[Ct-nfb] FW: guide dog to give on Thursday

Tue Feb 16 19:12:32 UTC 2016

Hello, there will be allot of service dogs there on Thursday. Can’t any of our dog guide users show up for a1 o’clock hearing to support our doggies ? Beth 

From: llee at nfbct.org [mailto:llee at nfbct.org] 
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2016 11:58 AM
To: Elizabeth Rival
Subject: RE: guide dog to give on Thursday

Beth,

I've made 25 copies and put them in the mail to you. I'm also attaching a pdf file that you probably won't be able to read, but it's a scanned copy of your testimony on our letterhead. The attached Word file is what is reads.

Lucia 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: guide dog to give on Thursday
From: "Elizabeth Rival" <erival at comcast.net>
Date: Fri, February 12, 2016 10:13 am
To: <llee at nfbct.org>

Maryanne and I are going but if you think it could be submitted earlier that way , then maybe with weather changes we should do that? Beth 

From: llee at nfbct.org [mailto:llee at nfbct.org] 
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2016 9:27 AM
To: Elizabeth Rival
Subject: RE: guide dog to give on Thursday

Beth,

I can scan it and send it to their testimony email if that's easier.

Lucia 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: guide dog to give on Thursday
From: "Elizabeth Rival" < <mailto:erival at comcast.net> erival at comcast.net>
Date: Fri, February 12, 2016 9:08 am
To: < <mailto:llee at nfbct.org> llee at nfbct.org>

Can you update this for this year’s meeting, how many copies will I need to bring with me on Thursday? Beth Dear Legislator,

I urge you to oppose Senate Bill 234 as written.  I own my 3rd guide dog from the Seeing Eye school. I expect to pay for his physicals, food, and health care. I also take responsibility for my 2 retired guide dogs at home. I am 2ND Vice President of National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut, and served as president for the last 6 years. The statewide organization of blind consumers. We have learned about the detrimental effects that this bill could have on the guide dog industry. While we appreciate that some well-meaning people may have authored 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; also called service 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 and consumer advocacy and 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 only suggest a donation. 

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 vote against Senate Bill 234 until the language about guide dogs has been removed!

I am eager to be of any assistance you need.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Rival 33 Parish Drive Kensington Ct. 860 828 8378 

erival at comcast.net

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