as  I can tell,
we
> have only the visitor's side of this event, and look at all the debate and
> acrimony it has produced. I certainly hope cooler heads prevail when
> controversies arise at your institutions, or I can't imagine you hold
staff
> for very long.
>
>
> --
> Matthew White
> Director of Museums
> Mount Washington Observatory
>
> Want to know more? Visit our web site at
> www.mountwashington.org
>
> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help"
(without the quotes).
>
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
Museum-L" (without the quotes).
>

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).