[NAGDU] churches??

[Heather Bird]

So, churches are not considered a place of public accommodation. This  has to do with the concept of separation of church and state. This also applies to other places of worship, so a mosque or synagogue for instance. Many religious institutions welcome individuals with their service dogs, but they have the right to refuse. Now, it gets a little more difficult when for instance there is a school or homeless shelter or other place of public accommodation, that happens to be run by a church, or situated within the church. There is some guidance from the department of justice, but people have had mixed results, with regards advocacy and accessing public services offered by religious institutions. I always tell people thatt, it never hurts to ask, education can be beneficial, and even though they’re not required to take you and your service dog, trying to do a little advocacy, without trying to force the issue, is usually a good idea.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 27, 2021, at 1:49 PM, Jessica Diaz via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Afternoon,
> Church for me has never been an issue. I also have relied on rides
> from awesome people. Though we have pretty awesome transit here none
> are super close to the churches my hubby and I have attended. Good
> luck. For me, they have all been pretty welcoming.
> Jess
> 
>> On 9/27/21, Richard via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hi;
>> 
>> I'm certainly not an A D A expert but I didn't think churches would be an
>> issue.  Generally although they are a private organization most churches
>> are
>> open to the public.
>> 
>> In my little world church has never been an issue.  In most cases public
>> transit isn't an  option when going to the church of my choice.  Generally
>> a
>> church member is happy to take my  wife and myself with no problems.  Since
>> it is their private automobile, however, its really up to them whether the
>> dog comes or not.  I have seen some people who have their no dogs allowed
>> sign up.  Then there are others who would happily take my dog and I'm
>> welcome to stay home.
>> 
>> Just  my personal experiences
>> 
>> Richard
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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/searsdiaz%40gmail.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/heather.l.bird%40gmail.com