[nagdu] Hernando woman offended after restaurant service dog dispute

[Marion Gwizdala]

	Since only a disabled person is allowed to be accompanied by a service dog, I believe it is within a businesses right to ask if the person is a disabled person protected by the law but not to ask about the nature of the disability. I also believe that asking how the animal was trained if the assurance about what tasks the animal is trained to perform is not credible is a legitimate question. I will get more clarity on that from someone with more authority to speak to it.

Fraternally yours,
marion

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 8:21 PM
To: Ginger Kutsch; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Hernando woman offended after restaurant service dog dispute

Oops. 

They can ask if it’s a service dog and what tasks has it been trained to perform, but not the manner of the training nor the nature of the disability. 

Still…On the table? Or not on the table? 

I was already kind of offended at the headline, but it might actually be accurate….

> On Aug 14, 2014, at 7:58 PM, Ginger Kutsch via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hernando woman offended after restaurant service dog dispute
> 
> WFLA News Channel 8
> 
> Posted: Aug 12, 2014
> 
> By Candace McCowan -
> 
> Melanie Lisky said everything was going fine while out to dinner with 
> two friends in July at the Chili's in Spring Hill at Commercial Way and U.S. 19.
> 
> 
> 
> "She comes over and she says to me, 'I just have to let you know that 
> the dog has to be outside or under the table because you are causing a 
> commotion in the restaurant," said Lisky about what a manager at the Chili's told her.
> 
> 
> 
> "I said I can't put her under the table she has to be within a 
> vicinity of me. I said well I'll just leave. I didn't want to fight. I 
> just put my hand up and said that's okay, I'll just leave," said Lisky
> 
> 
> 
> Lisky and Chili's tell 8 On Your Side that an upset customer in the 
> restaurant claimed Lisky's service dog was on the table.
> 
> 
> 
> However Chili's said they never asked Lisky to leave.
> 
> 
> 
> The manager of the restaurant did send Lisky an apology letter along 
> with gift certificates but Lisky, who says her dog was not on the 
> table, told 8 On Your Side the damage was already done.
> 
> 
> 
> "I go to Chili's, this big organization that should be up on the ADA 
> and they're the people who come over there and make me feel like I'm 'this big.'
> It just hurt," said Lisky.
> 
> 
> 
> A representative from Chili's told 8 On Your Side the apology letter 
> was their standard letter that they sent to Lisky to apologize for the 
> upset customer.
> 
> 
> 
> "Somebody who goes into a business even if they have a legitimate 
> service dog and the dog isn't under control, the business has a right 
> to ask them to leave," said Marion Gwizdala, who works for the 
> National Association of Guide Dog Users.
> 
> 
> 
> Gwizdala, who uses a guide dog himself, said he's had people interfere 
> with his access, but that service dog users and businesses need to 
> know what the ADA allows when it comes to service animals.
> 
> 
> 
> Click here for more information on guidelines.
> 
> 
> 
> "No documentation has to be required as a condition of access. An 
> entity has a right to ask what task the animal can perform and how the 
> animal was trained," said Gwizdala.
> 
> 
> 
> Lisky depends on her Pomeranian service dog after she suffered a 
> traumatic brain injury in an accident.
> 
> 
> 
> "Basically she is letting me know I need to take myself out of the 
> environment because visual stimulation over does my brain," said Lisky.
> 
> 
> 
> Lisky wants not just restaurants but other diners to know that she has 
> rights.
> 
> 
> 
> "I am just not going to get people pushing me around and putting me 
> down, I'm tired of it," said Lisky.
> 
> 
> 
> Source:
> http://www.wfla.com/story/26265377/hernando-woman-offended-after-resta
> urant-
> service-dog-dispute
> 
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