Colleagues, the issue below was presented to the
ADA-Law list on Monday.  I have the author's
permission (see below) to repost the materials to this
list.

My purposes are several.

First, if there is a representative from the Kimbell
on list, I'd ask that they or a representative from
the Kimbell please contact Ms. Saroff.  As presented
to ADA-Law, and, as discussed there, the issues she
presents are very valid under the Americans with
Disabilities Act, and I'm hoping that someone will
contact her concerning her concerns and allay the ill
will her experience this past weekend caused.

However, my second purpose is not to embarrass the
Kimbell but rather to elevate the level of
conciousness about these kinds of issues to our
colleagues here so that these kinds of issues can be
reviewed inhouse and difficult situations avoided.

On the one hand, I can understand where there may be
concerns about a stroller banging into and/or
destroying precious artworks.  A search of the
archives and the web showed that the Kimbell is quite
zealous about its security matters.

However, this woman had issues of an unobvious
disability, vis a vis a bad back which precluded her
from lifting her child without risking further serious
injury.  Many of the TABs (Temporarily Able
Bodied--which is most of us until the old body has
other thoughts) have come to recognize the OBVIOUS
disabilities--wheel chair users, the blind, the deaf,
and have come to accommodate them either by choice or
by law.  However, it is the not so obvious ones, still
covered under the ADA, of which we must be equally as
sensitive.

Truly, I hope to cause none on the list any
embarrassment.  But open-to-the-public museums must be
able to reasonably accommodate the whole public and
not exclude the disabled in any capacity.

My intent is hoping this will be a lesson learned for
museums in the aggregate, a chance to "make nice" for
Ms. Saroff, and a chance to elevate the conciousness
of the topic in general.

I've been VERY pleased with the efforts AAM has made
in raising the level of awareness of ADA issues.  It
just appears a refresher may be in order.

The issue rings close to home for me.  I'm a VERY
active grandmother, with very large-for-their-age
grandchildren, and a bad back.  Had I been stopped in
any of the museums I've trotted the children to here
in LA while they were stroller age and told the
stroller was not to be allowed, we would have missed
the exhibits.  As it is, the elder had to forgo some
at the LA zoo because the stroller of his baby sister
couldn't be accommodated.

Thank you for considering this matter.  If you have
cross-posting issues you'd like me to take to the
ADA-Law list, let me know and, if you'd like to join
it yourself, you can do so from the following link:

http://listserv.nodak.edu/archives/ada-law.html

Quick research questions on the topic can be found
there by searching on keywords.



--- "Sharon R. Saroff" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Thank you very much for the offer to take my cause
> to the museum list.  I
> give my permission for you to quote what I posted on
> the ADA-Law list.
> Hopefully the Kimbell will respond and in a positive
> manner.
>
> Sharon

> >--- "Sharon R. Saroff" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >> Yesterday I had a very upsetting experience when
> I
> >> visited the Kimbell in
> >> Fort Worth Texas.  It seems they have a very
> >> interesting rule "No baby
> >> carraiges or strollers allowed."  This my not
> sound
> >> like somethin bad, but
> >> it is if you can't carry your child.  I have bad
> >> arthritis in my back and
> >> while I can walk and push a light stroller,
> carrying
> >> my son for any period
> >> of time is painful.  When I noted the problem to
> the
> >> Kimbell staff they
> >> treated me like I was trying to make trouble. I
> >> noted to them that they
> >> were discriminating against disabled mothers and
> >> violating the ADA.  Their
> >> response was "We are concerned for your child's
> >> safety." (I noted that my
> >> child is much safer in his stroller than he is if
> I
> >> were to carry him.)  It
> >> seems that a couple of years ago a man didn't
> >> realize that there was a baby
> >> carraige behind him as he was stepping backwards.
> >> He backed into the
> >> carraige, lost his balance and fell on the child.
> >> He injured the child and
> >> apparently the Kimbell suffered as well.  Thus is
> >> why people make stupid
> >> rules.  My response was that you can use the same
> >> logic on a wheelchair or
> >> scooter.  People need to be careful and look
> where
> >> they are walking and
> >> people should not place baby carraiges or
> >> wheelchairs directly behind
> >> people.  I ended being escorted through the
> museum
> >> exhibit by the weekend
> >> supervisor.
> >>
> >> I wish to write a letter to the museum concerning
> >> this incident and their
> >> policy.  Do you agree that this is discrimination
> as
> >> a result of someone's
> >> carelessness.  Next time it might be a
> wheelchair.
> >> I am concerned then
> >> they will use the same stupid logic and ban
> >> wheelchairs.  What do you think?
> >>
> >> Sharon



=====
Indigo Nights
[log in to unmask]


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