[nagdu] FW: [Nfbf-l] Fw: HILLSBORO SCHOOL DISTRICT AGREES TO ACCESS FOR AUTISMSERVICE DOG

Julie J julielj at neb.rr.com
Wed Mar 9 13:36:35 UTC 2011


I think this might just be the first news article that I've read that 
doesn't have any obvious legal errors or inaccurate information. It was also 
enough info about the situation for me to understand the story.  The 
journalist should get some sort of medal!

Julie



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sherrill O'Brien" <sherrill.obrien at verizon.net>
To: "Nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>; "FLAGDU List" <flagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 4:44 PM
Subject: [nagdu] FW: [Nfbf-l] Fw: HILLSBORO SCHOOL DISTRICT AGREES TO ACCESS 
FOR AUTISMSERVICE DOG


> Hello all,
>
> We read about this dispute some time ago on the list, and now the school
> district is complying with the parents' request that their autistic son be
> allowed to be accompanied to school by his service dog. Read on.
>
> Sherrill
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org]On
> Behalf Of Carlos J MontasAS
> Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 5:12 PM
> To: NFB of Florida Listserv
> Subject: [Nfbf-l] Fw: HILLSBORO SCHOOL DISTRICT AGREES TO ACCESS FOR
> AUTISM SERVICE DOG
> DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> __
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Civil Rights Division
>
> MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2011
> (202) 514-2007
>
> WWW.JUSTICE.GOV
> TDD (202) 514-1888
>
>
>
> HILLSBORO SCHOOL DISTRICT AGREES TO ACCESS FOR
>
> AUTISM SERVICE DOG
>
>
>
>            WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that the
> Hillsboro, Oregon, School District will allow Jordan "Scooter" Givens to
> bring his trained autism service dog into his classroom in the Hillsboro
> School District.
>
>
>
> The highly trained service dog, Madison, provides critical assistance to
> Scooter, recognizing when he is about to engage in behavior that might
> endanger him, and distracting him to obstruct this type of behavior.  For
> nearly three years, Scooter's parents' efforts to get permission for 
> Scooter
> to bring Madison to school had been rebuffed.  After U.S. Attorney Dwight
> Holton and a senior attorney from the Civil Rights Division met in late
> January with the superintendent of the Hillsboro School District regarding
> the failure to accommodate the Givens' request, the school district
> announced last Friday that it would allow Scooter to be accompanied by the
> service dog for a trial period.
>
>
>
> The Department of Justice investigation resulted from a complaint filed 
> with
> the department by Joel Greenberg, an attorney with Disability Rights of
> Oregon (DRO).
>
>
>
> "Service animals assist students with disabilities across the United 
> States
> every day of the school year without incident," said Thomas E. Perez,
> Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "Fears,
> generalizations and stereotypes are simply insufficient to deny access to 
> a
> student's service dog, and the department will continue to provide school
> districts with technical assistance to make sure they comply with the 
> ADA."
>
>
>
>            "Kids with autism deserve the same opportunity as the rest of 
> us
> to grow and learn," said U.S. Attorney Holton.  "Scooter's service dog 
> will
> help him grow up to meet his full potential - which is something we should
> all expect and hope for our children."  Holton praised the school 
> district's
> decision to engage in a trial period with the service dog:  "The last 
> thing
> we need is years of litigation, costing the people of Hillsboro hundreds 
> of
> thousands of dollars - Scooter is growing up, and doesn't have time for
> lawyers to wrangle."
>
>
>
> The specific terms and parameters of the assessment period are still being
> worked out, but the school board's vote shows a good faith effort to
> voluntarily resolve this dispute without more formal action by the
> department.
>
>
>
> The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires schools and other 
> public
> entities and businesses to allow individuals with disabilities to be
> accompanied by service animals. Service animals cannot be denied access
> except for the rare instances in which their actual behavior poses a 
> direct
> threat to the safety of others or results in a fundamental alteration of 
> the
> nature of a program.
>
>
>
> Service animals are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for 
> the
> benefit of individuals with disabilities, including individuals with
> neurological disabilities caused by autism.  Because of a recent change in
> rules on service animals adopted by the Justice Department, beginning 
> March
> 15, 2011, service animals will be limited to dogs.  Service dogs perform a
> wide variety of functions. Examples of these functions include guiding
> persons who are blind or have low vision; alerting individuals who are 
> deaf
> or hard of hearing to sounds; warning persons about impending seizures or
> other medical conditions; performing a variety of tasks for persons with
> psychiatric disabilities, and picking up items, opening doors, flipping
> switches, providing physical support and pulling wheelchairs for 
> individuals
> with mobility disabilities.
>
>
>
> The case is being handled by Jeanine Worden, Deputy Chief of the Civil
> Rights Division's Disability Rights Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney
> Adrian Brown.
>
>
>
> More information about the ADA, rights and responsibilities under the ADA
> relating to service animals, and instructions on filing an ADA complaint
> with the Justice Department is available at www.ada.gov. This information
> includes two publications specifically addressing service animal access:
> "ADA Business Brief: Service Animals" and "Commonly Asked Questions About
> Service Animals in Places of Business." Those interested in obtaining 
> copies
> of these documents or additional information about the ADA can also call 
> the
> Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line (800) 514-0301 or 
> (800)
> 514-0383 (TTY).
>
>
>
> ###
>
>
>
> 11-285
>
>
>
> DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE.  IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE
> CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR CALL THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT
> 202-514-2007.
>
>
>


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