Table at the Opening: Inclusiveness

[Harrison Owen]

At 05:05 PM 5/10/00 -0700, you wrote:
>I facilitated an OS last week and a disabled person who's disability was
>not evident came to me after feeling quite upset that a small table had
>not been in the centre for people like her who cannot bend even to pick
>up a sheet a paper and who does not want to ask others to bring her a
>sheet, not wanting her disability to be known. She felt deprived having
>not been able to participate and indicated that others with similar
>problems had made the same comment.  A young person with the same
>complaint having a physical problem that limits  kneeling or bending
>movements to the floor.
****************************************
As usual, there is never one right way... and the solution offered certainly
seemed to work. Just for the record, the reason I have typically chosen not to
use a table is actually two reasons. First, is to keep the space clear. Nothing
but the folks -- as it were. But there is also a practical reason. Every time I
have used a table, a number of people tried to use it, which meant that they
stood around waiting for a place at the table. If it was big enough so that all
could fit in, it also blocked people's view of each other -- more so. And the
larger the group -- the greater the problem, all of which tended to slow down
what in my view should be a pretty snappy process. So my way out is to invite
people to help each other. And they do.  Funtionally, the job gets done, but
maybe even more important, the point gets made that collaboration is the name
of the game. All of us have some kind of disability, and each of us will
require some kind of help from our fellows along the way.

Harrison


Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
phone 301-469-9269
fax 301-983-9314
website
www.mindspring.com/~owenhh
Open Space Institute websites
www.openspaceworld.org
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