[nagdu] confidentiality

[Jenine Stanley]

I have a question for those wanting full disclosure of situations involving
third parties to this list. 

If someone had an issue with a rehabilitation center, any rehabilitation
center, but particularly one of the NFB centers, could he or she obtain his
or her own personal records, say to prove staff conflicts. Could a third
party acting as advocate then pass details of those records along to public
email lists or hold other kinds of discussions about them without
jeopardizing any legal action? 

I honestly do not know the answer to these questions so am posing them here
for the more learned minds. It would seem to me that regardless of the
agency, you are asking, and by "you" I mean anyone who believe he or she has
the right to read someone else's records, with or without that person's
permission, to have complete access to any personal records of anyone in
question. Consider how you might feel if your own personal records with any
agency, guide dog school, rehabilitation center, mental health facility,
medical facility, were leaked or otherwise made openly available. 

Yes, it might lead to some uncovering of poor policies, staff inappropriate
behavior, etc., but it could also lead to much sensitive information about
individuals being aired publicly in a less than completely objective manner
to a less than objective audience. 

Just something to consider. 
Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com