[nagdu] National Convention--my opinion

Wed Jul 10 23:29:18 UTC 2013

Danielle,
	I would be more than happy to appoint such a committee. I would like
to invite you to our next board meeting on July 28 to discuss this further.
The meeting begins at 8:00 p.m. EDT and uses the same call-in information as
was circulated for the debriefing this Sunday.

Fraternally yours,
Marion Gwizdala

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle A.
Creapeau
Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 4:24 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion

Since I kicked off the thread, I would like to volunteer to head/form a
sub-committee (if the NAGDU board says it's ok) to do research on how to
improve conditions at convention without breaking the bank.

On 7/10/13, Michael Hingson <info at michaelhingson.com> wrote:
> ACB's fee is voluntary, but it only appears if you attend the GDUI 
> meetings.
> I suggest that we simply have an opportunity for all on the 
> registration or pre registration forms.  Fee is a donation and optional.
>
>
> Best,
>
>
> Michael Hingson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Margo and 
> Arrow
> Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 12:22 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>
> Well, let's check the legalities.  How does A C B justify it?
>
> Let's not totally reinvent the wheel, folks.
>
> Margoa nd Arrow
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of National 
> Association of Guide Dog Users
> Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 3:02 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>
> Julie,
> 	Do you remember when there were pay toilets? I believe that practice

> was discontinued because it was deemed to not be in the public 
> interest. I believe charging guide dog users for the privilege of 
> using a relief area could be construed as a surcharge and, by 
> definition, would be discriminatory. At the same time, I believe those 
> of us who use the relief areas would be best served by making 
> contributions to its upkeep. The challenge is that those of us who are 
> responsible will voluntarily make such contributions while those who 
> are not will likely not. It is much the same as for our meetings. 
> Those who attend the meetings and make contributions as we pass the 
> dog bowl understand it is our civic duty. Those who do not attend our 
> meetings are those who have other ideas in this respect. This is not 
> to say that there are other reasons, such as conflicts in scheduling, 
> for not attending our meetings; however, the vast majority of guide 
> dog users do not come to our meeting due to apathy. At a convention a 
> few years ago, one person told me NAGDU had nothing to offer him. 
> About three months later he called me to ask what NAGDU was going to 
> do about an issue he was having. I reminded him of his "NAGDU has 
> nothing to offer" comment, then help him out. He promised he would 
> become more active. I haven't heard from him since!
> 	There are practical considerations we need to take into account due 
> to the sheer number of dogs in one place and, I am of the opinion that 
> we should all do our parts in ensuring that our hosts do not suffer 
> losses because of our presence. By this, I mean that those who tend to 
> be a little defiant of rules would do better by understanding that 
> public order is best served when we comply with some basic codes of
etiquette.
> 	If we go to someone's home and our dog relieves itself on the
carpet, 
> thus damaging that person's property, most of us feel it is our 
> responsibility to take care of the problem. When we visit a large 
> hotel, we should also take collective care to not damage the property. 
> As I mentioned in an earlier post, the number of dogs requires we 
> employ different practices than when we are the only guest with a 
> service dog. If we were to allow 400 dogs to relieve on a small patch 
> of grass, the urine would damage the landscape; therefore, we need to 
> employ unusual circumstance of a relief area.
> 	I know this is redundant, but I say all this again in the hope it 
> will get through to those who may not appreciate how 400 dogs can 
> impact a property's landscape.
> 	We are working to find solutions to the problems we face during 
> convention, one of which is how to accommodate for so many guide dogs. 
> We have a year to brainstorm and plan how we will solve this problem. 
> If we had an easy, economical alternative, we would be more than 
> willing to consider it. Please let us know your thoughts!
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
> Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 11:01 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] National Convention--my opinion
>
> Isn't requiring guide dog users to pay a fee for a service or 
> participating in an event against our beliefs as an organization?
>
> I've always felt that NAGDU  was opposed to charging guide dog users 
> fees based on their choice to use a guide dog.  I don't know about the 
> legality of doing this in this particular situation, but if the hotel 
> did it, there would be a giant fuss about it.  If we wouldn't put up 
> with it from the hotel, why would we impose it on ourselves?  I'm not 
> trying to start anything, but it seems like a contradiction to me.
>
> Julie
>
>
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