[nagdu] Blind Brockton woman says Seeing Eye dog not allowedinto restaurant

cheryl echevarria cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
Sat Jun 12 14:46:12 UTC 2010


so it was an employee and not the owner that denied access.

Cheryl Echevarria
Independent Travel Consultant
C10-10646

http://Echevarriatravel.com
1-866-580-5574

http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind Brockton woman says Seeing Eye dog not 
allowedinto restaurant


> I just saw an update to this article. Apparently the owners of the 
> restaurant went out to this woman's house, in person, and apologized. They 
> have further suspended the employee in question for a week without pay, 
> and they have pledged a donation to the Seeing Eye. Sounds like they 
> really want to make amends to me.
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Jun 12, 2010, at 8:43 AM, Cathryn Bonnette wrote:
>
> > I have a simple approach for such incidents. I explain to the employee 
> > that
> > my guide dog is my eyes and is protected by law. If they insist we 
> > cannot be
> > served, I ask for the manager. Once I confirm that the manager is also
> > refusing us service, I quietly ask, "Would you like to call the police, 
> > or
> > shall I call them?" In most cases, this question alerts them to the fact
> > that they are wrong. In 2 out of many incidents, either a manager or I 
> > have
> > called police who talk directly to management about the law, reinforcing
> > what I have explained.  The result is that we are served excellently, 
> > often
> > with apologies. Also, the rights of all dog users are protected.  I am
> > convinced that each single incident is important because guide dog users 
> > are
> > a triple minority- disabled people are a minority, blindness is a 
> > minority
> > of that group, and guide dog users are a minority of blind people. We 
> > have
> > to support each other on access issues, or the law becomes ineffective, 
> > and
> > we all lose.
> > (OK, I'm stepping off my "soapbox". It's early Saturday morning- time 
> > for a
> > cup of coffee! Happy Saturday everyone!
> >
> > Cathryn (& Abby)
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> > Behalf
> > Of Mark J. Cadigan
> > Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 8:22 PM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind Brockton woman says Seeing Eye dog not
> > allowedintorestaurant
> >
> > There must be some sort of way to teach the general public about guide 
> > dog
> > access legislation. The Patriot Ledger is my home town news paper and I 
> > live
> >
> > a few miles away from the area where this incident took place. Brockton 
> > MA
> > is an interesting town to say the least. This man referred to might not
> > understand American law. This might partly explain this incident.
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Ginger Kutsch" <gingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
> > To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 10:01 AM
> > Subject: [nagdu] Blind Brockton woman says Seeing Eye dog not allowed
> > intorestaurant
> >
> >
> >> Blind Brockton woman says Seeing Eye dog not allowed into
> >> restaurant
> >> By Maria Papadopoulos
> >> ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
> >> Posted Jun 11, 2010 @ 01:38 AM
> >>
> >> BROCKTON, MASS.  - Claire Crowell says she could not see the man
> >> who refused to let her Seeing Eye dog accompany her into a city
> >> restaurant.
> >>
> >> She could only hear him - and his words stunned her.
> >>
> >> "He said, 'I don't care, you can't come in here with the dog,'"
> >> Crowell, 69, said while standing next to the dog, Vixen, in the
> >> kitchen of her Brockton home Thursday afternoon.
> >>
> >> Crowell said she and a friend went to the Chinatown restaurant on
> >> Oak Street Extension on Wednesday for lunch.
> >>
> >> When she walked inside with Vixen, she said a male employee told
> >> her she could come in, but to leave the dog outside.
> >>
> >> Crowell said she told the employee that federal law allows her to
> >> bring a guide dog into the restaurant, but the man refused the
> >> dog again. Crowell then left the restaurant.
> >>
> >> "I felt embarrassed and violated, you know? It's very
> >> embarrassing," Crowell said, crying. "It's hard enough to be a
> >> disabled person, but when you're treated like that, it's not
> >> fun."
> >>
> >> The federal Americans with Disabilities Act requires
> >> privately-owned businesses that serve the public to allow people
> >> with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business
> >> premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed. The
> >> law applies to businesses including restaurants, hotels, retail
> >> stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls and sports facilities.
> >>
> >> State law says that whoever deprives a physically handicapped
> >> person this right may be fined $300 and is liable for civil
> >> action.
> >>
> >> At Chinatown restaurant on Thursday, employee Dominic So said
> >> that he refused to let Vixen, Crowell's dog, into the restaurant
> >> on Wednesday.
> >>
> >> "I work here. I have the right to stop the dog," said So, 50. "I
> >> won't let a dog in the restaurant."
> >>
> >> When informed of the federal law that allows a guide dog to be
> >> inside the restaurant, So said, "I have no clue."
> >>
> >> "The dog can wait outside," So said. "When she eats, she doesn't
> >> need the dog. When she walks, she needs the dog. I understand
> >> that."
> >>
> >> So said that Crowell could have people assist her inside the
> >> restaurant, but the dog should stay outside.
> >>
> >> "I just can't let a dog in the dining room when I have customers
> >> dining here," So said. "If she insists I violated her rights,
> >> there's nothing I can do. I'm right to refuse a dog in the
> >> restaurant."
> >>
> >> Businesses refusing guide dogs is seen regularly, and often
> >> results from a misunderstanding on the part of business owners,
> >> said Chris Danielsen, spokesman for the National Federation of
> >> the Blind in Baltimore.
> >>
> >> "You simply have to educate the business owner," he said. "If a
> >> business owner actually refuses, it can lead to seeking charges
> >> to being filed."
> >>
> >> "It's obviously very upsetting to the person that it happens to,"
> >> he added.
> >>
> >> If Crowell made a complaint to police, officers would go to the
> >> restaurant to explain the law to employees, police Lt. Tom
> >> LaFratta said.
> >>
> >> "If they still refuse, I would take punitive action," LaFratta
> >> said.
> >>
> >> Crowell said she formerly worked as a medical assistant before an
> >> autoimmune condition led to the deterioration of her eyesight
> >> over the past three decades. She became legally blind in the
> >> 1990s.
> >>
> >> Hugging Vixen, she said she relies on the part golden retriever,
> >> part Labrador retriever on showing her the way.
> >>
> >> "The dog is my eyes," she said. "She is supposed to see for me
> >> and guide me where I need to go."
> >>
> >> Maria Papadopoulos can be reached at
> >> mpapadopoulos at enterprisenews.com.
> >>
> >> Source:
> >> http://www.patriotledger.com/business/x1602635111/Blind-Brockton-
> >> woman-Seeing-Eye-dog-not-allowed-into-restaurant
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> 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/kramc11%40gmail.com
> >>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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/cathrynisfinally%40ve
> > rizon.net
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2931 - Release Date: 06/11/10
> > 18:35:00
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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/buddy%40brannan.name
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com
> 




More information about the NAGDU mailing list