[nagdu] employment and guide dogs

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (IT)]

Exactly, which is why I'd like to know if there is (or why there isn't)
legislation to handle events like that. 
Guide dogs are what's on topic for this list, but other
technologies/lifestyle adjustments would also fall in. 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Nicole B. Torcolini
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 1:23 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] employment and guide dogs

Let's put a twist on this one. What if it were some other kind of
mobility training? Would you get time off then? The truth of the matter
is that people don't seem to understand that, although the dog is alive,
it stills requires training like technology or any other type of aide.

Nicole

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (IT)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at ngc.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] employment and guide dogs


Linda's post got me to thinking about job retention/loss when a person
needs to get a guide dog.
I too had to struggle and eventually found a way to take time to get
another dog without using up all my sick and vacation time.
By contrast, when I had my baby, it was assummed and required that I'd
take the full six weeks off.
Angie's post mentions that it is "bending the law" to use FMLA to get a
guide dog.
So, why isn't there legislation to fill out the gap?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Angie Matney
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 3:53 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] employment and guide dogs

Rebecca asked:

>Why hasn't NFB tried to do something close to FMLA, where a person
>cannot be fired from a job if he or she needs to do something to
>mitigate a disability, i.e. getting a guide dog, learning to use a
>piece of technology, what have you?

Can you clarify what you mean?

It is my understanding that an employer would have to accommodate you if
you needed to go train with a guide dog, unless accommodating you would
pose an undue hardship for the employer. "Accommodating" doesn't mean
that the employer would have to provide paid leave, though I know that
some employers do provide a certain amount of paid time off for people
to receive guide-dog training.

I have heard of instances where people invoked FMLA to train with a
guide dog. I personally would not feel comfortable doing so, since it's
bending the law a bit. But it has been done.

Angie






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