Lacking Insight - Community Law

Lacking InsightThe configuration of the seating in most Boardhearings is of concern to many consumers. Thetypical set-up, with Board members on one side ofa table and the consumer on the other, is viewed asan attempt by members to assert their authority overthe proceedings and to leave the consumer feelingsmall, even ‘guilty’. In general, the layout of theroom is viewed by consumers as an attempt to putthem in their place. Rather than a way of facilitatingdiscussion, the seating arrangement is viewed as ameans of allowing greater scrutiny.If you had to think of one particular thing aboutthe Board that stood out most to you from yourexperiences what would that be?Good or bad? This is hard . . . I think just theimbalance of power in the meeting. The way theroom is set up.How do you think it could be set up better,what would you suggest?More of a round little table. Not a big boardtable like I had, you know; doctors do it thesedays, they have people sitting on the corner notopposite. Just the power thing.BF - ConsumerCan you describe the physical environment ofthe hearing space?Sure, big officious looking room. Huge meetingtable in the middle, three chairs set up on theother side and my chair on the opposite side ofthe table. Very overpowering.TF - ConsumerDid you have a feeling about whosespace it was?I felt it wasn’t neutral and I felt that the seating wasuncomfortable, that there wasn’t enough room toopen up my files and to organize things properlyso I could present them to the Board. Um, veryconfined as far as the table space was concerned.The seating of the three staff members, yeah .. . I felt it was so that they were sitting in a veryauthoritarian position, the way the seating had beenarranged. I didn’t feel as if it was a meeting where Icould discuss openly, you know, it was almost sortof like a court room environment rather than beinga place where I was going to present them withevidence and they were going to research and findout whether my claims were true or not.NM - ConsumerNameplates, with the initial of the first name andsurname are produced by some Board members. Theywere observed to be in front of all members on someoccasions though often only in front of one or twomembers. One community member stated her namein full at the beginning of the hearing and pointed to thenameplate inviting the person to read it. Observers didnot note any hearings in which consumers were askedwhether they would like paper or a pen to assist themwith taking notes or to write down the names of themembers. Board decisions are signed; however thesignatures are not always legible and the names andtitles are not printed on the document.Board members arrived through the front door of theclinic and walked through a waiting room occupied bythose awaiting hearings. They were acknowledged bythe receptionist. It was apparent that she knew them.The secure doors were automatically opened to allowthem to enter. We remained locked outside. It madeus feel like outsiders and that they (members and staff )were all together. [Researcher Observations].An overly formal processThe formality of the hearing is determined by themanner in which people act and speak and theadherence to a procedural method of conducting50