[ST] staff Digest, Vol 63, Issue 7

[Joe Kesselman (yes, the address is real)]

staff-request at arisia.org wrote:
> A couple of more reasons why the audience you are trying to target -- that 
> is, people with disabilities -- are less likely to take advantage of this 
> service, even if it were to be put into practice:

Fine; that means it has that much less impact on the rest of the con...

I'm not sure I have an opinion; I know I don't have a valid opinion... 
but I think self-selection is an idea worth considering, and possibly 
trying. The hotel offers a few rooms specially equipped for that 
community, and trusts people to decide whether they should request one; 
we *could* do likewise.

I'd be inclined to say "try it once and see whether it has any adverse 
effect". But I'm just as glad that I'm completely uninvolved in actually 
making the decision, since what you've got here is two strong sets of 
opinions...


> 
> 1. most people with disabilities are very self-conscious about asking for 
> preferential treatment, and would probably be unlikely to use it;
> 2. most PWD, like myself, don't like leaving their friends in order to get 
> somewhere a little faster, particularly as often some of the best 
> conversations at con happen while waiting in lines;
> 3. a lot of PWD view the quote special unquoe form of id with a high degree 
> of suspicion, felling --and often rightfully so-- that being designated as 
> "special" is a form of labeling.
> 
> I appreciate what a fine line it can be to increase access while also not 
> taking away from the limited resources of the group, but hopefully something 
> like elevator resources can be left to the public at large to manage.
> 
>  Kes
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bill Y" <wsy at merl.com>
> To: <rose at tocotox.net>
> Cc: <staff at arisia.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 9:08 AM
> Subject: Re: [ST] [SA] Arisia Elevator Management
> 
> 
> 
>>  From: "Rose Fox" <rose at tocotox.net>
>>
>>  On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 4:09 PM, Bill Y <wsy at merl.com> wrote:
>>
>>  >
>>  >   From: "Rose Fox" <rose at tocotox.net>
>>  >
>>  >   Any thoughts about "blue placard" badges for disabled attendees, who 
>>get
>>  > to
>>  >   jump to the front of elevator lines?
>>  >
>>  > I would object to that.
>>
>>
>>  Would you mind specifying why?
>>
>>Sure.
>>
>>  "Separate is inherently unequal"
>>
>>Also consider:
>>
>> What about parents with Really Small Kids on their backs / in tow?
>>
>> What about people who happpened to twist their ankle partying Friday 
>>Night?
>>
>> What about people who are -just friends with- someone who is blue-badge?
>>    Can they take the elevator too?  Or do they have to run up 14
>>    flights of stairs to the Art Show to be with their friend?
>>
>>
>>Where do you draw the line?
>>
>>If Arisia decides who gets a blue badge and who doesn't, we open
>>ourselves to lawsuits by anyone who is disgruntled (non-blues
>>by denial of facilities, blues by "singling them out with a
>>distinctive badge")
>>
>>The simple solution (Anybody can take the elevator if they are
>>willing to wait in line) works; the value of the elevator is
>>constant across all Convention members, and our legal exposure
>>is minimized.
>>
>>IANAL, but treating everyone equally with a purposefully blind
>>eye is generally legal to do.
>>
>>Note that this is what Disney has done on all new and refurb rides;
>>instead of a "side gate" for handicapped transfers, the ride is fully
>>accessible all the way to the transfer points, so handicapped or
>>wheelchair users get exactly the same treatment in line as everybody
>>else, and everyone can visually verify that.
>>
>>It also avoids splitting up groups that contain but are not
>>completely handicapped.
>>
>>  - Crash
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>staff mailing list
>>staff at arisia.org
>>http://arisia.org/mailman/listinfo/staff 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> End of staff Digest, Vol 63, Issue 7
> ************************************
> 
> 


-- 
Joe Kesselman / Beware the fury of a patient man. -- John Dryden