[Flagdu] NFB Support Guide dog Event

[Toni King]

Hello Everyone,
I have not had a chance to check email in almost two weeks.
But as a member of the NFB, FlaDGU and a Tallahassee resident I would 
like  to thank all of you for your support. A special thank you to 
Marion, Mary and friends for coming up and helping my chapter hold a 
great protest.
I sure did enjoy walking the entire museum with my awesome dog guide 
leading the way.
Again a big thank you to everyone.

Take Care,
Toni & Schepis
Original message:
> This is a horrible experience.  As Vice President of FLAGDU, I 
> guarantee Tiffany has our support and we will not rest until this is 
> resolved.  I am requesting we have an emergency FLAGDU board meeting 
> and see if Johnny and Tiffany are available to attend.



> I will make myself available; however, I do have on my calendar the 
> Human Services board meeting beginning at 8 PM this Sunday night.  I 
> can be available up until that time or another Monday evening.  I know 
> that this is late notice, but I believe we need to take immediate 
> action.  Tiffany did a fabulous job at advocating for herself.  Now it 
> is time to show this entity the collective action of the National 
> Federation of the Blind!!



> Sincerely,

> Merry C. Schoch



> From: Tracie Inman [mailto:tracieinman at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Saturday, October 04, 2014 9:06 AM
> To: Sherrill O'Brien; flagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Tom Bellone; Merry Schoch; kdavisnfbf at cfl.rr.com; 'Jody'; Marion Gwizdala
> Subject: Re: NFB Support Guide dog Event



> oh my gosh! I recommend that the FLAGDU board give  Tiffany our full 
> support. - Tracie













> On Saturday, October 4, 2014 8:44 AM, Sherrill O'Brien 
> <Sherrill.obrien at verizon.net> wrote:



>                 Hello to all,



> Please read the following carefully. I will speak with Tiffany as soon 
> as possible. We will make sure that this is the last incident of this 
> kind at this state building.



> Sherrill



> From: Denise Valkema [mailto:valkemadenise at aol.com]
> Sent: October 04, 2014 7:09 AM
> To: Sherrill Obrien; Johnnie Slaton
> Cc: Dan Hicks; peter cerullo; <GloriaNFB at irescue-tax.com>; Lenora 
> Marten; Jim Ellsworth; <Paul09ms at gmail.com>; <anil.lewis at nfb.org>
> Subject: Re: NFB Support Guide dog Event



> Sherrill,

> I am forwarding this email from Johnnie to you for FLAGDU as she suggested.



> Sincerely, Denise Valkema by iPhone


> On Oct 4, 2014, at 12:22 AM, Johnnie Slaton <slatonj52 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Greetings To All,

> Please note this information and a request for   support from NFB.  We 
> are going to support Tiffany.  I am requesting your input for a plan of 
> action.  Let me hear from you.

> You should forward this information  to Florida /NFB Guide Dog Users Officers.

> The Note From Tiffany  follows:

> Johnnie,

>     Please see if your organization would like to assist me with this 
> matter.  I have attached the summary, as well as displayed it below:



> Guide Dog ADA Violation at

> Museum of Florida History

> R.A. Gray Building

> 500 South Bronough Street

> Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250

> (850) 245-6400



> October 2, 2014

>        Yesterday, October 1, 2014, during my lunch break at 
> approximately 1:20 pm, I visited the Florida Museum of History on 
> Bronough Street.  I was visiting to view the annual Quilt Exhibit which 
> displayed a quilt from Lighthouse of the Big Bend.  I entered the 
> stairway entrance to the lower level of the Gray Building.  While 
> browsing the exhibit I overheard someone calling out, “Ma’am, Ma’am!  I 
> assumed that the summons was meant for someone else, and continued 
> browsing.  When the summons became more assertive and closer, I turned 
> to learn that it was actually a security guard, dawning a badge, 
> uniform, and pistol, who was attempting to get my attention.  He 
> stated, “Dogs aren’t allowed in here.  You can’t bring that dog in 
> here.”  I replied, “Oh, this is a Guide Dog,” and thanked him.

>        After approximately 6 minutes, I finished viewing the exhibit 
> and exited towards the staircase when I was approached by another two 
> (2) security guards.  One proceeded to grab and tussle my guide dog and 
> harness stating that I was not allowed to have the dog in the building. 
> I pleaded that he refrain from shaking and twisting my dog, and that he 
> was “freaking out my guide dog.”  The security guard continued and 
> replied that he wanted to see proof that it was in fact a guide dog and 
> not just a pet. I pulled the dog away from him a second time, and 
> stated that there was a harness on the dog which clearly states “Guide 
> Dogs for the Blind, Inc.”  He stated that the harness was not enough 
> proof and that I needed to show him a card or papers as proof.  This 
> continued for a period of time until I was finally able to retreat to 
> the nearby deli/snack shop within the museum.  They walked away.

>        Feeling tremendously humiliated and violated, I began placing an 
> arbitrary order in an attempt to calm down and look less conspicuously 
> disabled, since the encounters with the security guards drew quite a 
> bit of attention from the museum attendees.   As I was ordering, two 
> (2) new violators approached (one security guard, and one volunteer), 
> and interrupted with, “You need to have a card or papers to come in 
> here,” as he reached about the dog.  I asked again, “Please do not 
> touch my guide dog.”  He then continued stating that I have to have 
> papers with me in order to enter the museum and that since I don’t have 
> them, I cannot bring him in.  I tried to explain that I was on a lunch 
> break, just going for a walk.  I tried to explain that the papers that 
> he is referring to are meant for excursions such as travel in planes, 
> ships, out of the country, etc.  Guide dog users do not carry around a 
> stack of medical papers and proof of disability with them when going on 
> a walk, or to the grocery store, etc.  The security guards continued to 
> debate me.  Thankfully, the manager of the deli, Kendra Doughty, 
> sternly interrupted stating, “She is absolutely right. Now, I’m going 
> to serve my customer.”  She then held her hand up in a stop gesture and 
> stated, “Will you let me serve my customer?”  They finally stopped 
> arguing for that third round, and the deli manager apologized for me 
> having to endure that behavior.  I sat down in the back of the shop, 
> totally embarrassed, almost in tears, and shocked that here in the 
> capital city, at a State facility, this was happening so aggressively, 
> and relentlessly.

>        I ate, although not hungry any more at this point, still trying 
> to gain some normalcy to my lunch hour when I heard someone approach.  
> I looked up to find another, bigger security guard looming over me and 
> my guide dog.  He stated, “I had my men come over here because you 
> cannot have that dog in here.”  I stated again, “This is a guide dog.”  
> He then added, “Do you have proof that he is a guide dog?  Do you have 
> papers for him . . . a card or something?”  I reminded, I have this 
> harness on the dog that states Guide Dogs for the Blind. I am on a walk 
> for my lunch break.  I’m not even carrying a purse.  People who are 
> blind do not carry around a file of papers with them wherever they go.” 
> When he stated again that I cannot come in here with this dog again 
> unless I bring papers with me, I tried to tell him about the Federal 
> ADA Regulation:

> •              When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, 
> only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is 
> the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what 
> work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask 
> about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a 
> special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or 
> ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.



> I also informed him of Florida Statute 413.08:

> •              (3) An individual with a disability has the right to be 
> accompanied by a service animal in all areas of a public accommodation 
> that the public or customers are normally permitted to occupy.

> (a) Documentation that the service animal is trained is not a 
> precondition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a 
> service animal. A public accommodation may ask if an animal is a 
> service animal or what tasks the animal has been trained to perform in 
> order to determine the difference between a service animal and a pet.



> I then offered my services of in-service training if necessary, to 
> further detail protocol when interacting with people who are blind and 
> their service animals, and suggested that he not have his employees’ 
> touch, grab or tussle a patron’s service animal.



> The security guard did not accept anything that I offered, and 
> reiterated that he will “let me stay in here this time, but you cannot 
> come back in here without papers for the dog.”

> After he walked away, I could no longer ensure that I would be able to 
> avoid further embarrassment and squelch my urge to cry, so I asked for 
> a carryout bag, gathered by guide dog, what was left of my dignity, and 
> exited the museum, escaping this 40 minute ordeal.  I came to work and 
> explained the afternoon’s events to my supervisor.



> Today, October 2, 2014, I went back to the museum to provide the 
> security guard administration with copies of the full Florida Statute 
> 413.08, and the Federal ADA Regulation (in triplicate) for them to 
> share with the staff.  When I arrived, I was stopped at the staircase 
> doorway by one of the same security guards, Charles Walton, who firmly 
> questioned, “Do you have your card?”  I was also informed that “the 
> documentation requirements were in their protocol books and that the 
> ADA requirements don’t apply to the State Building.” Needless to say, 
> there seems to be no intention to change policy, and I have concerns 
> for other disabled patrons of the museum.



> Thank you,



> Tiffany Baylor

> Florida Dept. of Education

> Division of Blind Services

> Contracts and Compliance

> (850) 245-0355













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Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.... Life 
is either a daring adventure or nothing.
   Helen Keller, The Open Door (1957)

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
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