[Vision2020] Protest at Archies on the Square

Sue Hovey suehovey at moscow.com
Sun Mar 25 22:09:37 PDT 2007


I agree, Donovan.  Our daughter has a mental disability and sometimes people who do not know her well are puzzled by her behavior--generally not at all disruptive though.  But at times the aide (or Direct Care Specialist) will be with her and if the situation is one which will lead to her better understanding of societal expectations, the aide will not intervene.  But if Leslie should be rude, really intrusive, etc. we would all expect some intervention and direction from the person with her.  It is not always possible for folks to instantly recognize someone with whom they interact has a disability.  

I hope the result of this situation ends with a positive result for everyone.  

Sue Hovey
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Donovan Arnold 
  To: Saundra Lund ; 'Chasuk' ; vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 2:05 PM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Protest at Archies on the Square


  Saundra is correct on this point. The correct term is Direct Care Specialist, not handler. 

  But Chas I think made the correct point that this person should have, if doing their job correctly, redirected this man to the appropriate behavior because he didn't know it was incorrect. That is their job. If the direct care specialist made no effort to educate and assist the person with a social disability from acting and behaving in a way that damages his reputation and standing with the community the care specialist is at fault and doing harm to his client. 

  Best,

  Donovan

  Saundra Lund <sslund at roadrunner.com> wrote:
    In part, Chas wrote:
    "David continued his disruptions, and his companion -- now known to be his
    handler -- did nothing to intervene."

    Ummm . . . Chas, perhaps I'm wrong (in which case I hope to be corrected),
    but I believe you are incorrectly and offensively using the term "handler."
    Unless there was a service animal present, there was no handler -- a
    differently abled person isn't some wild animal that has to be handled, for
    goodness sake.

    Appropriate terms would include companion, advocate, or direct support
    professional. There are probably a whole host of other acceptable terms,
    but I don't believe "handler" is one of them :-(


    Saundra Lund
    Moscow, ID

    The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
    nothing.
    - Edmund Burke

    ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2006 through life plus
    70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
    the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
    author.*****

    -----Original Message-----
    From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
    On Behalf Of Chasuk
    Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 4:18 PM
    To: vision2020 at moscow.com
    Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Protest at Archies on the Square

    JeanC wrote (of Archie's on the Square):

    "... a family with a disabled daughter were asked to leave as her
    presence was bad for business."

    Of course, she was reporting this story at one remove; a friend
    conveyed this information to her, and now it is a matter of public
    discussion on Vision2020.

    I talked to Jim Johnson today. He and his wife ("Archie"), are the
    proprietors of Archie's on the Square. I don't get free meals at
    Archie's. I'm not any more enamored of the meals served there than I
    am of meals served at any other dining establishment in Moscow. In
    short, I'm as impartial as it is possible to be while still feeling
    sufficiently motivated to conduct my own investigation.

    Mr. Johnson's version of events are quite different than those that
    JeanC provides us. Mr. Johnson was chatting with a table of senior
    citizens, apologizing for lukewarm coffee. A young man (possibly in
    his early-to-mid-twenties) interposed himself between Mr. Johnson and
    the senior citizens. This young man (let's call him David) was
    mentally handicapped, but this was not obvious to Mr. Johnson. For
    all appearances, David was a young drug abuser. Mr. Johnson invited
    David to sit at a nearby table until he had finished business with the
    senior citizens. David continued his disruptions, and his companion
    -- now known to be his handler -- did nothing to intervene.

    Eventually, Mr. Johnson gave up and went back to the kitchen. Neither
    David nor his handler were asked to leave.

    It was not until David's handler later phoned to complain (of Mr.
    Johnson's apparently insensitive behavior) that Mr. Johnson learned
    that David was mentally handicapped. The handler threatened to write
    a letter to the editor. Mr. Johnson suggested that he write two, the
    second to be inserted up the handler's ass.

    Mr. Johnson reports that they have never had such a busy Sunday, and
    that those aware of the situation are sympathetic to his side. He
    further requests that the protesters return on Mon/Tue/Wed nights, as
    it might again improve his business.

    So, now we have not a little girl and her family cruelly evicted by
    the heartless proprietors of a local restaurant, but instead the paid
    companion of the mentally handicapped not doing his job.

    Or maybe we just have a misunderstanding that could have been
    rectified if anyone had bothered to do five minutes of research?

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    http://www.fsr.net 
    mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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