[nagdu] Goodwill Changes Policy On Service Dogs

Wed Jul 18 16:06:39 UTC 2012

I wonder if their nfb affiliate is aware of all this.

Margo and Arrow
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Goodwill Changes Policy On Service Dogs

> Well, actually Tennessee might want to consider upgrading their law, too, 
> so that the possibility of confusion over laws cannot be used as an 
> excuse.
>
> Cindy
>
> On Jul 18, 2012, at 10:32 AM, Margo and Arrow wrote:
>
>> So, I wonder when they'll start paying minimum wage, and, it's just 
>> amazing they didn't check with the ADA before making their false 
>> policies. Incredible!
>>
>> Margoa nd Arrow
>>
>>
>> ----- 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: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 7:11 AM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Goodwill Changes Policy On Service Dogs
>>
>>
>>> 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.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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