Lynne:
The first step is to talk with the person. Most individuals with disabilities are our best advisors. Invite this person to your office. If he has exhibited behaviors that would make you feel uncomfortable, ask him to bring an advocate with him and you might want to invite another staff person. Ask the person to describe his condition and ask him how the library can best serve him. If there are any specific policies that are an issue, provide him with copies of these policies and explain them in detail. If he indicates that he cannot be responsible for his behavior, advise or require him to bring someone with him who will be responsible. Document your conversation and give him and his advocate a copy of a written agreement outlining his responsibilities and anything that you have agreed to on behalf of the library.
Ravonne Green
From: "Cutler, Lynne" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: EASI's Library Accessibility Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Tourette Syndrome
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:05:38 -0800
>I received an email saying "It was brought to my attention that there is a
>fellow who frequents your library who may have Tourette Syndrome. It was
>related to me that there was some misunderstanding concerning his condition
>and certain employees at the library were considering some action against
>him for his "behavior."
>
>Asking about informing staff on Tourette's, a staffperson wrote "This seems
>like a tricky one to me. What exactly would we say to staff? Are you
>suggesting that they should they ignore such behavior because it might be a
>manifestation of Tourette Syndrome? I'm sure that a certain proportion of
>the inappropriate behavior that we see in the library is a result of mental
>or emotional illness/disability, but we still try to enforce our behavior
>conventions on those who engage in it."
>
>I answered "Well, I thought I could distribute some fliers this
>correspondent sent me, just to inform staff about Tourette's. But you are
>right about behaviours inappropriate in libraries ~ and since I haven't run
>into this question before, maybe I should reach out to my various networks
>(BADSL, the State Library disability list, and AXIS-LIB.) Let's wait til I
>do that. My sense is that Tourette's tics are not in a person's control,
>whereas some other library-inappropriate behaviours are. Thanks!!
>
>Does anyone have any advice on this?
>
>---------------------------
>Check out EASI New Synchronous Clinics:
>http://easi.cc/clinic.htm
>EASI Home Page http://www.rit.edu/~easi
>Online courses and Clinics http://easi.cc/workshop.htm
>Check the EASI Library Web http://www.rit.edu/~easi/lib.htm
>
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> -> . . . . . . . . . <-
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