[NAGDU] FW: [GDUI Chat] ACB statement concerning the Federal DOT announcement with respect to Service and other animals.

[Madison Martin]

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Crawford [mailto:ccrawford at rcn.com] 
Sent: August-16-19 3:06 PM
To: chat at guidedogusersinc.org
Subject: [GDUI Chat] ACB statement concerning the Federal DOT announcement with respect to Service and other animals.

                Hello fellow GDUI members and friends,

 

Upon GDUI review and authorization to release, here is the ACB statement with respect to the notice provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation with respect to enforcement priorities and the various kinds of animals folks might be bringing to board planes.  GDUI will certainly be involved with the final rule making on this matter and we are confident that ACB will as well be involved.

 

Charles Crawford: Chair: GDUI Board Advocacy and Legislative Committee.

 

Text of ACB release…

 

     1703 N. Beauregard St., Suite 420 

     Alexandria, VA 22311 

     Tel: (202) 467-5081 

     Fax: (703) 465-5085

                

For Immediate Release

 

Contact: 

Clark Rachfal, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs

(202) 467-5081

crachfal at acb.org

 

ACB Commends DOT, FAA on Final Statement of Enforcement Priorities Regarding Service 

Animals

 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - On Thursday, August 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 

Enforcement Office issued a final statement of enforcement priorities for service animals. In this 

statement, DOT provides greater clarity to air travel passengers with service animals, as well as airlines, 

about the DOT’s interpretation and enforcement of the existing service animal rules. The American 

Council of the Blind commends the administration for listening to the concerns of ACB, as well as our 

affiliate, Guide Dog Users, Inc., and the broader disability community, and we support this final statement 

of enforcement priorities regarding service animals.  

 

Since 2015, ACB has been a leading organization on the front lines of constructing inclusive service 

animal policies with DOT and the airlines that are true to the Air Carrier Access Act. ACB is pleased that 

DOT has constructed a final enforcement statement that will protect the rights of passengers with service 

animals for the entirety of their flying experience. The DOT’s final enforcement statement contains 

provisions that:

 

*              Prohibit airlines from requiring advanced notice that a passenger is traveling with a service animal 

for flights less than eight hours. This guarantees passengers with service animals greater flexibility 

in air travel.

*              Consistent with the Air Carrier Access Act, credible verbal assurance is proof that a person with a 

disability is traveling with a service animal.

*              Prohibit airline categorical restrictions on service animals based exclusively on breed and age.

*              Limit airline requests for documentation regarding service animal vaccinations, training and 

behavior to reasonable requests to determine whether a specific animal poses a direct threat to the 

health and safety of others.

 

ACB and its members nationwide will remain engaged on this important issue to ensure that all 

passengers traveling with service animals receive the full protections of the Air Carrier Access Act. To 

this end, ACB and Guide Dog Users, Inc. remain willing to assist all airlines to review and amend their 

current service animal policies. We look forward to continued collaboration with the administration and 

airlines to enhance the air travel experience for all passengers.

 

The American Council of the Blind is a national grassroots consumer organization representing 

Americans who are blind and visually impaired. With 70 affiliates, ACB strives to increase the 

independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve quality of life for all blind and visually 

impaired people. Learn more by visiting www.acb.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> 	 Virus-free. www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient>  	


-- 
You are receiving this message because you have subscribed to the Guide Dog Users, Inc. (GDUI) Chat list, either via email or via the Web.
--- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GDUI Chat" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to chat+unsubscribe at guidedogusersinc.org <mailto:chat+unsubscribe at guidedogusersinc.org> .
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/guidedogusersinc.org/d/msgid/chat/018a01d5546e%2412166150%24364323f0%24%40rcn.com <https://groups.google.com/a/guidedogusersinc.org/d/msgid/chat/018a01d5546e%2412166150%24364323f0%24%40rcn.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> .