[nagdu] Man's dog in a McDonald's results in Taser use

[Sarah and Loretta]

Marion,

I disagree regarding the idea that he was seeking confrontation. This is 
really a situation where we as blind people need to understand the mindset 
of people with other disabilities. You and I may experience denials from 
time to time, but they are stupid denials from people who should know 
better. Our dogs wear harnesses, and it is obvious that they perform a 
service. Of course, it is reasonable for the police to ask him to step 
outside to discuss the situation. But from his point of view, he probably 
gets questioned a lot more often than you and I do because you cannot see 
seizures. If it was a bad day and he expected the police to be on his side, 
he may have interpreted their request as an indicator that they weren't. 
Unfortunately their behavior just reinforced it.

People with seizures go through a great deal of mistreatment and 
misunderstanding, and it grates on their nerves tremendously. They are 
forced into hospitals because other people think that a seizure might be a 
medical emergency and do not trust their family members or friends. They are 
physically removed from public places and denied employment because seizures 
are disruptive. They can develop fear of going out in public because of 
this. To then be denied access to a place because one uses a dog to alert to 
an oncoming seizure is a further slap in the face. It is something worth 
understanding.

Sarah J. Blake
Personal email: sjblake at growingstrong.org
http://www.growingstrong.org 


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