[Ct-nfb] We Aren't Done Yet - Guide Dogs & SB 234

[Justin Salisbury]

Fellow Federationists:

I got an email late in the day on Monday (see below if you wish) from Sue Driscoll, an aide to Senator Bartolomeo, and it appears that someone else contacted their office on Monday after my conversation with the Senator. Someone else, who has likely been watching what we've been doing, has contacted her office to oppose the stance that we have taken as leaders in the organized blind movement. 

I have been requesting, to no avail, the content of their opposition to our stance. These are people who think that guide dog schools should be regulated by the government, that health insurance companies should be able to decide who gets a guide dog, that the current way that guide dog schools are funded should be demolished, and that guide dog schools should forfeit their autonomy.

It's up to us to be the tidal wave that drowns out the opposition. Just for the record, I'm not a guide dog user, so I won't suffer if you don't do this, but I would like to see our government do right by people like Beth, Maryanne, Rob, Barb, Kate, etc.

The contact person in Senator Bartolomeo's office is Sue Driscoll. We need guide dogs removed from SB 234. Sue's phone number is:

860-240-0441

I don't know who these troublemakers are, but we can stick up for ourselves, and this is our chance to show it!

As always, I am...

Yours in Federationism,

Justin Salisbury

Justin Salisbury - Running Thunder Phoenix
Graduate Student
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness
Louisiana Tech University
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu
Twitter: @SalisburyJustin

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist. 

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— 
Because I was not a Trade Unionist. 

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— 
Because I was not a Jew. 

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. 

Martin Niemöller

-----Original Message-----
From: Driscoll, Sue [mailto:Sue.Driscoll at cga.ct.gov] 
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2015 3:46 PM
To: Justin Salisbury
Subject: RE: Please Remove Guide Dogs from SB 234

Justin,

Dante asked me to give you an update on the bill situation. We've been contacted by a few other people expressing their opinion on the bill, so we're doing further research before we move forward or make a final decision.


Susan Driscoll
Legislative Aide to Sen. Bartolomeo
CAP 011, 210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
860.240.0441



-----Original Message-----
From: president at alumni.ecu.edu [mailto:president at alumni.ecu.edu] 
Sent: Friday, May 01, 2015 12:23 PM
To: Senator Bartolomeo
Subject: Please Remove Guide Dogs from SB 234

First: Justin
Last: Salisbury
Street: PO Box 212
Town: Willington
State: CT
Zip: 06279
Phone Number: 860-989-7865
Email: president at alumni.ecu.edu
Subject: Please Remove Guide Dogs from SB 234
Message: 

Dear Senator Bartolomeo,

I urge you to change Senate Bill 234. Please help us to remove all language about guide dogs for the blind. I found out about this bill through the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut, the statewide organization of blind consumers. We have held our past two annual state conventions in your backyard at the Four Points Meriden. We have learned about the detrimental effects that this bill will have on the guide dog industry. While we appreciate that some well-meaning people may have inspired this language in order to help us, it has serious potential to do a lot more harm than good. Since we are not experts on other types of assistance dogs, we will not speak for the consumers of other types of assistance dogs; by the same logic, we are the only ones that can speak for ourselves when it comes to guide dogs.

SB 234 will shift the acquisition of guide dogs to being governed by a medical model. Medical service providers will then be making decisions about what types of rehabilitation services we need, which they are absolutely not trained to do. Health insurance and medical personnel need to stay out of a process that is the domain of education and rehabilitation professionals.

SB 234 requires that guide dogs come from an “accredited, non-profit organization“, but common standards do not yet exist. ADI, (Assistance Dogs International), attempts to do this, but it falls short, especially in the areas of consumer participation, consumer advocacy, and consumer rights.

SB 234 takes autonomy away from guide dog schools. By telling them that they must affiliate with other schools, they lose their independence and the freedom to innovate as they serve their consumers.

SB 234 will take us away from the philanthropic funding model, which is already working quite well, and stack yet another cost onto health insurance. The system isn’t broken, and I don’t want the Connecticut General Assembly to try to fix it. The cost of obtaining a guide dog is not obstructive whatsoever for blind people, and some guide dog schools make payment optional. Philanthropic funding seldom sustains once a mandate like this one occurs.

Right now, guide dogs are funded through charitable donations. No doctor is required to say I need one, and no unit of government says where I must go to get a dog. Please do not let SB 234 change that! Please remove the language about guide dogs from Senate Bill 234.

Since this bill is so detrimental to guide dog users, I want to encourage you to reach out to consumers of other types of service dogs in order to make an informed decision on their system, as well. 

I am eager to be of any assistance you need.

Sincerely,

Justin Salisbury
President, Connecticut Association of Blind Students Legislative Coordinator, National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut P.O. Box 212, Willington, CT 06279
860-989-7865
Justin.Salisbury at earthlink.net

Reply: Yes