[nagdu] National Toll-Free Education & Advocacy Hotline

[Marion & Martin]

Wayne,
    Our goal is to have the hotline available 24/7. The introduction will 
help guide callers to the appropriate information they need, but we will 
have a live person available, if needed. We believe most callers will be 
able to obtain the information through the automated system.

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wayne Merritt" <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 10:24 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Toll-Free Education & Advocacy Hotline


> Marian: this is great news indeed. One question that immediately comes
> to mind after reading this, especially the timeline you have, is this:
> will the hotline be only during business hours, or will it have an
> extended time frame? If it starts out in business hours, will it
> expand to be perhaps during the day to sometime at night? As I'm sure
> you and others know, a denial of access can happen at any time.
>
> Again though, great news. I look forward to supporting and promoting
> it among those guide dog users I know.
>
> Wayne
>
> On 9/22/09, Marion & Martin <swampfox1833 at verizon.net> wrote:
>> Dear All,
>>     Jenine has asked an important question and, as I stated in an earlier
>> message, my mind is not quite as sharp as it once was! (smile) One fact 
>> that
>> I failed to share is that NAGDU has been engaged in research & 
>> development
>> of a National Toll-Free Education & Advocacy Hotline to provide 
>> information
>> about service animals to the public. This hotline will offer general
>> information about state & Federal laws protecting the rights of service
>> animal users, as well as industry specific guidance regarding service 
>> animal
>> access. This system will include information to assist such public
>> accommodations as restaurants, lodging, taxicabs, health care facilities,
>> and airlines. In addition, callers will have the option of speaking 
>> directly
>> with a trained advocate for direct personal assistance. Furthermore, we 
>> are
>> developing brochures and other collateral materials to provide this
>> information, as well as to market the hotline.
>>     NAGDU has applied for a grant from the NFB's Imagination Fund for
>> start-up costs and is seeking ongoing funding through foundations whose
>> mission is to promote independence among the disabled, animal welfare, 
>> legal
>> assistance, and any other category we can think of to fund this project. 
>> We
>> are planning to beta test the system during the first quarter of 2010 and 
>> to
>> have the system completely functional by Spring.
>>     Once we begin the beta testing phase, we will also begin the 
>> recruitment
>> and training of the volunteers to staff the hotline. It is an ambitious
>> undertaking and I am grateful to the NAGDU Board, especially to Vice
>> President Mike Hingson, for their hard work and support of this 
>> initiative.
>> I hope our members will embrace this project and pitch in to make it a
>> success!
>>
>> fraternally yours,
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/wcmerritt%40gmail.com
>>
>
>
> -- 
> My blog:
> http://wayneism.blogspot.com
> My websites:
> www.wayneism.com
> www.whitecaneday.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/swampfox1833%40verizon.net