[nagdu] Doctor bars guide dog from waiting room - phillyBurbs.com

Fri Aug 12 15:40:24 UTC 2011

Rebecca,
    It is unfortunate that the ignorance of others has a role in which 
mobility device chosen. Wouldn't it be better to educate the ignorant than 
make choices based upon that ignorance? I knew someone who asserted that 
microwave ovens were dangerous. "After All," she reasoned, "how can 
something be safe that heats food so quickly?" Pretty illogical, but I still 
have a microwave oven. Do you?
    This doctor's opinion is ignorant, no matter how well educated the 
person may be, not to mention illegal. Not the type of opinion I take stock 
in when making my choices.

Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Doctor bars guide dog from waiting room - 
phillyBurbs.com


> You know, this is part of why I don't have a dog.
> My daughter had a sore throat that was impacting her ability to eat. It is 
> called kissing tonsels and she needed to be seen right now.
> I am glad I didn't have a dog to deal with.
> It's fine to say "I'll see somebody else" but what do you do when you or 
> your child needs to see somebody right now.
> My little girl was so sick and so hungry. It was horrible. She was hungry 
> but couldn't swallow food and she had a high fever. Truly awful to see.
> How as a mom (or dad) would you feel if a doctor gave you that crap?
> My daughter was a toddler at the time. There's no way I could have just 
> said "Okay sweetie, go on in there and I'll chill out here"
>
> Have other parents been in that situation? What have they done about it?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
> Of Sherry Gomes
> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 2:56 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Doctor bars guide dog from waiting room - 
> phillyBurbs.com
>
> I had an opposite experience with a doctor of mine once, a very positive 
> experience.  when I lived in san Diego, I had an orthopedic surgeon for my 
> joint replacement surgeries.  He was really good and always seemed happy 
> to see my then golden retriever guide dog.  one day, before I went to the 
> back office for the appointment, the front office staff took me aside, and 
> told me privately that the doctor had terrible dog allergies.  They said 
> he loved dogs and never wanted to tell me about the allergies, so they 
> never had.  but this particular day he was having trouble in general. 
> They asked if I would mind leaving her with my friend in the waiting room 
> for this one time.  I didn't mind, actually, and I had my appointment. 
> The doc asked where my dog was, and I explained.  He thanked me.  But the 
> next appointment, my dog went into his office with me, as she always had 
> done before.  It was only the one time they asked me to let my friend hold 
> her, and they wouldn't have argued if I'd insisted on taking her in with 
> me.
>
> On the other hand, if I went to a doctor's office that refused to see me 
> or my partner or spouse or child or whatever, cart blanche, because of my 
> dog, I would find a different doctor and be filing complaints.
>
> Sherry
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
> Of cheryl echevarria
> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 12:46 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Doctor bars guide dog from waiting room - 
> phillyBurbs.com
>
> This was also posted on my guide dog school alumni list.
>
> I think it is appalling how this all turned out.
>
> Whether there were other patients or not I go to my doctors office 
> probably more then others, I see at least 4 doctors a few times a year, 
> and some are smaller than other ones. I only had to put my foot down once 
> as well, he was from another country, but my doctor recommended him, and 
> was in the building right next door.
>
> The Staff where he worked which was part of Stony Brook University 
> Hospital Clinics here on Long Island.  They I had a right to be there, the 
> dog had a right to be there. He said well he can't see me then, I said 
> fine, I will just go next door to the Head of the Transplant Department, 
> and tell him he wouldn't see me because I have a guide dog.
>
> Let's just say, we found me another doctor in the same office to see me, 
> and that doctor has moved on.
>
> Not much they can do. Yes they do.  They also have to determine if that is 
> the kind of doctor they want to deal with as well.
>
> Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> http://www.echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/>
> 631-456-5394
> reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
>
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel 
> CST-1018299-10
>
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise & Travel, 
> Inc.
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Ginger Kutsch<mailto:GingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
>  To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
> Users<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>  Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 1:38 PM
>  Subject: [nagdu] Doctor bars guide dog from waiting room - 
> phillyBurbs.com
>
>
>  Doctor bars guide dog from waiting room - phillyBurbs.com
>
> 
> http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/breaking_news/doctor-bars-guide-dog-from-waiting-room/article_2bb1009f-5a51-5350-bb2f-6783c4767b5a.html<http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/breaking_news/doctor-bars-guide-dog-from-waiting-room/article_2bb1009f-5a51-5350-bb2f-6783c4767b5a.html>
>
>  Doctor bars guide dog from waiting room
>
>  By Christian Menno
>
>  Staff writer
>
>  Thursday, August 11, 2011
>
>
>
>  ?A guide dog for a visually impaired Bensalem man was kicked out of a 
> local doctor�s office, but the doctor said she had the right to do so.
>
>
>
>  But, according to a lawyer and advocate for the disabled, the Lower 
> Southampton doctor�s actions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
>
>
>
>  �You cannot exclude service animals except in very specific situations,� 
> said Rocco Iaculla, an attorney with the Disability Rights Network of 
> Pennsylvania. �Unless the animal is out of control or not housebroken or 
> someone nearby has a severe allergic reaction, you must permit them in any 
> area that the public is permitted. It has to be more than someone feeling 
> uncomfortable with an animal present.�
>
>
>
>  Dr. Priya Punjabi argues that it is her right to determine who enters the 
> property and that a large animal could scare or upset her patients.
>
>
>
>  On Aug. 4, Joseph Cichonski accompanied his wife, who was scheduled to 
> receive a physical, to Punjabi�s office at 1629 Bridgetown Pike.
>
>
>
>  As he does whenever he leaves his home, Cichonski, 58, brought his guide 
> dog Hero, a Labrador-golden retriever mix.
>
>
>
>  Cichonski said Hero was lying calmly at his feet in the waiting room and 
> Cichonski�s wife was waiting to be treated in the examination room when 
> the doctor approached him, saying that pets weren�t allowed in the office 
> and telling him that he had to wait outside.
>
>
>
>  �I told her that it�s not a pet, it�s a guide dog, but she still said I 
> couldn�t have him in there,� Cichonski told the newspaper. �How many pets 
> do you know that can be declared on your federal income tax forms?�
>
>
>
>  Cichonski, who said he sees only a little light and shadows, said he then 
> stepped outside the office because he didn�t want to cause a scene, but 
> not before informing the staff that he was calling the police to file a 
> complaint.
>
>
>
>  �I could have just sat in that chair until the police arrived,� he added.
>
>
>
>  He said his wife was told she wouldn�t be treated while the dog was in 
> the office. So she left, too.
>
>
>
>  Cpl. Michael Wojnar of the Lower Southampton Police Department arrived 
> and went inside to speak with Punjabi, Cichonski said. He said the officer 
> was friendly and helpful and told him that a report would be filed.
>
>
>
>  On Wednesday, Wojnar said that a complaint had indeed been filed. He 
> added that if the newspaper wants to see the report, a right-to-know 
> request must be completed because the matter is civil, not criminal.
>
>
>
>  Punjabi told the newspaper that the dog had occupied a large portion of 
> the floor space in the small waiting room. The room holds just seven 
> chairs for patients, she said.
>
>
>
>  While no other patients were there at the time, she said that two walked 
> into the waiting room just as the situation with Cichonski was unfolding.
>
>
>
>  Punjabi said that a Bensalem woman who arrived later that morning to 
> accompany her 90-year-old mother for an appointment heard the story and 
> agreed with the doctor�s decision. Punjabi said she asked that woman to 
> put her feelings in writing and provided the newspaper with a copy of the 
> letter Tuesday.
>
>
>
>  The woman, who asked that her name not be published, said that while she 
> loves dogs and respects all disabled people, she would not have felt 
> comfortable having the dog in the room with her mother.
>
>
>
>  �My mother has liquid bones and is very frail,� she added. �I would have 
> been afraid the dog might have bumped into her, causing even more 
> injuries.�
>
>
>
>  Punjabi, who said she is afraid of dogs, added that her request was 
> polite.
>
>
>
>  �We simply asked him to step outside,� she said. �I have my rights and my 
> phobias, too.�
>
>
>
>  Iaculla said that Cichonski handled things correctly by staying calm.
>
>
>
>  �Unfortunately, there�s not much you can do in a situation like that,� he 
> added. �I�d recommend contacting an organization (like the Disability 
> Rights Network). Hopefully, the agency can contact the doctor�s office and 
> try to get a dialogue going to explain the laws and how to handle a 
> similar matter in the future.�
>
>
>
>  Cichonski said Wednesday that he�s exploring his options.
>
>
>
>  �I�m not trying to cause a fuss,� he added. �I just want to let people 
> know that things like this are happening and I�d like to prevent them from 
> happening to other people with disabilities.�
>
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