[nagdu] Blind man says paramedics prevented guidedog fromtraveling with him

Natalie nrorrell at qwest.net
Mon Dec 5 00:02:00 UTC 2011 

Thanks, Marion, for this information.  I'll be looking forward to seeing the 
compilation.
Best,
Nat and Liam Joshua

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 6:12 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man says paramedics prevented guidedog 
fromtraveling with him


> Natalie,
>    Some time in the very near future, there will be an article in one of 
> the major peer-reviewed professional journals for providers of emergency 
> medicine concerning service animals in what is referred to as 
> "pre-hospitalization treatment and transportation". My agreement with the 
> journal is that it may be published in the Braille Monitor 30 days after 
> it is published in the journal. This will help better educate first 
> responders to this issue. I have also written model policies for 
> ambulances and hospitals concerning service animals and these policies are 
> being submitted to the Baltimore Fire Rescue services and will be made 
> available to such entities.
>    Not all service dogs wear special gear, so the presence of a harness or 
> other identifying gear is not a prerequisite for service. The same 
> guidance applies to ambulances as with other public and private entities. 
> They may ask if the person has a disability, if the  dog is a service 
> animal, what tasks the animal is trained to perform, and how the animal 
> was trained. Unless it can be demonstrated that the service animal poses a 
> direct threat - a significant risk to the health or safety of others that 
> cannot be eliminated by a modification of policies, practices, or 
> procedures - or the animal is out of control and the handler does not take 
> effective action to correct the behavior, an individual with a disability 
> accompanied by a service animal must be allowed the same access as others. 
> HTH!
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Natalie" <nrorrell at qwest.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 2:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man says paramedics prevented guidedog 
> fromtraveling with him
>
>
>> So, is the way for the emergency responders to know by way of the 
>> harness? Just curious.  I've heard of other horror stories of handlers 
>> being separated from their guide dogs.
>> Best,
>> Nat and Liam Joshua
>>
>> ----- 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: Monday, November 28, 2011 7:01 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man says paramedics prevented guidedog 
>> fromtraveling with him
>>
>>
>>> Not always possible if you are in shock or panicked. Or if you can't 
>>> speak.
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>>> Behalf Of Natalie
>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 8:51 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind man says paramedics prevented guide dog 
>>> fromtraveling with him
>>>
>>> This is just so wrong, no matter which way you cut it.  Fortunately, 
>>> I've
>>> never had to be transported by ambulance in all the times I've worked a
>>> guide dog, but if I did, I'd inform the dispatcher I'm totally blind and 
>>> I
>>> have a guide dog on scene.
>>> Best,
>>> Nat and Liam Joshua
>>>
>>> ----- 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: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 4:29 AM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] Blind man says paramedics prevented guide dog 
>>> fromtraveling
>>> with him
>>>
>>>
>>>> Blind man says paramedics prevented guide dog from traveling with him
>>>>
>>>> Veteran, 62, had been traveling to parade when struck by car
>>>>
>>>> By Julie Scharper, The Baltimore Sun
>>>>
>>>> http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-ambulance-
>>>> service-dog-20111121,0,4352653,print.story
>>>>
>>>> 11:53 p.m. EST, November 21, 2011
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A 62-year-old blind man has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department 
>>>> of
>>>> Justice claiming Baltimore paramedics refused to allow his service dog 
>>>> to
>>>> accompany him in an ambulance after he was struck by a car.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Curtis Graham Jr., a Marine who served in Vietnam, was on his way to 
>>>> the
>>>> city's Veterans Day parade on Nov. 11 when he was hit by a car near his
>>>> West
>>>> Baltimore home. Paramedics would not allow Indo, his 2-year-old golden
>>>> Labrador retriever, into the ambulance, Graham said.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "They refused to take a service animal who I need very much," said 
>>>> Graham,
>>>> who suffered minor injuries. "He is my eyes."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright said the
>>>> incident
>>>> was under investigation. He confirmed that a blind man was struck by a 
>>>> car
>>>> and taken to a hospital by ambulance, and said he believed the victim's
>>>> guide dog had not been transported.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Cartwright said that to his knowledge, the department did not have a
>>>> policy
>>>> on service animals.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A spokesman for the National Federation for the Blind said first
>>>> responders
>>>> are "legally obligated to transport the service animal" under Maryland
>>>> law.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "You're basically taking the blind person's way of understanding his
>>>> environment away from him," said federation spokesman Chris Danielsen. 
>>>> "I
>>>> have no idea what sort of irrational thought process was behind not
>>>> letting
>>>> the dog in the ambulance, but that is an act of discrimination," he 
>>>> said.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Graham said he had planned to take the subway to join in the city's
>>>> Veterans
>>>> Day parade, then head to the National Aquarium, where he volunteers at 
>>>> the
>>>> information desk. Graham, a retired bus driver, has relied on a guide 
>>>> dog
>>>> since 2006, when he lost his sight to glaucoma.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Graham said he and Indo were crossing Cold Spring Lane near Dolfield
>>>> Avenue
>>>> when a car making a left turn plowed into them.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "My dog took the blow because he was trying to protect me," he said. 
>>>> "By
>>>> the
>>>> grace of God, he wasn't hurt."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Graham said he was flung onto the hood of the car and carried about 10
>>>> feet
>>>> before he rolled off. Paramedics quickly arrived and strapped Graham to 
>>>> a
>>>> board to stabilize him, but balked when he said Indo needed to 
>>>> accompany
>>>> him.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "They were going to leave my dog on the pavement, and I wasn't going to
>>>> have
>>>> it," he said. "I said, 'The hell you ain't. He's a service dog.' I 
>>>> said,
>>>> 'If
>>>> you don't take my dog, I ain't going.'"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Graham eventually called the apartment complex where he lives, and a
>>>> maintenance worker came to retrieve Indo.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "He was upset and I was upset," Graham said of the dog. "He didn't want 
>>>> to
>>>> go as they were taking me away in the ambulance."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Danielsen said guide dogs are highly trained and would not cause 
>>>> problems
>>>> in
>>>> an ambulance or a hospital. And, he said, it's a misdemeanor to 
>>>> separate a
>>>> guide dog from a blind person.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Graham was taken to Sinai Hospital, where doctors determined he had
>>>> bruises
>>>> and swelling. He was treated and released. Graham said it was 
>>>> disorienting
>>>> to be in the hospital without his guide dog.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "As far as I'm concerned, they violated my civil rights," he said. 
>>>> "We're
>>>> partners, and it's against [the] law for them to separate the team."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> julie.scharper at baltsun.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
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