[Community-service] blind people and homeless shelters

Sat May 18 05:41:58 UTC 2013

 Interesting points.
   One of the things I like about the Federation is  how we change those perceptions.
 We believe  that we have equal right to access and opportunity.
 We also believe  in equal responsibility.
 Let me tell you what I think this means in the  context of community Service:
 I think that We have a responsibility to contribute  to building a brighter future  for our society.  If we want to be taken seriously, we need to take a serious lookat what we are  and are not doing and take steps  to close the gaps that are created by the misunderstandings that people have as blindness relates.

 Service does this.  we might run into access barriers  because  people worry about why we do something, but that does not mean that we have to take  that "no" for an answer.
 We as blind people know what we are.   we know  that with the proper training and opportunity, we can show that we  are not the liability that people think us to be.
 I don't believe that  anyone on this list or   any blind person ought to feel  that they can't work in a  homeless shelter if they want to.  There is no reason  why a blind  person should feel like they can't go help build a house, tutor a child, hand out food, help out in a  disaster shelter,  serve overseas, or anything else because someone tells them they can't or even  because they think they can't.
 I learned that we don't except mediocrity of ourselves  or  of each other  here, because we support each other, push each other out of love and and the great believe we have in each other.
 Why this list and this group exists is to share our experiences, ask questions and get that support or extra push you need  to try that thing you  thought you never would.
  i  feel so passionate about  this because i was told I couldn't do certain things, that  people worried about e being a liability, that I would hurt myself.
 When I started doing my service  in AmeriCorps NCCC, I asked folks  I knew in the Organization what they knew about the program,I asked folks what I could expect  myself to try to do and how far to push myself.
 I was lucky to run into someone with help from friends in the federation, but there is only so much one person can do.
 I hope   to give people the resources I didn't quite have and/or access to a network of great federationests who  can help them through some confusing times.

 Everyone who is reading this post is a part of that network and we all have the Choice  to use our voices to show  support to what we all are passionate about and help one another past  our fears and concerns, and I hope that we  all give ourselves the opportunity to be that support and change we wish  to see.

  Best,
  Darian        .

On May 17, 2013, at 9:20 PM, wmodnl wmodnl <wmodnl at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Quite often, I have of heard of situations where refusal happened.  Refusal happened simply for the liability issue associated with the disabled person's safety.  Often, shelter (S) do not want to be held liable for a person with a disability.  Furthermore, I heard that, the same thing applies when a blind person is locked-up.  The facility does not want to be held liable for the safety of the individual; so, they are placed within a secure unit for people with medical conditions.  Or they are placed with people who are awaiting trials for witness protection.  I have not done the research on this; so, I may have received incorrect information.
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On May 17, 2013, at 10:18 AM, "Reyazuddin, Yasmin" <Yasmin.Reyazuddin at montgomerycountymd.gov> wrote:
> 
>> Hi Julie and others, 
>> The topic is interesting enough that I have to make a comment about it. 
>> Homeless shelters or emergency shelters, should be open to all people regardless of their physical condition. I have reviewed policies regarding this matter as they were prepared for DOJ review. My job is to review the accessibility of such documents and I remember that the shelters are required to be available. 
>> At the same time, some people may be allergic to animals and we have to be careful. In such cases, the individual as well the animal need to be placed in housing in a different location. Some homeless shelters or the social services offices have contracts with cheap hotels or motels in the area to house people with special needs. 
>> Many times we hear that someone was refused but we may not know the full story. We can not come to any conclusion without knowing the circumstances. 
>> 
>> Yasmin Reyazuddin 
>> Aging & Disability Services 
>> Montgomery County Government 
>> Department of Health & Human Services 
>> 401 Hungerford Drive (3rd floor) 
>> Rockville MD 20850 
>> 240-777-0311 (MC311) 
>> 240-777-1556 (personal) 
>> 240-777-1495 (fax) 
>> office hours 8:30 am 5:00 pm 
>> Languages English, Hindi, Urdu, Braille 
>> 
>> 
>> This message may contain protected health information or other information that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by return mail and destroy any copies of this material. 
>> 
>> Thank you.
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Community-service [mailto:community-service-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie McGinnity
>> Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 9:52 AM
>> To: Community Service Discussion List
>> Subject: [Community-service] blind people and homeless shelters
>> 
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> I received this article on the nagdu(national association of Guide dog
>> Users) listserve and thought the topic would be something interesting
>> to discuss.  This article talks about a blind man who was refused at a
>> homeless shelter with his guide dog, but it started a discussion about
>> blind people in general being turned away from homeless shelters.  I'm
>> simply curious about this topic.  Have any of you worked at homeless
>> shelters, or do any of you know about shelters with policies
>> prohibiting blind people from staying in them?  Hopefully this is on
>> topic...  :)
>> 
>> Subject: homeless shelter refuses to accept blind man with his dog guide
>> 
>> 
>> (Source: HUD) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
>> (HUD) announced today that it is charging City Rescue Mission of New
>> Castle (CRM) and one of its employees with refusing to accept a blind
>> man and his guide dog at a homeless shelter in New Castle, PA.
>> HUD's investigation found that CRM denied a reasonable accommodation
>> request to allow the man to keep his dog in the shelter, in violation
>> of the Fair Housing Act.
>> The Fair Housing Act requires housing providers to make reasonable
>> accommodations in their rules, policies, practices, or services when
>> needed to provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to
>> use or enjoy a dwelling.
>> "For many people with disabilities, guide dogs and other assistance
>> animals are necessities, not options," stated John Trasviña, HUD
>> Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "HUD will
>> enforce Fair Housing Act protections to ensure that housing providers
>> grant reasonable accommodation requests."
>> According to HUD's charge, a blind, homeless individual contacted CRM
>> in order to seek shelter. HUD's charge alleges that a CRM employee
>> informed the man that he could not move into the shelter with his
>> guide dog even after the man said that he could not be without his
>> service animal.
>> When a caseworker from Lawrence County Community Action, an
>> organization that assists low-income people, contacted the shelter and
>> explained that the man needed the guide dog because of his disability,
>> the CRM employee again refused, saying that the dog would have to go
>> elsewhere.
>> HUD's charge will be heard by a United States Administrative Law
>> Judge unless any party to the charge elects to have the case heard in
>> federal district court. If an administrative law judge finds after a
>> hearing that discrimination has occurred, he may award damages to
>> aggrieved persons for the damages caused them by the discrimination.
>> The judge may also order
>> injunctive relief and other equitable relief to deter further
>> discrimination, as well as payment of attorney fees.
>> In addition, the judge may impose fines in order to vindicate the
>> public interest. If the matter is decided in federal court, the judge
>> may also award punitive damages to aggrieved persons.
>> Persons who believe they have been denied a reasonable accommodation
>> request may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair
>> Housing and Equal Opportunity at
>> (800) 669-9777 (voice)
>> or (800) 927-9275 (TTY).
>> Housing discrimination complaints may also be filed by going to
>> www.hud.gov/fairhousing
>> or by downloading HUD's free housing discrimination mobile
>> application, which can be accessed through Apple devices, such as the
>> iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Julie McG
>> National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
>> Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
>> Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
>> and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
>> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
>> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
>> life."
>> John 3:16
>> 
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