[nagdu] Fwd: East Tennessee group speaks out against school serviceanimal ru

[Tracy Carcione]

Hi Jimmy.
Sounds like you're getting things moving in the right direction.  Good job!
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jimmy via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "National Association of Guide Dog Users Gwizdala" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 7:04 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Fwd: East Tennessee group speaks out against school 
serviceanimal ru


>
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> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: James Alan Boehm <jimmydagerman80 at gmail.com>
>> Date: June 4, 2014 at 9:19:18 PM CDT
>> To: "Group Nagdu Tagdu , Nagdu Memconsuelo johnsonnagdu Mem , NAgdu 
>> Memphis Chris Spivey , NAGDU TN Katherine Moore , James Brown , Ricky Tn 
>> Aa B A A , Melissa Mayo , Nagdu Luke Nashville , gregg Boss Memphis , 
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>> nagdu TN Nashville Jason Kennedy , Nancynagdu Tn Badger , Nagdu TNPhillis 
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>> Brenda Mathes , Ashley ash , Nagdu Amanda Chatanooga , Nagdu Darrell 
>> Bowles Tennessee , Nagdu Stephaneie , Nagdu Shea Welch , faith Manion , 
>> Nagdu Joyce gouge , Nagdu Tagdu Dominique Lawless , nagdu kelby 
>> Vanderbilt Carlson , nagdu junior farley nashville area , Nagdu Tagdu 
>> Dominique Lawless , NAGDU George Athens >" <kgw2g at mtmail.mtsu.edu>
>> Cc: Mom and dad Home <apollo_1 at comcast.net>
>> Subject: East Tennessee group speaks out against school service animal ru
>>
>>
>> http://www.wate.com/story/25695873/east-tennessee-group-speaks-out-against-school-service-animal-rules
>>
>> East Tennessee group speaks out against school service animal rules
>>
>> By JILL MCNEAL
>> 6 News Anchor/Reporter
>>
>> ATHENS (WATE) - A group representing people who use guide dogs says some 
>> local school systems are breaking the rules.
>>
>> The Tennessee Association of Guide Dog Users reached out to 6 News 
>> claiming that Blount and McMinn County school systems have policies on 
>> guide dogs that don't match up with federal disability standards.
>>
>> George Hall of Athens, who's legally blind, has had his guide dog Patriot 
>> for the last ten years.
>>
>> "When you're in a store and you're there without a guide dog, you're 
>> lost. It's scary," Hall said.
>>
>> So when he learned of the detailed policy McMinn County schools had 
>> adopted when it came to service animals for students, he was upset.
>>
>> "To me, it's not fair," he said.
>>
>> Hall contacted the Tennessee Association of Guide Dog Users, who 
>> contacted 6 News, saying the McMinn and Blount County school policies 
>> discriminate against people with disabilities by requiring prior approval 
>> to use a service animal, proof of disability and annual updates, and 
>> proof of liability insurance.
>>
>> Web extra: Read the statement by the Tennessee Association of Guide Dog 
>> Users [PDF]
>>
>> "We want to be in compliance with all laws, state and federal," said Joe 
>> Gaston, director of federal programs for McMinn County schools.
>>
>> Gaston says the district recently received notice from the Tennessee 
>> School Boards Association that their policy was not compliant with the 
>> Americans with Disabilities Act and suggested changes.
>>
>> "They told us a service entity may ask if a service animal is required 
>> because of a disability and that kind of thing, but we can't go into 
>> specific detail like our old policy did," Gaston said.
>>
>> Gaston says the school board will adopt a new policy this summer.
>>
>> "The bottom line is we need people with disabilities to have full access 
>> to their communities," said State Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, director of 
>> Sertoma Center that serves adults with intellectual disabilities.
>>
>> Massey helped pass a law last year that brings state law more in line 
>> with the ADA.
>>
>> "Hopefully bringing this to light, it will get a lot of the school boards 
>> that may have that policy to get it up to the 21st century," Massey said.
>>
>> The Blount County school system told us they would bring the guide dog 
>> association's concerns about their service animal policy to the attention 
>> of their policy committee for review.
>>
>> We also checked in with the Disability Law & Advocacy Center of 
>> Tennessee.
>>
>> Web extra: Read the full statement by the Disability Law & Advocacy 
>> Center of Tennessee [PDF]
>>
>>
>>
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