[nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
Linda Gwizdak
linda.gwizdak at cox.net
Sat Dec 26 23:21:12 UTC 2009
Marion,
Does this mean that our guide horse using friends won't be able to use them
anymore? You know, people like Ann with Panda and my friend in Georgia who
is training a miniature horse for her guide. Will you post the new ADA regs
about what is a service animal for us if you get them. thanks.
Lyn and Landon
PS: I decided to start using my "other" name of Lyn instead of Linda. Too
many "Linda-sounding" names!(grin!)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:19 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
> Albert,
> As for ponies and other animals, the new regulations that have been
> published by the DOJ to the Office of Budget & Management for approval
> would effectively limit the definition of a service animal to only dogs.
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 4:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>
>
>> Well it is a place to grow from. I agree with you in that it leaves much
>> room for improvement, and it does sort of pigeon whole things in a clear
>> cut
>> fashion, when there is nothing clear cut about service animals. It also
>> only
>> speaks of dogs, what of ponies, or other animals which would serve other
>> purposes. Is not defining which animals serve a purpose and which needs
>> are
>> best addressed by animals in addition to or as a replacement for
>> medication
>> something which would in some instances depend upon the individuals
>> preference or desired results achieved by specific animals not always
>> considered the norm when we look at service animals. We need to start
>> somewhere that is for sure.
>>
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> CEO/Founder
>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> New York, New York 10004
>> www.myblindspot.org
>> PH: 917-553-0347
>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>> is
>> doing it."
>>
>>
>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Steve Johnson
>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 3:26 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>>
>> Seizure alert, diabetic alert etc. do fall within the realm of service
>> providing animals, and too are specifically trained, or rather can be
>> specifically trained.
>>
>> Plese read on. Although I don't necessarily agree with the description
>> for
>> dog guides, it is teh point I am trying to make.
>>
>> Types of Service Dogs
>>
>> GUIDE DOGS
>>
>> Guide Dogs are trained to assist visually impaired handlers in navigating
>>
>> their physical environment. In addition to the usual obedience commands,
>>
>> they respond when placed in a guide dog harness, to commands specific
>> to
>>
>> the sight-impaired user such as "left," "right," "slow down," and others.
>>
>> Over a dozen schools across the country offer service dogs to the legally
>>
>> blind. These schools are residential facilities, and virtually all of
>>
>> them pay for all expenses connected with training, including plane fare,
>>
>> dormitory housing, food, and so on. Typically, first-time students train
>>
>> for four weeks; after that, experienced students stay for two to three
>>
>> weeks, at the school's discretion. The dogs are rigorously trained and
>>
>> selected. As skilled as these dogs are, they are not designed to replace
>>
>> one's own mobility skills. Consequently, most schools require their
>>
>> students to have completed a cane mobility program "on the outside"
>> before
>>
>> attending the school for training. For more information on Guide Dogs or
>>
>> on schools in your area, contact your local chapter of the National
>>
>> Federation for the Blind, or your state representative of the American
>>
>> Council for the Blind.
>>
>> HEARING DOGS
>>
>> Hearing Dogs are trained to alert the hearing impaired handler to
>> specific
>>
>> sounds in the environment. For example, at the sound of a doorbell, a
>>
>> Hearing Dog may run back and forth between the door and the disabled
>>
>> handler, thus notifying the handler that someone is at the door. When
>>
>> one's alarm clock rings, a Hearing Dog may paw its disabled handler and
>>
>> wiggle around until the handler wakes up. Some sleeping handlers prefer a
>>
>> gentler approach to waking up, such as a lick of the hand or face. In
>>
>> response to other audible stimuli, a hearing dog may offer a nonspecific
>>
>> alerting behavior such as putting a paw on the knee of the disabled
>> handler,
>>
>> or placing the paw on the handler's foot and gently pressing down.
>>
>> MOBILITY ASSISTANCE DOGS
>>
>> Mobility Assistance Dogs are trained to assist individuals with
>>
>> impairments of mobility or movement. For those handlers who are
>>
>> challenged in areas of dexterity or strength, a Mobility Dog may assist
>>
>> with carrying objects, picking up dropped items, opening or closing
>> doors,
>>
>> turning lights off or on, retrieving items such as the telephone in cases
>>
>> of emergency, helping the handler out of bed or with getting dressed,
>>
>> assisting with transfers to and from a wheelchair, pulling a wheelchair,
>>
>> or helping the person to conserve energy by towing them along while they
>> walk.
>>
>> For handlers who have difficulties with balance, a Mobility Dog may
>> assist
>>
>> by stabilizing the handler while they rise from a seated position,
>>
>> preventing falls by bracing against the handler, preventing falls by
>>
>> bumping a handler's foot to a corrected position, or preventing falls by
>>
>> circling around the handler to keep them from being bumped by others,
>>
>> helping the handler recover when a fall does occur, and providing rhythm
>>
>> and timing to the gait of a person whose movements are not completely in
>>
>> their control.
>>
>> Medical Alert Dogs are trained to notify their disabled handlers to a
>>
>> change in physiologic status.
>>
>> Diabetic Alert Dogs alert to a change in the
>>
>> blood-glucose levels of their diabetic handler.
>>
>> Migraine Alert Dogs alert
>>
>> to an oncoming migraine headache in their susceptible handler.
>>
>> Seizure Alert Dogs alert to oncoming seizures in their epileptic handler.
>>
>> Asthma Alert Dogs alert to impending asthma attacks in their asthmatic
>> handler.
>>
>> Psychiatric Alert Dogs alert to mood cycling in bipolar handlers, or
>>
>> impending panic and anxiety attacks in handlers with these conditions. No
>>
>> one knows for certain what cue a Medical Alert Dog is responding to when
>>
>> the alerting behavior is displayed. Some speculate that the dog perceives
>>
>> a change in the handler's scent or subtle behavioral clues.
>>
>> The ability of a Medical Alert Dog to provide advance warning of a
>>
>> physiologic event is critical to disability management. At times this
>>
>> kind of intervention is even life-saving, such as when a Seizure Alert
>> Dog
>>
>> is able to clear the epileptic handler's airway during a seizure and then
>>
>> go on to retrieve the telephone and dial 911 with his nose.
>>
>> Psychiatric Service Dogs are trained to assist persons living with
>>
>> psychiatric disabilities.
>>
>> For persons living with Major Depression, a Psychiatric Service Dog may
>> be
>>
>> trained to: assist in waking the person each morning; bring medications
>> to
>>
>> the disabled handler; assist with household chores such as laundry; help
>>
>> the person get out of the house and into public or social settings; be
>>
>> trained to 'hug' or 'stay' with the disabled handler during acute
>>
>> emotional crises.
>>
>> For persons living with Bipolar Disorder, a Psychiatric Service Dog may
>>
>> alert to impending mania. Akin to 'biofeedback' this advance warning
>>
>> provides the handler with self-awareness, buys critical time so that she
>>
>> may get herself to a safe place, contact her physician, make a medication
>>
>> adjustment and/or utilize cognitive behavioral skills in an effort to
>>
>> attenuate the magnitude and impact of a manic episode.
>>
>> For persons living with Schizophrenia, a Psychiatric Service Dog may
>>
>> assist the handler in differentiating between sounds that are real or
>>
>> unreal, by observing the dog's reaction to the perceived stimuli. These
>>
>> dogs may also help a handler who is feeling disoriented, by providing a
>>
>> secure presence and, on command, taking the person home.
>>
>> For persons living with Dissociative Identity Disorder, a Psychiatric
>>
>> Service Dog may alert to dissociation, a 'personality' shift, or assist
>>
>> the handler with feelings of disorientation or confusion.
>>
>> For persons living with Panic Disorder or Anxiety Disorder, a Psychiatric
>>
>> Service Dog may alert to oncoming attacks, as well as to stay with the
>>
>> handler throughout the duration of the attack. The dog may be trained to
>>
>> use her body to warm the handler, in case of a drop in body temperature
>>
>> and chills that sometimes accompany such attacks.
>>
>> For persons living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a
>>
>> Psychiatric Service Dog may be trained to assist with hypervigilence and
>>
>> differentiating real from unreal threats. Additionally, the dog may be
>>
>> trained to provide emotional support to the handler who has just
>>
>> experienced a trigger-stimulus. In cases of stimulus-induced
>>
>> dissociation, the dog may be trained to bring the handler to a safer
>>
>> place, or assist the handler with staying present.
>>
>> ?
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 1:48 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>>
>>
>>> While we mull over what constitutes a service animal, lets determine to
>>> include companions for the emotional and mental health concerns,
>>> diabetic
>>> and seizure issues and any multitude of reasons a medically prescribed
>>> animal would help one who needs one.
>>>
>>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>>> CEO/Founder
>>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>>> New York, New York 10004
>>> www.myblindspot.org
>>> PH: 917-553-0347
>>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>>> is
>>> doing it."
>>>
>>>
>>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Cindy Ray
>>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 2:35 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>>>
>>> The failure of a og to make it with a person has not much to do with the
>>> trainer, certified or not. As for service dogs, just what *does*
>>> constitute
>>> one really?
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 1:37 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>>>
>>>
>>> I would think then we need to qualify and quantify the verbiage which
>>> is
>>> being considered for amendment because all to often trainers of guides
>>> are
>>> being denied access. What would be a suitable wording which would 1.
>>> protect and ensure that trainers of service animals are included in the
>>> a.d.a., which as you yourself presented, can be interpreted to prevent
>>> such
>>> access unless and until the service animal is being used by a person
>>> using
>>> the same for the intended purpose? And what of our peers who use
>>> companions
>>> for a diagnosable condition where a companion animal/service animal is
>>> needed? The manner of the wording at present does not seem to afford
>>> them
>>> the same protections, or do they? I think that trainers should be held
>>> to
>>> a
>>> higher measure so people like many of those on this list who got bum
>>> dogs
>>> do
>>> not live through that pain again. there is something to say for the
>>> consideration of certification provided that a standard of national
>>> proportions could be meaningful.
>>>
>>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>>> CEO/Founder
>>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>>> New York, New York 10004
>>> www.myblindspot.org
>>> PH: 917-553-0347
>>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
>>> is
>>> doing it."
>>>
>>>
>>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Steve Johnson
>>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 2:14 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>>>
>>> Hi Cindy,
>>>
>>> PWD = People or Persons with disabilities.
>>>
>>> I think that the points being made are very strong, and the
>>> certification
>>> issue does not broaden as Albert eluded to, but does indeed restrict the
>>> definition of who who could eventually access a place of public
>>> accommodation.
>>>
>>> So, if only a certified trainer, which the points are well-expressed on
>>> this, is allowed to access a place of public accommodation, then
>>> would'nt
>>> this essentially mean that unless an animal trained by a certified
>>> entity
>>> could only then access a place of public accommodation?
>>>
>>> There are a lot of frauds out there, and again we are speaking about
>>> places
>>> of public accommodation. The fair housing amendments act already
>>> provides
>>> for any person to have an emotional support, or even companion animals
>>> in
>>> Federal assisted housing, and this can also move into private housing
>>> where
>>> emotional support animals can be granted access through a request for
>>> reasonable accommodation. The underlying problem is that these are not
>>> highly trained animals that are specifically trained to provide a
>>> functional
>>> support/service for the individual whether it be through a professional
>>> entity or an individual who chooses to self-train.
>>>
>>> I have to disagree with Albert in that his comment that this would
>>> expand
>>> the coverage of access as it clearly discriminates against those who
>>> self-train and again, I will point out that this language is
>>> specifically
>>> stated in the ADA.
>>>
>>> Furthermore, if the word certification were deleted from this, then we
>>> are
>>> where we are at now, and is this a bad thing?
>>>
>>> While this proposed legislation specifically addresses service animals,
>>> the
>>> problem herein is that it creates this slippery slope that I mention in
>>> that
>>> there will be a push like you have never seen by other groups to expand
>>> and
>>> include emotional support, therapy, and companion animals. Mark my
>>> word.
>>>
>>> Let's go back to the intent of the ADA, and you will further understand
>>> that
>>> this narrows, not expands as these other types of animals are not
>>> providing
>>> a service. A support yes, a service no.
>>>
>>> Steve
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at qwest.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 12:20 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>>>
>>>
>>>> What is PWD?
>>>>
>>>> And you make a good point. Who certifies? If the schools where the
>>>> people
>>>> train certify them, then what about these independents, particularly
>>>> those
>>>> who train their own dogs. And, of course, NAC was a certification
>>>> outfit
>>>> that certified places, but any of us who knows the history of NAC knows
>>>> what
>>>> certification meant for agencies and schools serving the bolind. So why
>>>> bother if you can't certify better than that? Suppose the Guide Dog
>>>> School
>>>> Association, whose official name I don't remember, certified trainers?
>>>> Would
>>>> they be willing to certify an independent, and would such a person be
>>>> willing to do that (be certified by such a certifying body?)
>>>>
>>>> CL
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 12:15 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: [buddy-l] A very bad legislative effort
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> and who certifies the trainers?
>>>>
>>>> There is no certifying body for dog trainers. If I want to call
>>>> myself a dog trainer, I can. There are outfits like CPDT who are
>>>> trying to certify pet dog trainers but it's all voluntary. The guide
>>>> and service dogs, with the exception of California, may "certify"
>>>> their trainers but it's about as valuable as the paper it's printed on.
>>>>
>>>> California "certifies" it's trainers but frankly, I would hate to see
>>>> an outfit like the California guide dog board become the norm.
>>>>
>>>> I also think it's a step awy from certifying trainers to certifying
>>>> PWD.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
>>>> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
>>>> "Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you
>>>> earn it and win it in every generation."
>>>> -- Coretta Scott King
>>>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>>>
>>>> Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
>>>> AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>
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