[nagdu] Going to Jail

[Marion Gwizdala]

Marsha,
    I think you ought to move on with the support of your school! I believe 
that Title II of the ADA supports your right to be accompanied by your guide 
dog. If you are denied access, I strongly encourage that you file a DOJ 
complaint. BTW, have you had a chat with the superintendent of Prisons or 
whatever that person's title may be in your state? If this one person is 
acting on behalf of the state and he is as wrong as he is, I think the 
Attorney General should know! After all, that is who will be defending this 
person in Federal court!

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marsha Drenth" <marsha.drenth at gmail.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2010 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going to Jail


> Wow, never did know that I would spark such a debate. So here is the 
> update.
> The great news, my professor and my college is standing up for my rights 
> 100
> percent. The sad thing is that the prison I will be visiting, I have been
> told, will most likely not allow my dog. And in fact will go to the extent
> of cancelling the whole trip. Now they won't admit that, I am the reason
> they are cancelling the trip. Apparently the superintendent, does NOT care
> about access or rights of anyone. This is a state ran prison, and even
> though they are ruled by state laws, apparently they do not follow them by
> any means. The college is leaving it up to me on what I want to go or not. 
> I
> want to take my guide. I have classes the rest of the day after the trip,
> and don't think I can manage to navigate the campus with her. Before 
> anyone
> jumps on me, I have good cane skills, but my vertigo and hearing loss,
> prevents me from orientating well. The disability office has said, if I do
> not take my guide on the trip and then, come to class they will help me
> around the campus.
>
> So my hands are tied, push to take her. And have the trip cancelled. Or 
> not
> take her, use my cane, but let the prison get away with violating my 
> rights,
> and not be able to get around my campus after the trip. I don't know how 
> far
> to push this, I almost feel like retaining a lawyer. Would there be anyone
> who I could call about this, maybe they could call the prison and advocate
> for me?
>
> Thank you for all the responses. Glad this is become such a debate.
>
> For anyone interested, I chose to go on this trip for my political science
> class. It's a requirement to go on 2 trips. I wanted to go to this prison,
> not for the politicalness of it, but for the psychology. I am curious why
> people commit crimes.
>
> Marsha
>
>
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