[nagdu] hotels

[Marion Gwizdala]

    "better customer service" is never a "perk" when it is discriminatory. 
Under Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act,

"Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require an individual with a 
disability to accept an accommodation, aid, service, opportunity, or benefit 
which such individual chooses not to accept." (42 USC 12201(d))

Therefore, requiring a person to accept an accommodation because the entity 
perceives a "need" for such an accommodation when the person doesn't want it 
is considered discriminatory under the ADA.



Fraternally yours,

Marion Gwizdala





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Owens, Parker" <Parker.Owens at EKU.EDU>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] hotels


> Here's something you may not have thought of. What if there were a fire in 
> the building or some other emergency? They may have directives with the 
> fire and police departments to check specific rooms first. In your case, 
> no problem. But imagine someone else that needs assistance that has 
> refused the 'accessible' room. You may not like it, but there are real 
> reasons the hotel may want to make the employees aware of your visit. 
> Better customer service is a perk, even though it is unequal.
>
> Where I work (a university), we have a box of information for emergency 
> workers at each dorm, that tells the names of students and the location of 
> the rooms for anyone that might require assistance. It may be a terrible 
> invasion of privacy, but we are required to do this by the university 
> safety office.
>
> I hope I am not offending anyone by mentioning the other side of this.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
> Of Julie J
> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 4:18 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] hotels
>
> I just had to write a quick vent before I head out for that training I'm 
> going to.
>
> I work for the county, but this training is being paid for through a grant 
> from a regional prevention agency.  They are paying or reimbursing all 
> expenses, which is how I am able to go.  Throughout the year I attend 
> other events sponsored by this agency.  They all know me and of course 
> Monty.
>
> Here's the rough spot.  They set up the hotel as a direct bill to their 
> agency, which means that I didn't make my own reservation.  You know where 
> this is going.  They told the hotel that I'm blind, have a guide dog, but 
> that I'm very independent and they don't need to worry about me.  AARGH! 
> just AARGH!
>
> So I've been told that the hotel has no problem with the dog.  Yeah, I was 
> real worried about that.  I have also been put on the first floor, which I 
> don't care one way or another about.  But I am oh so relieved to know that 
> the hotel is okay with me coming! *sarcastic smile*
>
> There's nothing to be done about it really.  I did try to explain to the 
> lady who made the reservation for me that all of that extra info was 
> unnecessary and that I'm pretty well  accustomed to speaking up for myself 
> and my rights.
>
> I hope the next few days are not one long saga like this.
>
> Julie
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