[nagdu] Resolution Concerning Service Animals

Marion Gwizdala blind411 at verizon.net
Wed Jun 30 00:49:40 UTC 2010


Dear All,
    Pasted below and attached to this message is a resolution we will present at the 2010 annual meeting of the National Association of Guide Dog Users and to the general assembly. Please take the time to read this resolution and ask any questions you may have. The membership will be asked to vote on endorsing this resolution before it is presented to the entire convention.

fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala, President
National Association of Guide Dog Users
National Federation of the Blind
813-626-2789
Blind411 at Verizon.net



RESOLUTION 2010-XX

Regarding Civil Rights Protection of Blind Persons 

and Their Service Animals in Public Accommodations

Proponent: Marion Gwizdala

 

 

WHEREAS, the purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is "the removal of the legal, social, and economic barriers faced by the blind" so that we will achieve "full integration into society on terms of equality"; and 

 

WHEREAS, discrimination by places of public accommodation is one of the barriers faced by the blind, especially among those who choose to use a guide dog as their mobility tool; and 

 

WHEREAS, state laws vary in the protection from discrimination that they offer to their blind citizens; and 

 

WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public accommodations and offers greater protection against discrimination than many state laws; and 

 

WHEREAS, many states have laws that contain provisions that are incongruent with the ADA, such as requirements that service animals must wear specific gear, provisions for muzzling, requirements for documentation, language concerning certifications that do not exist, and prohibitions of service animals in zoos, all of which are considered discriminatory under the ADA; and 

 

WHEREAS, although the ADA has been in existence for twenty years, many states have not bothered to change their laws to conform with the ADA; and 

 

WHEREAS, a large majority of states provide criminal penalties for discrimination on the basis of disability, allowing law enforcement to intervene, generally resulting in an immediate resolution of such access issues, while providing appropriate penalties for more serious infractions; and 

 

WHEREAS, criminal penalties allow for a more expeditious resolution of such access issues (benefiting the disabled community, in general, and society as a whole) by addressing discrimination at the local level, while relieving individuals from the burden of costly litigation and prolonged civil processes:  Now, therefore, 

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, that this organization call upon state legislatures to examine their statutes for parity with the ADA, removing provisions that are not in conformity with this Federal law; and 

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the remaining states that do not provide criminal penalties for discrimination against blind guide dog users to more effectively promote and protect the equal rights of their blind citizens by creating criminal penalties for acts of discrimination; and 

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge all states to protect the civil rights of the blind by vigorous enforcement of the law.  
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2010 Resolution Regarding Service Animals .doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 28160 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nagdu_nfbnet.org/attachments/20100629/41d4a589/attachment.doc>


More information about the NAGDU mailing list