[BlindTlk] NAGDU, and Guide Dogs, and flying, oh my! -- Follow-up regarding the form from the Department of Transportation

[Sami Osborne]

Hi Raul,

I'm not a guide dog user myself, but I'm just curious as to what exactly the forms entail. What would the guide dog user be required to do exactly, fill out a form just to be allowed to board a plane? I'm just curious.

Thanks,

Sami

On Dec 21, 2020 1:10 PM, "Raul A. Gallegos (NFB) via BlindTlk" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Hello everyone, thanks to those of you who submitted feedback regarding 
> the accessibility and usability of the two PDF forms from the Department 
> of Transportation. 
>
> I have collected everyone's comments and created a summary of the 
> testing results and this will help us with communicating our feelings 
> with the Department of Transportation regarding this form as it relates 
> to flying with our guide dogs. 
>
> So this leads to what our feelings are. When I say, "our", I am 
> referring to the general feelings of the National Association of Guide 
> Dog Users Board of Directors along with comments from many of our 
> membership. 
>
> In short, we are not okay with these forms. Not only do we feel that 
> having to fill out these forms goes against the general philosophy of 
> the National Federation of the Blind, but they also cause an extra 
> burden for blind people that we don't agree with. Not all blind people 
> have the necessary skill sets and equipment to independently fill out 
> these forms, and not all blind people feel comfortable with the kind of 
> information that is requested. 
>
> Right now I do not have further information as to how we are going to 
> proceed, but I promise to communicate our progress as I am able. As 
> always, you can always reach out to me by phone or email if you need to 
> discuss this. You can also email the NAGDU board of directors in case 
> someone other than me needs to respond. My address is either 
> president at nagdu.org or rgallegos at nagdu.org. The board address is 
> board at nagdu.org. 
>
> Thanks everyone. 
>
> -- 
> Raul A. Gallegos 
> President: National Association of Guide Dog Users 
> First Vice President: National Federation of the Blind of Texas 
> 832.554.7285  |  RGallegos at nagdu.org 
>
> "Blindness is a characteristic, not a handicap." -- Dr. Kenneth Jernigan 
>
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