[nagdu] Goodwill Changes Policy On Service Dogs

Margo and Arrow margo.downey at verizon.net
Wed Jul 18 15:35:01 UTC 2012 

Well, they pay subminimum wages to their workers, so, it doesn't surprise me 
about this other false policy.

Margo and Arrow
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie McGinnity" <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 11:22 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Goodwill Changes Policy On Service Dogs


> Decided?  I hope that's just a bad wording choice on his part.  If
> not, it's sad to me that a business like Goodwill would think that the
> ADA is optional.  I wonder how many state laws conflict with the
> federal ADA like that.
>
> Also, I don't really like the way she kept saying that the woman
> "claimed."  Like she was lying about her experiencing descrimination.
> I also found some gramatically incorrect wording and strangely written
> expressions in this article.  That kind of stuff from the media really
> bugs me.
>
> On 7/18/12, Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name> wrote:
>> Of course the ADA overrides state law. I was only commenting on his
>> statement that they'd best go ahead and follow it, as if they had a 
>> choice
>> in the matter.
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jul 18, 2012, at 10:46 AM, Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Gees, Buddy, calm down. <Grin> I don't think that is a good analogy. The
>>> fascinating thing is that the ADA over rides the Tennessee law, I think,
>>> so how is it they are just doing this out of the goodness of their 
>>> little
>>> hearts.
>>>
>>> Cindy Lou
>>>
>>> On Jul 18, 2012, at 9:36 AM, Buddy Brannan wrote:
>>>
>>>> "why: ?Even though we were already operating under the Tennessee law, 
>>>> we
>>>> decided that it would be best for us to go ahead and comply with the 
>>>> ADA
>>>> law."
>>>>
>>>> "
>>>>
>>>> So, what, the ADA is optional? Like, you can choose whether to follow 
>>>> it
>>>> or not? That's fantastic! So, I can murder the guy in the next cube 
>>>> over
>>>> because he annoys me, and it's OK, because I choose not to acknowledge
>>>> the laws against murder? Annoying people of the world, you'd better 
>>>> watch
>>>> out!
>>>> --
>>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Jul 18, 2012, at 7:11 AM, "Ginger Kutsch" <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Goodwill Changes Policy On Service Dogs
>>>>>
>>>>> By Megan Brantley
>>>>>
>>>>> Jun 15 2012
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.wcyb.com/Goodwill-Changes-Policy-On-Service-Dogs/-/14590664/15240
>>>>> 106/-/9ycsahz/-/index.html
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -
>>>>>
>>>>> She claimed to be a victim of discrimination because Goodwill turned
>>>>> her
>>>>> away and wouldn't let her service dog in the store. Earlier this week
>>>>> we
>>>>> told you about a local woman and a controversy over her service dog.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Original story: Service Dog Owner Claims Discrimination
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Rose Hollowka suffers from epilepsy and said her dog, which warns her
>>>>> beforehand that she is about to have a seizure, was not allowed in a
>>>>> Johnson
>>>>> City Goodwill store. The story said that was because she didn't have
>>>>> documentation to prove Honey was a service dog.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> That story touched a nerve for many folks; it has been viewed over
>>>>> 15,000
>>>>> times here on WCYB.com. It also brought a flood of calls and emails to
>>>>> Goodwill about disability discrimination.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "Nationally we heard a lot. A lot of Goodwill [stores] across the
>>>>> country do
>>>>> hear a lot. They want to comment on it. They want to know. They really
>>>>> don't
>>>>> know how the Goodwill organization is set up," said Bob Miller, CEO 
>>>>> and
>>>>> President of Goodwill of Tenn/Va.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> We searched the law and found Tennessee does in fact allow businesses
>>>>> to
>>>>> choose whether or not to ask for documentation when someone has a
>>>>> service
>>>>> animal, but the organization is now making some changes. Miller
>>>>> explained
>>>>> why: ?Even though we were already operating under the Tennessee law, 
>>>>> we
>>>>> decided that it would be best for us to go ahead and comply with the
>>>>> ADA
>>>>> law."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Miller told us that Goodwill will announce on its website the new
>>>>> policy
>>>>> with service animals. Now it will only ask what service an animal
>>>>> provides,
>>>>> but not ask for documentation. "I am glad that they changed the 
>>>>> policy,
>>>>> said
>>>>> Rose Hollowka. ?I am disappointed that it takes someone going to the
>>>>> media
>>>>> to get this changed and taken care of."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> That's a change that backs up Goodwill?s mission to serve those with
>>>>> disabilities.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Original story: Service Dog Owner Claims Discrimination
>>>>>
>>>>> By Megan Brantley
>>>>>
>>>>> POSTED: Jun 12 2012 05:48:52 AM EDT UPDATED: 5:43 AM Jun 12 2012
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.wcyb.com/Service-Dog-Owner-Claims-Discrimination/-/14590664/15240
>>>>> 206/-/h8wnql/-/index.html
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -
>>>>>
>>>>> A Johnson City woman claims that she was discriminated against for
>>>>> bringing
>>>>> her service dog inside a store.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> According to the Americans with Disability Act, state and local
>>>>> governments,
>>>>> businesses, and non-profit organizations that serve the public must
>>>>> allow
>>>>> service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of
>>>>> the
>>>>> facility where the public is normally allowed to go.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> One woman she was not allowed to do so when she was shopping at the
>>>>> Goodwill. Rose Holowka is dealing with a disability. "I was in a car
>>>>> wreck
>>>>> back in 1992 which caused seizures that developed into epilepsy and
>>>>> have
>>>>> partial complex seizures," she explained.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Her service dog Honey makes things a little easier, but we learned 
>>>>> that
>>>>> the
>>>>> law makes it a little harder. ?About a month ago my husband and I went
>>>>> to
>>>>> the Goodwill, and we were approached by their supervisor. We were told
>>>>> that
>>>>> we had to leave or show certification or documentation for the dog,"
>>>>> said
>>>>> Holowka.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Unlike being blind, Holowka doesn't have a visible disability and she
>>>>> says
>>>>> that makes it harder to convince people.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Federal law does not require folks to show proof an animal is a 
>>>>> service
>>>>> dog.
>>>>> State representative Jon Lundberg says places are not allowed to ask.
>>>>> ?You
>>>>> can't ask to see that,? says Lundberg, ?This is not like 'let's see 
>>>>> you
>>>>> driver's license, let's see your dog credentials.' It doesn't work 
>>>>> that
>>>>> way,
>>>>> it wasn't designed to work that way."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Although it wasn't designed that way, it's put places like Goodwill in
>>>>> a
>>>>> very tough position. With the animals not being required by law to 
>>>>> wear
>>>>> a
>>>>> vest or dog tag, it makes it hard to tell which dog is a service dog
>>>>> and
>>>>> which isn't.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> We spoke with a representative from Goodwill who said that with the
>>>>> right
>>>>> paperwork they'd be happy to allow them in, but until then, their
>>>>> policy
>>>>> says no pets allowed.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Julie McG
> Lindbergh High School class of 2009, National Federation of the Blind
> of Missouri recording secretary,
> Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
> and proud graduate of Guiding Eyes for the Blind
>
> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
> life."
> John 3:16
>
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