Believe it or not, that is the condition of my desk right now.

Not long ago, I decluttered my desk, removing piles of papers and either filing them, recycling them, or shredding them. I have only important items on my desk at the moment. What are these important items (other than my crucially important laptop)? you may ask.

First, there is my At-A-Glance DayMinder weekly planner. I absolutely love At-A-Glance, because the spaces for each day are large—the better for writing in more goals for the day. It’s spiral bound, so it will stay flat and open on my desk. And although it is large enough for my handwriting, it actually fits in my purse, so I can tote it to medical and dental appointments.

There’s also my little orange calculator. No, it’s not the printing kind, but those make me nervous, so I don’t like them anyway. My calculator is useful for estimating the cost of an editing project and figuring invoices.

I also have a black stress ball on my desk. The ball is good for getting my stress out through my hands when I am reading something that needs a lot of work. Next to it is the case containing my Forte ear buds. I never use the ear buds while I work, but I charge them during that time. There’s nothing worse than taking an evening walk while listening to music and having one’s ear buds run out of juice.

Finally, I have the Fiedler Editorial financial records on the left side of the desk and my Garfield mouse pad on the right side next to the laptop. If you have been reading this blog for a good while, you know that I adore all things Garfield.

My high school journalism teacher once had a sign on her desk that read, “A neat desk is a sign of a sick mind.” You can imagine what my teacher’s desk looked like.

What important items are on your desk, besides your computer?

In an academic research laboratory, staff members with disabilities are more common than one might think. I worked in several different research labs in the past while having mild cerebral palsy and a documented mental illness. Some of my supervisors were incredibly patient, kind, and understanding, although they expected no less than my best work (which they deserved). Others, however, simply did not know how to treat other human beings, much less those with disabilities.

Looking back on my eight years in scientific research labs, I have put together a list of dos and don’ts for lab supervisors regarding a staff member with disabilities.

Do try to get to know your staff member at least somewhat. Find out how they like to approach challenges and let them use those methods to solve problems with their work.

Don’t force your way of doing things on your staff member (unless it is crucial for the success of the experiment or for safety concerns). There may be more than one way of performing a method, and your staff member might feel that a way other than yours is easier, more comfortable, and even more effective.

Do be patient with a staff member who tries to work quickly but simply cannot. Avoid telling them to “hurry up” or asking them, “What’s taking so long?” This is ableist behavior on your part.

Don’t say, “Spit it out,” to a staff member who stutters or stammers while speaking to you. Chances are this is a reaction to being bullied by you.

Do take your staff member aside to a private place when you need to give them a “talking-to,” and do so in your indoor voice.

Don’t dress your staff member down loudly in front of their coworkers when they mess up. Nobody deserves this.

Dear reader, what other suggestions might you have for lab supervisors?