[NAGDU] American Airlines and My Blind Spot join forces....

Tue May 15 23:50:51 UTC 2018

Ricky Joe,

Let me try to help. The problem is that society at large has incredibly low
expectations of what we can do. If you speak to the average person, and not
so average person by the way, they will tell you things like "blind people
can't get around without a dog or a cane unlike us who do not need such
things". They also will say, "blind people depend on all sorts of gadgets to
do anything because they cannot see".

Do you see a problem with that? I do. Sighted people have been depending on
gadgets to do almost everything throughout their entire lives. Heck, they
even rely on gadgets to see at night once the sun goes down. They rely on
gadgets to work, move around and do most everything else. Yes, we too rely
on gadgets and alternative techniques to sight to accomplish tasks. The
problem is that the visually centric world in which we live minimizes the
impact on the use of gadgets by light dependent people while minimizing the
ability of light independent people who don't do things the way most people
do, or as some would say, the way "normal people do".

"depending on my dog" does project a less than equal status in the world. If
Al had said something like "people who use guide dogs" or "using a guide
dog" a totally different image would have been presented. I do NOT "depend
on my dog". I also can use a cane or other techniques. If we want to get
picky, sighted people absolutely depend on light. They plain can't function
without it. If absolutely pressed in a situation where my dog were ill and
thus unavailable to me and, while walking down the street my cane were
stepped on and broken I could still move although more slowly and
inefficiently. I know this because that exact situation happened to me on
the streets of New York more than once when my fourth guide dog suddenly
became critically ill. As I tell people, "during the summer of 1999 I spent
more on replacing canes than I did on dog food and all due to inattentive
pedestrians".

The choice to use a guide dog is a lifestyle choice. It is a choice. You can
get around without a guide dog if you have any kind of cane skills or if you
use other techniques that permit you the freedom to move as and when you
choose. Dependent? No. Preference and choice? Yes.

I hope you see the difference. Thanks for reading. 

Best Regards,

Michael Hingson

The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
"Speaking with Vision"
Michael Hingson, President
(415) 827-4084
info at michaelhingson.com
To order Michael Hingson's new book, Running With Roselle, and check on
Michael Hingson's speaking availability for your next event please visit:
www.michaelhingson.com

To purchase your own portrait of Roselle painted by the world's foremost
animal artist, Ron Burns, please visit http://www.ronburns.com/roselle

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Ricky Joe Cook via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2018 2:43 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ricky Joe Cook <rickyjoecook at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] American Airlines and My Blind Spot join forces....

hello, your attitude is the exact reason the NFB is misguided in their
beliefs.

Of course we are dependent on our service dogs. Its just like a cane. You'd
probably say that a cane isn't neccesary for a blind person and that we
aren't dependent on it as a mobility device that we have to use to get
around unless you have high vision.

Ricky Joe Cook

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU President via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2018 12:36 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: NAGDU President
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] American Airlines and My Blind Spot join forces....

Albert,

It's too bad this podcast promulgates the myth that a blind person - or any
other disabled person who uses a service dog - is "dependent upon our dog".
The goal of the National Federation of the Blind and the National
Association of Guide Dog Users is to remove the low expectations that create
barriers between blind people and our dreams in order to foster
independence. Dependence on anything or anybody is unhealthy, including
dependence upon a mate, alcohol, drugs, or a service animal. Those of us who
use a service dog are, by your assertion, not independent! When you speak,
you are not speaking for the community, since you are not accountable to
anyone else; rather, you are asserting your own opinion; Therefore, you only
speak to this issue from your perspective, not as a representative voice.

The National Federation of the Blind and the National Association of Guide
Dog Users has been the leading voice on this issue, having met with a number
of airlines, the Department of Transportation, and the Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs. We represent the largest constituency of any
disability group in the world and our unified, collective voice is being
heard!

Marion Gwizdala, President
National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc. (NAGDU) National Federation of
the Blind
(813) 626-2789
President at NAGDU.ORG
Visit our website
Follow us on Twitter
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise
expectations because low expectations create barriers between blind  people
and our dreams. You can live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds
you back.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Albert Rizzi via
NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2018 9:03 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Albert Rizzi
Subject: [NAGDU] American Airlines and My Blind Spot join forces....

My Blind Spot and American Airlines, and other nationally recognized
associations and organizations, are ironing out ways to limit the number of
pets being passed off as service animals or dog guides when handlers and
their legitimate dog guides fly! This also aired on CNBC.

http://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2018/American-Airlines-Announces-Change
s-to-Emotional-Support-Animal-Policy/default.aspx

Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
My Blind Spot, Inc
Founder and CEO

NYC Office
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
Tel: 212.363.0330

Long Island Office
175 West Main Street
Babylon, N.Y.  11702
office: 631.620.3483
fax: 631.620.3481

e-mail: Albert at MyBlindSpot.org<mailto:Albert at MyBlindSpot.org>
website: MyBlindSpot.org<http://www.myblindspot.org/>
C: 917.553.0347
P: 212.363.0330
Certified Professionals in Accessibility

The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it. - Ancient Chinese Proverb We need to make every single thing
accessible to every single person with a disability. - Stevie Wonder
| Like us on
| Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Blind-Spot/179273234423> | 
| Follow us on Twitter<https://twitter.com/MyBlindSpotOrg>  | Connect 
| with us on 
| LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/pub/albert-j-rizzi/13/142/0> |
[Access=Ability infinite possibilities logo.jpg]  My Blind Spot is a 501 (c)
3 tax exempt organization

_______________________________________________
NAGDU mailing list
NAGDU at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rickyjoecook%40comcast.ne
t

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com 

_______________________________________________
NAGDU mailing list
NAGDU at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/mike%40michaelhingson.com