[il-talk] The Seeing Eye responds to Delta's new service animal policy

Thu Jan 25 05:26:35 UTC 2018

That's an excellent point to make. If a person has to go on a short trip
and a short notice there up you know what creek without a paddle. And so we
have to really be mindful about comments like this because our rights are
really it's take these days. I called and left Chris Danielson a message
today and asked if he would want to do or somebody would want to do a
interview piece. I'll call tomorrow and see what happens.

Sincerely
Robert A. Hansen
hansen.robert70 at gmail.com
Robert A. Hansen https://www.securitylife.com/gpm?agnt=010N4261 Get started
on your dental insurance quote today! For assistance, please contact your
GPM H&L agent or call the Ameritas Sales Connect Team at 800.371.1133.
Illinois residents only

On Jan 24, 2018 5:17 PM, "Patti Chang via IL-Talk" <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Mind you NFB did respond today. We are asking for meaningful dialogue on
> these issues. This was done without any consultation of the blind. If my
> dad dies, this would mean I had to leave my guide dog in order to travel on
> an emergency basis. This cannot be the only option.
>
>
>
> Patti Chang Esq.
> Treasurer
> National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
> (773) 307-6440
> www.nfbofillinois.org
>
> Find us on twitter: “NFBI”
> Search for “National Federation of the Blind of Illinois” on facebook.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: IL-Talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kelly
> Pierce via IL-Talk
> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 2:47 PM
> To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Kelly Pierce <kellytalk at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [il-talk] The Seeing Eye responds to Delta's new service
> animal policy
>
> What is an airline to do when someone comes to the airport with a restless
> 200 pound Great Dane and decides to call it a service animal for a mental
> health condition? Advocates say that neither disability documentation nor
> training certificates can be required. Many people are bringing what I
> understand to be house pets aboard planes as service animals.
>
> On 1/23/18, Robert Hansen via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >  I might even call the guide dog group And see if I can make a radio
> > segment out of this. This is interesting and this just came out I
> > think last week.
> >
> > Sincerely
> > Robert A. Hansen
> > hansen.robert70 at gmail.com
> > Robert A. Hansen https://www.securitylife.com/gpm?agnt=010N4261 Get
> > started on your dental insurance quote today! For assistance, please
> > contact your GPM H&L agent or call the Ameritas Sales Connect Team at
> 800.371.1133.
> > Illinois residents only
> >
> >
> >
> > On Jan 23, 2018 1:47 PM, "Patti Chang via IL-Talk"
> > <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> I suggest you reach out to our division for guide dog users. It is
> >> called NAGDU and Marion Gwizdala is president. NAGDU is the best
> >> source for guide dog info.
> >> I copied Marion here for your convenience. I have not yet seen
> >> anything on this but I am not a dog handler.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Patti Chang Esq.
> >> Treasurer
> >> National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
> >> (773) 307-6440
> >> www.nfbofillinois.org
> >>
> >> Find us on twitter: "NFBI"
> >> Search for "National Federation of the Blind of Illinois" on facebook.
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: IL-Talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Harris
> >> Singer via IL-Talk
> >> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 8:05 AM
> >> To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> Cc: Harris Singer <harris.singer at gmail.com>
> >> Subject: [il-talk] The Seeing Eye responds to Delta's new service
> >> animal policy
> >>
> >> Good morning everyone,
> >> I have a guide dog from the Seeing Eye and received the below message
> >> from them regarding Delta Airlines new policy on service animals. The
> >> Seeing Eye makes excellent points about the discrimination which will
> >> come with this policy and the concern of it becoming an industry
> >> standard. Please read below. Has the NFB taken a position on Delta's
> >> service animal policy?
> >> There
> >> are links below which can bring you to file comment with the
> >> government against Delta's new policy.
> >>
> >> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >> From: "advocacy at seeingeye.org" <advocacy at seeingeye.org>
> >> Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 05:01:52 -0600
> >> Subject: The Seeing Eye responds to Delta's new service animal policy
> >> To: Harris Singer <harris.singer at gmail.com>
> >>
> >> The Seeing Eye
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Dear fellow Seeing Eye graduate,
> >>
> >> Many of you have contacted The Seeing Eye with concerns about Delta's
> >> new service animal policy. The new requirements, effective March 1,
> >> call for disabled passengers to take several steps before they will
> >> be allowed to fly with a service animal. These steps include
> >> uploading proof of rabies and distemper vaccinations to the Delta web
> >> site on an annual basis, and requiring passengers to report to the
> >> check-in counter for verification each time they go to the airport.
> >>
> >> The Seeing Eye recognizes that all airlines must establish practical
> >> and reasonable policies as part of ongoing efforts to keep passengers
> safe.
> >> However, we believe that Delta's new service animal policy
> >> compromises the rights of guide dog handler's to fly free from
> discrimination.
> >>
> >> In response to Delta's new policy, and the likelihood that if left
> >> unchallenged, other airlines will quickly adopt similar requirements,
> >> The Seeing Eye has submitted the below complaint to the Aviation
> >> Consumer Protection Division at the U.S. Department of Transportation:
> >>
> >> 1.  Passengers with guide dogs should be able to complete check-in
> >> online, at a kiosk or curbside, just like anyone else. Instead,
> >> Delta's new policy requires these passengers to "Visit the airport
> >> check-in counter", where the disabled passenger's "request will be
> >> verified at the airport by a Delta Representative." This is an undue
> >> burden and a serious inconvenience for blind passengers -- especially
> >> when traveling with family, friends or business colleagues who prefer
> >> to check-in curbside or  who have already secured advance boarding
> >> passes. This practice violates the disabled passenger's right to
> >> choose what check-in process works best for his/her individual
> >> circumstances, and will likely force passengers to depend on Delta
> >> representatives or others for additional assistance that they might
> >> not otherwise require. Moreover, segregating blind passengers from
> >> their traveling companions or other non-disabled passengers simply to
> >> enforce compliance with a vaccination requirement that is already
> >> mandated by most state laws is degrading and cause for considerable
> >> humiliation, embarrassment, and loss of dignity.
> >> 2.  The 48-hour advance notice seems to preclude last minute or
> >> emergency travel if the trip is the passenger's first flight of the
> renewal year.
> >> 3.  The policy fails to address what will happen when other airlines
> >> need to reschedule disabled passengers onto Delta flights if those
> >> passengers do not have the required documentation for their service
> >> animals.
> >>
> >> Graduates who are concerned about this new policy are encouraged to
> >> submit their own comments describing any negative impact on air
> >> travel on Delta by completing the complaint form at:
> >>
> >> http://support.seeingeye.org/site/R?i=MZ_YNFTGMlXh3qohbgNVrg
> >>
> >> If your only means of contacting the Division is by phone, you may
> >> leave a message at (202) 366-2220.
> >>
> >> To read more about Delta's new service animal policy, visit:
> >>
> >> http://support.seeingeye.org/site/R?i=IVB3eVCKIBe5AsvEBFIk-A
> >>
> >> Sincerely,
> >>
> >> Ginger Bennett Kutsch
> >> Advocacy Specialist
> >> The Seeing Eye, Inc.
> >> Morristown, New Jersey
> >> (973) 539-4425
> >> www.seeingeye.org
> >> http://support.seeingeye.org/site/R?i=U8Uwhg9t9twJpQzrsgjWAg
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> The Seeing Eye
> >> 10 Washington Valley Road
> >> Morristown, NJ 07960
> >> ph (973) 539-4425
> >> e info at seeingeye.org
> >>
> >> unsubscribe:
> >> http://seeing.convio.net/site/CO?i=ZGgijsTF9PRQCJIILjwCUAUGQYAonf
> >> 40&cid=1061
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
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> >>
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