[nagdu] Guide Dog Users, Inc. Submits Testimony on the Establishment of Security Service Animal Relief Areas (SARAS) at U.S. Airports

[Ginger Kutsch]

Guide Dog Users, Inc. Submits Testimony on the Establishment of Security
Service Animal Relief Areas (SARAS) at U.S. Airports

SBWire

Source:
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/guide-dog-users-inc-submits-testimony-o
n-the-establishment-of-security-service-animal-relief-areas-saras-at-us-airp
orts-442644.htm

 

Simi Valley, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/21/2014 --  In response to the FAA's
invitation to provide stakeholder input, Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI)
recommends that all U.S. airports be required to establish service animal
relief areas inside the sterile area of each airport concourse - to provide
reasonable accommodation for passengers with disabilities.

 

"This is a vital request as It is not practical or feasible for a disabled
person to be forced to exit and re-undergo security screening in order to
offer normal relief to his/her service animal during the normal course of
making available connecting flights," says Laurie Mehta from GDUI.

 

Continuing, "Service dog handlers and their dogs are continually burdened
with unreasonable stress associated with the legitimate concern that an
embarrassing situation could occur due to the lack of a reasonable relief
opportunity for the service dog."

 

GDUI urgently requests required implementation of this imperative and
reasonable accommodation for air-travelers with disabilities who travel with
the assistance of a trained service dog. Therefore, GDUI has made the
following requests/recommendations:

 

- In order to provide reasonable accommodation for disabled travelers, each
airport concourse should have a service animal relief area (SARA) within the
sterile area, as well as, outside of the terminal's sterile area. Airport
and airline personnel should be informed about the exact locations of the
service animal relief areas so that they can assist a disabled traveler in
locating a SARA.

 

- A SARA should be large enough to accommodate more than one dog at a time,
have clean-up bags and a convenient trash receptacle. An accessible
mechanism for indicating the location of the bags and trash receptacle, as
well as to provide information on how to activate a self-cleaning system (if
one is available) is needed for those who cannot read printed signs.

 

- Construction of a SARA should be of an easy-to-clean, well-drained surface
such as concrete, gravel or grass, or a combination of those surfaces.
Artificial turf can become dangerously hot if exposed to direct sunlight. In
addition, many dogs perceive artificial turf as carpet and will not relieve
on it, making artificial turf a less-desirable option for a SARA.

 

- The SARA should be located in each concourse to make it of practical use
and offer a disabled traveler sufficient time to relieve the service dog and
make their airline connection. Labeling maps to indicate the location of
service animal relief areas (either on site or on the web) could be helpful,
but unless a tactile map is available in an airport terminal, such maps
would not be directly helpful for blind individuals. Clear signage
indicating the location of such relief areas would also be helpful for
disabled travelers seeking assistance from the public in locating a
relieving area for their service dog.

 

GDUI also recommends a process in which an airport official would escort a
service dog handler, with their dog, to an area inside of the sterile area
that is reasonably proximate to that disabled individual's airline gate, for
the purpose of offering relief to the service dog. This escort procedure
would provide a practical solution for airports; especially as actual SARAs
are being planned and constructed. 

 

Guide Dog Users, Inc. thanks the FAA for its efforts to address the
reasonable accommodation needs of service dog handlers.