[NAGDU] Occupaws was Re: Guide dog school wish list

[nellie at culodge.com]

So glad people are taking an interest in Occupaws, because trust me you will love and appreciate every minute!  I am about 300 miles away in northern Wisconsin, and I know they service folks in Minnesota, Illinois and I would guess in a special case, they may venture outside of our three-state area.  They are such a terrific school that could not be more professional and a very thorough school that takes great measures in training/placing the best dog with the best applicant as possible.  Their after-placement services are more than available.   

If you think you are outside their "area" just give Barb a call or an email and she will be glad to give you more information.

Dash and Janell 
-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Christina Moore via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, November 7, 2024 2:47 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Christina Moore <moorechristina107 at gmail.com>
Subject: [NAGDU] Occupaws was Re: Guide dog school wish list

I found the website and it looks like you have to live within 250 miles of Madison, Wisconsin. Which is unfortunate because I know people who would really love such a program.

> On Nov 7, 2024, at 15:30, Kerry Macdonald via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Your school sounds wonderful. Can people outside of the state of Wisconsin apply?
> That just goes to show you what I have always believed is true, the size of the school does not matter. Both of the programs that I attended were home training programs, and one of them was very small when it started out although now it is bigger. The other one has also grown, but it retains that small personalized feel which I absolutely love. I am so sad that they are not training Goldens, because I do not want to switch programs.
> 
> For the person who asked some questions about home training my experience has been absolutely 100% positive. We are lucky here in New England that we have a couple of programs close by that specialize in home training. I have attended both and have had great experiences each time. For me, it took about two weeks, as my trainer offered me the opportunity to have an extra few days.
> I worked seven days a week both times, again, my choice are rather my trainer and I together decided this is what we wanted to do. He would come early in the morning, which became a big joke for many  of us who knew him over a long period of time he was such an early bird lol. On several of the lists that I am on, when we would begin training with him, we would joke with each other and say “you’d better be ready for early mornings“. Literally, he would arrive at my home sometimes at 6 AM. Usually we would work together for a while during the mornings and then he would come back in the afternoons for another round. Sometimes he would be training someone else in the area and in those cases the schedule would vary. The thing I absolutely love about home training is the individual attention that you receive. You are able to practice the roots that you were going to use go into the stores that you are going to shop in, etc.
> when I started using dogs, I was a very shy person and I did not want to go away from home and be in a strange environment for 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. It would have stressed me out tremendously. I was so glad that there were other options available to me.
> As I have gotten older, I feel very differently now, although, as I am contemplating what to do for my next dog, I still feel very much that I would prefer home training if I can find a program which would allow me to train with a golden and meet my needs.
> 
> All in all, I am very much in favor of home training. I had some really huge challenges with the current dog that I am working now, and I believe it was the individual attention that I was able to receive through home training, which enabled us to work through them, and end up, making a very successful match. I love my school.
> 
> 
> 
> Kerry
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 4, 2024, at 12:17 PM, Janell via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi again all,
>> 
>> At Occupaws guide dog school in Madison Wisconsin, the positions are all voluntary, even the top two.  Of course, other than the GDMI's/trainers.  They are an accredited guide dog school, way smaller than most, but a very top-notch school.  On average, they place about 20-25 dogs a year.  100% of their finances are from donations, and they contract with at least 4 different GDMI's throughout the country.  They do home training and are wonderful about sending a trainer back at any time if a problem should arise.  They place standard poodles, labs and goldens.  There is an extensive screening and application process, and an even more thorough matching/placement process.  My first dog, Sully, was trained in Kentucky, Rosy was trained in North Carolina and Dash was trained in California.  I live in northern Wisconsin in a small community.  I will never use a subway/train/bus, at least unless I go on vacation in which case I wouldn't be alone, so I truly appreciated the at-home training to learn my routs/areas.  
>> 
>> I have flown by myself with a dog to visit a friend in Chicago.  My 
>> friend and I did use the train, and the subway and Sully was perfect!  
>> My friend (who has a guide dog from GDB) told me I was going to cross 
>> Michigan Avanue by myself!  Now mind you, my hometown doesn't even 
>> have a stop light, so I was horrified!  Only thing he said was once 
>> you start across, don't stop.  I led the crowd across and was so 
>> proud of my dog and myself.  Then, it hit me I had to go back!  
>> Anyway, it was a great feeling of accomplishment!  Hats off to those 
>> of you who travel busy cities/subways/trains/buses on a daily basis!  
>> While we do travel tons in and around towns here, it is certainly 
>> different from the big city life.  Our long walks consist of no 
>> sidewalks, stop lights or traffic jams.  I have to worry about cows, 
>> horses, bears and every other wild creature out there.  😊
>> 
>> Dash and Janell
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Yiska via NAGDU
>> Sent: Sunday, November 3, 2024 9:56 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Yiska <ichoosechrist2 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide dog school wish list
>> 
>> Hi, I would have all schools have ownership, communicate with service dog schools for cross training, more blind staff, positive reinforcement more even salary between trainers and the CEO or more fair wages.
>> 
>>> On Sun, Nov 3, 2024, 6:18 PM David Andrews via NAGDU 
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Blind people can, and do make good travel teachers -- but aren't 
>>> automatically so just because they are blind. Likewise we shouldn't 
>>> probably make generalizations based on the experiences with one person.
>>> 
>>> Dave
>>> 
>>> At 09:22 AM 11/3/2024, you wrote:
>>>> Hi, I have had a blind O&M instructor but not a dog trainer. When I 
>>>> was between dogs I was doing a bit of cane mobility refresher and 
>>>> we were going to my bus stop. She was wondering how I could easily 
>>>> find my stop and I explained if I followed the building line until 
>>>> we reach the driveway which is marked with tactiles. Then I follow 
>>>> the tactiles down to the road and then I am at my stop. The thing 
>>>> was the instructor didn't know the tactiles were there and she bent 
>>>> down to look at them to see what I was talking about. Ok, I could 
>>>> have suggested this was the first time she had come across them if 
>>>> they were out of the way except this bus stop was down the road 
>>>> from their office so she probably did allot of walking around the 
>>>> area. It made me wonder how good it was to have an instructor who 
>>>> also has a vision impairment. That instructor has moved on now and 
>>>> last time I saw her she had her own seeing eye dog. I'm not sure 
>>>> how that goes wen you are trying to teach others to find places 
>>>> with their canes. From Shaz. Canberra, Australia. I don’t suffer 
>>>> from insanity; I enjoy every minute. -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan 
>>>> via NAGDU Sent: Wednesday, 30 October 2024 7:45 AM To: NAGDU 
>>>> Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Cc: Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide 
>>>> dog school wish list There are at least two schools who have, or 
>>>> have had, blind CEO’s:
>>>> the Seeing Eye and Guiding Eyes. Many of them have some blind staff 
>>>> members and members of their boards of directors. Trainers is, 
>>>> apparently, a bridge too far for some, because no one’s had one 
>>>> of those yet, even though many of us have successfully trained 
>>>> guides, even for other people. I’d love to see blind guide dog 
>>>> trainers though. -- Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV, WRVB670 - Erie, PA Email:
>>>> buddy at brannan.name Mobile: (814) 431-0962 > On Oct 29, 2024, at 
>>>> 2:42 PM,
>>>> whistlersmothersson--- via NAGDU
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote: > > I can agree with this. But why should 
>>>> the blind people have the menial jobs? Why not a blind CEO, blind 
>>>> Director of Marketing, or even blind guide dog trainers? > > Mike > 
>>>> >
>>>>> -----Original
>>>> Message----- > From: NAGDU
>>>> <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tara Briggs via > NAGDU >
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 29,
>>>> 2024 10:20 AM > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of 
>>>> Guide Dog Users > <nagdu at nfbnet.org> > Cc: Tara Briggs 
>>>> <thflute at gmail.com> > Subject: [NAGDU] Guide dog school wish list > 
>>>> > Hi Kary and others on this list! Kary, I think you made some good 
>>>> points in your last email. Would anyone else like to chime in? If 
>>>> you were suddenly appointed president of a dog guide school, with 
>>>> unlimited powers to enact any changes you wish, what would they be 
>>>> and why? I look forward to everyone’s replies.
>>>> Personally, I would start by hiring a lot more blind employees. For 
>>>> example, I don’t see why the staff in the dorms couldn’t be 
>>>> blind people with experience using a dog. > — > Tara Briggs > Check 
>>>> out my podcast, Crip PParenting on your podcast platform of choice. 
>>>> > >> On Oct 29, 2024, at 7:59 AM, Kerry Macdonald via NAGDU 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote: >> >> Hi Mike, I like how you tell it 
>>>> like it is lol. >> I’m sorry you had that experience and can’t 
>>>> agree with you more. I think unfortunately a lot more of this is 
>>>> going on today. Personally, I do not like the direction that many 
>>>> of the schools are going. I am glad to say that we still have some 
>>>> schools like Freedom, the Seeing Eye and a couple of others, who 
>>>> treat us with dignity and respect. However, I don’t know if 
>>>> others will agree with me or not, but I feel like it is trending 
>>>> the other way in some cases. I wonder if there is a way for us as 
>>>> consumers to make our voices heard with the schools and let them 
>>>> know what we want from them, as well as them telling us  What they would like from us.
>>>> It is a relationship and works both ways. >> Personally, I do not 
>>>> like how so many of the schools that we have in this country have 
>>>> switched to food reward anas their main method of training and do 
>>>> not offer  unconditional ownership. >> I understand that not 
>>>> everyone wants this, but I believe if schools thoroughly vet their 
>>>> clients during the application process that it should be offered as 
>>>> an option for those who do want it. >> Also, I know financially, 
>>>> the schools have to consider the breeds that makes sense, but I 
>>>> would like to see them begin to offer more of a variety of breeds. 
>>>> Again, I do not want to offend anyone, however, personally, I do 
>>>> not want to work with a lab, and as someone who doesn’t, my 
>>>> choices are becoming more and more limited. >> For me, basically, 
>>>> all I am saying is, I would like to advocate for more choice, and 
>>>> more of a partnership between us and our schools. After all, 
>>>> without us, the schools would not have programs at all. >> >> I do 
>>>> not want to start a bunch of controversy on here, this is just my 
>>>> opinion based on recent observations as I research some schools to 
>>>> help a couple of my friends out. I feel like, although there are 
>>>> many schools in this country, most of them, with a couple of 
>>>> exceptions are basically cookie-cutter copies of one another to a 
>>>> large degree. >> Anyway, just my opinion I do not want to offend 
>>>> anyone. Take care. >> >> Kerry >> Sent from my iPhone >>
>>>>>>> On Oct 28, 2024, at 2:21 PM, Cindy Ray via NAGDU
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote: >>> >>> Maybe we ought to change the 
>>>> subject line on this thread.
>>>> I’m not >>> moderator anymore, but I thought about it as I 
>>>> finished making the >>> same error.Patronism by guide dog schools 
>>>> was Cindy Lou Ray Sent >>> from my iPhone >>> >>>>> On Oct 28, 
>>>> 2024, at 12:30 PM, Jody ianuzzi via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>>>> wrote: >>>>
>>>>>>>> Hello Mike, >>>> >>>> I'm sorry that you had that experience
>>>> getting your guide dog. I had just the opposite experience at the 
>>>> Seeing Eye. Their motto is independence with dignity. I felt very 
>>>> respected as well as respecting everyone there.
>>>> Maybe you should consider Seeing Eye for your next dog. >>>> JODY
>>>>>>>>>>>> To Boldly Go  🭭🠻 >>>> >>>> >>>>
>>>> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com >>>> >>>> "What's within you is stronger 
>>>> than what's in your way."  NO >>>> BARRIERS  Erik Weihenmayer >>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Oct 28, 2024, at 11:38 AM, whistlersmothersson--- via
>>>> NAGDU
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>     In
>>>> my opinion, the value of a guide dog is all a marketing tool for 
>>>> programs to justify grant requests and solicit donations. It seems 
>>>> to be based upon the annual budget of the program and how many dogs 
>>>> they place. I also think that some CEOs are very overpaid for 
>>>> running a nonprofit organization. For instance, titus Herman who 
>>>> runs Southeastern Guide Dogs is paid nearly $500,000. And his 
>>>> former job as a Goodwill executive should tell us everything about 
>>>> his perspective on the capacity of disabled people.
>>>> Finally, one only needs to look at the direction of Southeastern 
>>>> Guide Dogs and their recent name change to Dogs Inc. to know their 
>>>> commitment to training guide dogs. I do believe people with talent 
>>>> should be well compensated for their talent but this sort of salary 
>>>> for the leader of a nonprofit is obscene! >>>>> >>>>> This being 
>>>> said, I earn much more than Mr. Herman, yet while at Southeastern, 
>>>> I was treated like a child and talked down to. Titus would walk 
>>>> around the building like he was some sort of overseer checking out 
>>>> his sharecroppers. >>>>> >>>>> Mike >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -----Original
>>>> Message----- >>>>> From: NAGDU
>>>> <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Margo Downey >>>>> via 
>>>> NAGDU
>>>>>>>>> Sent: Monday, October 28, 2024 11:09 AM >>>>> To: 'NAGDU
>>>> Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog >>>>> Users'
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> >>>>> Cc:
>>>> Margo Downey <margo.downey at roadrunner.com> >>>>>
>>>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] FW: Uber Almost Got Me
>>>> Killed!    >>>>> >>>>> Actually, last I heard,
>>>> our dogs are woth $70,000. >>>>> >>>>> Margo and Tami >>>>> >>>>> 
>>>> -----Original
>>>> Message----- >>>>> From: NAGDU
>>>> [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jody >>>>> ianuzzi 
>>>> via NAGDU >>>>> Sent: Monday, October 28, 2024 9:58 AM >>>>> To: 
>>>> NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog >>>>> 
>>>> Users >>>>>
>>>> Cc: Jody ianuzzi >>>>>
>>>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] FW: Uber Almost Got Me Killed! >>>>> >>>>> A 
>>>> friend and I were discussing this situation. The driver of the 
>>>> Mercedes kept talking about how his car was worth $60,000 and 
>>>> didn't want it ruined by the dog. Hey! Our dogs are worth $60,000 
>>>> and we don't want them ruined by Uber drivers! >>>>> >>>>> I am 
>>>> horrified that a department of justice and the local Judge did not 
>>>> take the assault and battery charges seriously! We already know 
>>>> Uber is not on our side but the law should be on our side!
>>>> Hopefully the lawyers  that witnessed the situation will pursue 
>>>> this situation with the state attorney general office. >>>>> JODY 
>>>> >>>>>
>>>>>>>>> To Boldly Go  🭭🠻 >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>
>>>> thunderwalker321 at gmail.com >>>>> >>>>> "What's within you is 
>>>> stronger than what's in your way."  NO >>>>> BARRIERS  Erik 
>>>> Weihenmayer >>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> On Oct 26, 2024, at 4:11 AM, whistlersmothersson--- via
>>>> NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> I looked at old 
>>>> messages from this group and see a lot about Uber. I got this from 
>>>> another group and thought you would like to read it. >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A True Story of Discrimination >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>   >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>
>>>>>>> Advocates for >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Service
>>>> Animal Partners
>>>> Inc >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> ServiceAnimals.info >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Advocacy411 at gmail.com <mailto:Advocacy411 at gmail.com> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>> Office: 386-ASAP411 >>>>>> >>>>>> Hotline:
>>>> 855-ASAP211 >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> <https://mpm5jphbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EwA3wHfZ5QnDL9JT_aC0Mf8
>>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>>>
>>>> 3-saTFkMjDdqoPJOQnPE7uVpgzsomXZxSKbcMTbOM5TvuymLx44KdBBHxd1QJxpe4
>>>>>>>>>> 9 >>>>>>
>>>> EJ9JT4gHFNxMPIXsDFAzK20lY-XC_Qb9Z9D8DdG3pRWeJH2EIk215fQZQ0GCZDZs3
>>>>>>>>>> g >>>>>>
>>>> Y0xD&c=0fEbX--K6jxKcm12gS8gQjsfejSAVXU1_SQnoDAKh2C_67OhW9XIDw==&c
>>>>>>>>>> h
>>>> =CCMAxqwVqgGz-gFFX5L2yMFD9qsRHGN6cohq6WR4PGSLgJLuHUwsqA==>
>>>> ASAP >>>>>>
>>>> Website >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Uber Almost Got Me Killed! >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>> Please circulate the following message as widely as appropriate. If 
>>>> you received this message as a forward and would like to receive 
>>>> information directly from Advocates for Service Animal Partners, 
>>>> please become a partner. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The 
>>>> following article is reprinted with permission of the National 
>>>> Federation of the Blind. Sharing this information is encouraged.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Braille Monitor; Vol. 67, No. 9; October
>>>> 2024. >>>>>> >>>>>> Gary Wunder, sEditor >>>>>> >>>>>> Chris 
>>>> Danielsen, Associate Editor >>>>>> >>>>>> Distributed by email, 
>>>> ink-print, in Braille, and on USB flash >>>>>> drive, by the 
>>>> National Federation of the Blind >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Mark 
>>>> Riccobono, President >>>>>> >>>>>> telephone:
>>>> 410-659-9314 >>>>>> >>>>>> email address:
>>>> President at NFB.org
>>>> <mailto:President at NFB.org> >>>>>> >>>>>> website
>>>> address:  >>>>>>
>>>> <https://mpm5jphbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EwA3wHfZ5QnDL9JT_aC0Mf8
>>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>>>
>>>> 3-saTFkMjDdqoPJOQnPE7uVpgzsomfFYWst7x2M5El6CxwcEwzQCQZ_QctAQKtqBg
>>>>>>>>>> 5 >>>>>>
>>>> HiVK4hY_v9SSB-FIygpG9IA3ksiGrmTpzYvZ7Juareo27OrFdrk9usJaZ9hQ==&c=
>>>>>>>>>> 0 >>>>>>
>>>> fEbX--K6jxKcm12gS8gQjsfejSAVXU1_SQnoDAKh2C_67OhW9XIDw==&ch=CCMAxq
>>>>>>>>>> w
>>>> VqgGz-gFFX5L2yMFD9qsRHGN6cohq6WR4PGSLgJLuHUwsqA==>
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>> http://www.nfb.org >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>  From the Associate
>>>> Editor: This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue 
>>>> of the Braille Spectator , the publication of the National 
>>>> Federation of the Blind of Maryland. We are reprinting it with 
>>>> light edits. Ronza Othman serves as president of that affiliate. 
>>>> She is also president of the National Association of Blind 
>>>> Government Employees and of the National Association of Blind 
>>>> Lawyers, chairperson of our Code of Conduct Feedback Committee, an 
>>>> active member of the Blind Muslims Group, and more, all on top of 
>>>> her high-pressure day job with the federal government. Despite 
>>>> already having all of these roles, she jokes she is eager to assume yet another as the next Disney princess.
>>>> In a much less lighthearted vein, we note that the details in this 
>>>> article may profoundly disturb some readers, but we feel it is an 
>>>> important story to tell. It highlights not only the continued 
>>>> discrimination experienced by blind people at the hands of 
>>>> rideshare drivers but also how Ronza's intersecting characteristics 
>>>> and ignorance of disability rights on the part of a member of law 
>>>> enforcement escalated an already tense situation to a traumatic, 
>>>> but thankfully not tragic, sevent. It is clear from Ronza's 
>>>> experience that Uber has not done enough to educate its drivers, or 
>>>> even its customer service personnel and supervisors on its policy 
>>>> forbidding discrimination against blind passengers with guide dogs. 
>>>> That is why, as this issue of the Braille Monitor goes to press, 
>>>> Federationists from across the nation are preparing to conduct a 
>>>> rally before the headquarters of both Uber and Lyft, the country's 
>>>> two leading rideshare providers. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Here 
>>>> is Ronza's
>>>> story: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Photo
>>>> of Ronza Othman standing and wearing a black hijab, pullover 
>>>> sweater, and holding her white cane. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Uber Almost Got Me Killed! >>>>>> >>>>>> by Ronza 
>>>> Othman >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Discrimination against the blind
>>>> is an all-too-frequent occurrence, but sometimes how companies and 
>>>> law enforcement respond could literally get us killed. Uber 
>>>> discriminated against me and a fellow passenger who uses a guide 
>>>> dog in July of 2023, and instead of protecting me as the law 
>>>> requires, local law enforcement instead held me at gunpoint and 
>>>> treated me like I was the criminal. Then, after I didn’t die at 
>>>> the hands of the police (probably because my friends were filming 
>>>> the encounter on their phones) and filed a report with Uber, Uber 
>>>> summarily kicked me off their platform in retaliation for my 
>>>> complaint. >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On the first night of the 2023 NFB National Convention
>>>> in Houston, the National Association of Blind Lawyers got together 
>>>> for dinner at the home of one of our division board members. We 
>>>> brought along some other lawyers, because we tend to travel in 
>>>> packs, including Eve Hill, the lawyers’ lawyer and NFB General 
>>>> Counsel. I also brought along three NFB National Scholarship 
>>>> finalists, two of whom were going into law. One of the students had a guide dog.
>>>> We had a wonderful dinner, and everyone left in a jubilant mood.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I called an Uber to take my group of four
>>>> bipeds and a quadruped back to the hotel around 10:15 p.m.; the 
>>>> driver, Troy, was driving a black Mercedes—I’ll never forget that 
>>>> detail. I got into the vehhicle first, sitting in the middle of the 
>>>> back seat. One of the students and her guide dog got in behind the 
>>>> driver. One of the other students got in the passenger-side back 
>>>> seat on my other side, and the third sat in the front seat. >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The driver looked back as we were getting settled and
>>>> asked, “Is that a dog?† I remember thinking something snarky, 
>>>> like “No, it’s a whale.† But I didn’t answer, because it 
>>>> wasn’t my service animal. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The student 
>>>> who was the handler said it was a guide dog. The driver, Troy, 
>>>> immediately started fussing at us, stating at least twenty times 
>>>> that this was a “sixty-thousand-dollar Mercedes.† The student 
>>>> calmly responded that her dog was a service animal that was 
>>>> protected under the ADA. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Troy began 
>>>> shouting at us to get out of his car. He said that he had the right 
>>>> to refuse to take whoever he wanted, and that we had to call Uber 
>>>> Pet. We responded that service animals are not pets, and thus we 
>>>> did not have to call Uber Pet. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The 
>>>> student with the guide dog and I decided we were not going to exit 
>>>> the vehicle because the driver had an obligation to take us under 
>>>> the ADA. The driver got out of the vehicle and began shouting in 
>>>> the street. This was a quiet neighborhood, fairly upscale, and fairly quickly we attracted notice.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Meanwhile, the rest of our friends came out of the
>>>> house, and there was once again a gaggle of lawyers, this time 
>>>> standing on a Houston sidewalk nearing midnight.
>>>> What happened next seems
>>>> surreal. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> As the driver continued to 
>>>> shout about his sixty-thousand-dollar Mercedes, both of the 
>>>> students on the passenger side of the vehicle decided to leave the 
>>>> car. The student with the guide dog and I decided to stay. >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Troy then opened the driver’s side back 
>>>> door, reached into the car, and tried to physically yank the guide 
>>>> dog out of the car. The student was holding onto the dog’s 
>>>> harness, but when Troy started using his might to try to force the 
>>>> dog out of the vehicle, she wrapped her arms around the dog to keep 
>>>> her from being pulled away from her. She began to shout at the 
>>>> driver to stop pulling on her dog, that he was hurting the dog, and that she was a service animal.
>>>> Troy did not stop for several minutes. The student began to slide 
>>>> out of the car herself because Troy was pulling on the dog so hard. 
>>>> I wrapped my arms around the student to keep her from being pulled 
>>>> out of the car. I believed if Troy was successful at forcing the 
>>>> guide dog or the student from the car, they’d both fall on the 
>>>> ground and be hurt. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> As I held onto the 
>>>> student, Troy started pulling on me too. He used so much force that 
>>>> all three of us—the sttudent, the guide dog, and I—were all sliding 
>>>> slowly outt of the car. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> I also started 
>>>> shouting at Troy to stop pulling on us.
>>>> Eventually, he took a break and walked away from the car. >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I called
>>>> 911 to report a physical assault. They took my report and told me 
>>>> someone from the Houston Police Department would come soon. They 
>>>> did not stay on the phone with me like they show in the movies. 
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> After I hung up with Emergency Services, I
>>>> called Uber to file a complaint. While I was on the phone with Uber 
>>>> Support, Troy came back and did it again.
>>>> He pulled, using all of his might, on the guide dog and the student 
>>>> to force them out of the car. I had my arm around the student’s 
>>>> shoulder to comfort her, so he pulled on me too.
>>>> The Uber customer support person on the phone did nothing except 
>>>> take the report. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> After this second 
>>>> assault and battery, the guide dog was very agitated, and the 
>>>> student was extremely upset. We didn’t know if the dog had been 
>>>> hurt, and if so, how badly. The student decided to get out of the 
>>>> car so she could have enough room to check out the dog and catch her breath.
>>>> I stayed in the vehicle, because I knew that if I also got out, the 
>>>> driver would just get in the car and leave, resulting in no 
>>>> accountability for his actions. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> I have 
>>>> to pause and give you a quick lesson in the law that you might or 
>>>> might not already know.
>>>> Assault is a crime—it is when ssomeone takes an action that places 
>>>> another in imminent fear of a battery. Battery means unwanted 
>>>> physical touching. So, Troy both assaulted and battered the student 
>>>> and me. To compound the issue, a guide dog, like a cane or 
>>>> wheelchair, is, under the law, an extension of the person with a 
>>>> disability. That means that if someone intentionally batters a 
>>>> guide dog while it is working, then they’ve battered the human handler.
>>>> When Troy grabbed the guide dog and tried to forcibly remove her by 
>>>> pulling her from the car, and since the student was holding the 
>>>> harness and then the dog, Troy battered and assaulted the dog and 
>>>> the student. Then, when I tried to help her by anchoring her and he 
>>>> grabbed and yanked on me, he battered and assaulted me too. >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> They teach you about assault and battery
>>>> literally on the first day of law school, but as you’ll come to 
>>>> see, somehow two police departments and a multi-national company 
>>>> don’t know what it is. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Apparently, in 
>>>> response to the commotion, one of the neighbors called their local 
>>>> police department, which resulted in a faster response from Harris 
>>>> County law enforcement compared with Houston PD. Two police 
>>>> officers from Harris County arrived within twenty minutes of the incident.
>>>> However, they were not there to help!
>>>> In fact, instead of helping the student and me, the clear victims 
>>>> here, they nearly shot me—an unarmed brown woman. >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> After hanging up with Uber, I called Cayte Mendez, who serves as 
>>>> the chair of the Scholarship Committee, to let her know that three 
>>>> scholarship finalists and I were in the midst of an Uber denial 
>>>> that turned into an assault, for which we were waiting for law 
>>>> enforcement intervention. I also asked my lawyer friends standing 
>>>> on the sidewalk to call Eve Hill, NFB General Counsel, who by that 
>>>> time had made it back to the hotel. Both Cayte and Eve were on the 
>>>> phone with us when the next horrible thing happened. >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Troy managed to get to the Harris County police 
>>>> officers before anyone else, and as best as I can tell, he told 
>>>> them that he was afraid of me, that I refused to leave his vehicle 
>>>> after he decided he didn’t feel “safe† driving me, and that he believed I may have a weapon.
>>>> He used incorrect and negative stereotypes about brown and Muslim 
>>>> people, and they believed him. >>>>>> >>>>>> Throughout this 
>>>> ordeal, my lawyer friends, including the homeowner, were standing 
>>>> on the sidewalk, less than ten feet away from the car. When Harris 
>>>> County police pulled up, the homeowner shared with us that Harris 
>>>> County provides neighborhood support but that Houston police is the 
>>>> entity that handles real crime. He shared that the Harris police 
>>>> provide a sort of neighborhood watch function, similar to mall 
>>>> police. >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> As I sat in the back seat of the vehicle, with
>>>> the windows open, talking to Cayte on the phone, a female police 
>>>> officer slowly walked up to the car on the right side. I learned 
>>>> later there was another police officer nearby covering her. She 
>>>> shouted at me to put my hands where she could see them. She did not 
>>>> identify herself, and I had no idea who she was or that she was a 
>>>> cop. I was holding my phone in one hand and the other was empty. My 
>>>> cane was telescoped on the floor at my feet. I was the only person 
>>>> left in the vehicle. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> For a bit of
>>>> context: I’m brown, Muslim, a woman, and blind. I wear a 
>>>> religious head covering called a hijab, which makes me very 
>>>> obviously Muslim to the sighted. My family are refugees, and I’m 
>>>> a United States citizen. Houston is much more open to immigrants 
>>>> and people of color than other places in the southern United 
>>>> States, but I still harbor the same anxiety as many immigrants and 
>>>> people of color do when visiting some of the southern states. In 
>>>> fact, I carry my US passport in my bra at all times for my safety 
>>>> so I can quickly prove I am a citizen. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> I dropped the phone—I don’t know if I eeven said goodbye to Cayte or not—and raised my hands.
>>>> TThe officer then directed a very strong flashlight into my face, 
>>>> which was incredibly startling.
>>>> Once she saw me sitting there, she began to speak very loudly and 
>>>> slowly, as though I didn’t comprehend the English language. 
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> As she continued to flash the light into my
>>>> face, I told her that I was blind and needed her to identify herself.
>>>> She initially did not and continued to speak to me in a loud, 
>>>> condescending voice. Eventually, she moved the flashlight away from 
>>>> my face, and as I readjusted to the lighting, I realized that she 
>>>> was gripping her weapon in her other hand. I was being held at 
>>>> gunpoint by Harris County police simply for being blind, brown, and Muslim.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> She eventually told me she was Harris County police; I
>>>> don’t know if she ever told me her name or not. She asked me if I 
>>>> had a weapon. I told her I did not. She asked me if anything was on 
>>>> the floor of the car. I told her, once again, while she held me at 
>>>> gunpoint, that I was blind and that my cane was on the floor at my 
>>>> feet. She asked me what else was on the floor, and I told her that 
>>>> I did not know because I did not own the vehicle. >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> She did not ask me any questions or take my statement before
>>>> deciding I was the threat. I had called 911, but I was now the 
>>>> person with a gun on me. >>>>>> >>>>>> She told me that since it 
>>>> wasn’t my vehicle, I was trespassing, and that the “nice 
>>>> gentleman† had a right to kick anyone he wanted out of his car. I 
>>>> told her that my friends and I were Uber passengers, that we had 
>>>> disabilities, and that he had a legal obligation to transport us 
>>>> under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Meanwhile, I was trying 
>>>> not to panic as she still held her weapon on me. >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> She ordered me out of the vehicle and told me to keep 
>>>> my hands up at all times. I told her once again that I was blind, 
>>>> that I needed my cane to safely exit the vehicle, and that I’d like to retrieve it first.
>>>> Initially, she was not going to let me retrieve my cane, but at 
>>>> that point her fellow officer walked up and told her that she 
>>>> should let me use it. He whispered that everyone around the car had 
>>>> a cane, so I likely wasn’t making up my blindness. >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> She shone the light on the floor of the vehicle to 
>>>> see that the cane was the only item there, and she ordered me to 
>>>> pick it up with one hand while the other was still raised. I did 
>>>> so. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> She opened the door, and I slowly exited the vehicle, still
>>>> holding my hands up. I asked if I could retrieve my phone from the 
>>>> car, which was on the seat, and the other officer got it and handed 
>>>> it to one of my friends. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The female 
>>>> Harris County police officer asked for my name—still in that loud, 
>>>> slow tone—and I told it it to her. She asked me for my driver’s 
>>>> license, and I told her I didn’t drive. She responded, 
>>>> “Undocumented, I thought so.† I replied that I had a valid ID, 
>>>> that I was a US citizen, and that I didn’t have a driver’s 
>>>> license because I am blind. She ordered me to show her my ID. 
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I began to move my hand toward my passport but quickly
>>>> realized that given how ignorant and suspicious this officer had 
>>>> been thus far, moving my hand toward my chest rather than my purse 
>>>> would escalate the situation. I verbally talked her through what I 
>>>> was doing. I was wearing a very small cross-body purse, small 
>>>> enough to hold only my phone, a thin wallet, and my AirPods. >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I narrated everything I did before I physically did it.
>>>> I told her I was going to open the flap of my purse using just the 
>>>> thumb and forefinger on my right hand. I told her I was going to 
>>>> reach in with those same fingers to remove a pink wallet. I told 
>>>> her I was using those same two fingers to open the wallet to show 
>>>> her my state ID. I handed over the wallet, and she looked at it, 
>>>> then ordered me to remove the ID from the wallet and give it to 
>>>> her. At this point, she appeared to me to holster her gun, and I 
>>>> gave her my ID. I told her my passport was in my bra and asked if 
>>>> she wanted to see it. She responded, “Not yet.† >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> As she took my ID from me, one of my friends told her 
>>>> that she should Google me while she had my name and information. 
>>>> She ordered me to stay put and went off to her vehicle, I assumed 
>>>> to run me through law enforcement databases. I collapsed onto the 
>>>> ground, right there, at the side of the road. My legs could not 
>>>> hold me up anymore. >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> At some point, my friends had begun recording
>>>> the encounter, but I’m not sure exactly when they began 
>>>> recording—I haven’t had the mentaal energy to watch the video. 
>>>> Eve Hill was also on the phone for all or most of it. But that 
>>>> wasn’t the end, not by a long shot. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> While I waited to be run through all the law enforcement databases, 
>>>> my friends filled me in on what I’d missed, including what they 
>>>> heard Troy tell the Harris County officers. They also shared that 
>>>> several of them had showed Harris County PD the Uber website that 
>>>> specifically states Uber’s nondiscrimination policy and that 
>>>> denying service to service animal users violates the law and 
>>>> Uber’s policies. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough either. 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> We also realized that our host had a 
>>>> video surveillance system on his home that likely captured the 
>>>> incident and its aftermath. In fact, the camera footage shows the 
>>>> driver yanking on the dog, the student, and me both times and much 
>>>> of the Harris County police department’s actions. The cell phone 
>>>> recordings my friends took show much of the same with sound. >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> Eventually, the lady officer from Harris County returned, 
>>>> giving me back my ID. She told me again that Troy was just a 
>>>> “nice man† who wanted to keep his expensive vehicle clean. I 
>>>> responded that people with disabilities are not dirty, and neither 
>>>> are our dogs. I also reiterated that the ADA prohibits Uber drivers 
>>>> from refusing service to guide dog handlers and others with disabilities.
>>>> She said that Uber had to handle this. I told her I had filed a 
>>>> complaint with Uber, but that since the driver assaulted and 
>>>> battered the student and me, this was now a criminal issue as well, 
>>>> and that law enforcement was required to enforce the anti-discrimination laws.
>>>> The student and I told her we wanted to press charges against the 
>>>> driver. She ordered me to get the person from Uber with whom I 
>>>> filed the report on the phone. I told her I’d try, but Uber has a 
>>>> lot of customer service people. I called Uber, waited on hold, and 
>>>> eventually got connected to a different agent than previously. 
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I told Uber I was calling because I was with law
>>>> enforcement who wanted to verify I’d called previously to file a 
>>>> report and to ask them questions. Initially, the Uber 
>>>> representative informed me that they would not talk to law 
>>>> enforcement. The female Harris County officer insisted, so I asked 
>>>> for a supervisor. I eventually was transferred to a supervisor, I 
>>>> explained the situation, and the supervisor agreed to talk to the police officer.
>>>> This all was on speaker phone, and what happened next was also on 
>>>> speaker phone. >>>>>> >>>>>> The police officer asked if a driver 
>>>> has the right to refuse to drive someone if they have a guide dog, 
>>>> and the Uber representative said, “Yes, the driver can refuse to 
>>>> drive anyone they wish.† If I hadn’t already been sitting on 
>>>> the ground, I’d have fallen over. This is a supposed supervisor 
>>>> in the escalation department at Uber, and they don’t even know 
>>>> the law or their own policies? We all, including Eve Hill on the 
>>>> phone, started shouting that this was not true. >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The police officer asked the phone representative 
>>>> from Uber to share the policy that gives drivers the right to 
>>>> refuse anyone, which frankly stunned me because I didn’t think 
>>>> that Harris County officer was capable of getting to actual true 
>>>> facts. The Uber representative put us on hold, and after about ten 
>>>> minutes, returned and read from the website that my friends had 
>>>> previously shown the officer, which said the exact opposite of what the representative had originally said.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> At no time did Harris County take my
>>>> statement or anyone else’s. At no time did they gather evidence 
>>>> or try to figure out what happened. They took a cursory look at the 
>>>> dog and said, “She looks fine to me.† They told us this was a 
>>>> civil matter and to work through Uber. We reiterated we were 
>>>> assaulted and battered and wanted to press charges, and they 
>>>> reiterated that we and the dog weren’t physically hurt from their 
>>>> perspective, thus this was a civil matter. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> >>>>>> At that point, about two and a half hours after the incident 
>>>> began, Houston PD finally showed up.
>>>> This was a vastly different experience from Harris County. The 
>>>> responding Houston PD officers took our individual statements, 
>>>> understood that the driver could not refuse services to passengers 
>>>> with guide dogs, and treated us with dignity and respect. They also 
>>>> told Harris County PD they had it from there and sent the Harris 
>>>> County officers away. >>>>>> >>>>>> We told them we had recordings 
>>>> and showed them to Houston PD. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> 
>>>> Nonetheless, they, too, did not immediately press charges or allow 
>>>> us to do so. They informed us that their local prosecutor would 
>>>> review the reports and videos and make a determination within a few days.
>>>> They obtained Troy’s contact information and released him. 
>>>> Roughly three and a half hours after the ordeal began, we returned 
>>>> to the hotel. A few days later, Houston PD informed us that the 
>>>> local prosecutor had declined to bring criminal charges against Troy.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Meanwhile, I supplemented my report to
>>>> Uber to add additional details. Three days after Uber nearly got me 
>>>> killed by Harris County PD, they kicked me off the Uber platform.
>>>> Apparently, in an effort to try to save his job with Uber, Troy 
>>>> filed a complaint against me, stating I threatened him and had a 
>>>> weapon in his vehicle. This was in direct retaliation for my 
>>>> complaint against him.
>>>> Though my supplemental report to Uber explained how Troy lied to 
>>>> law enforcement and the effect, Uber still, without ever talking to 
>>>> me or doing any sort of investigation, suspended my account.
>>>> This is a gross injustice, because if anyone who complains is 
>>>> subject to retaliatory suspension, then every person with a 
>>>> disability who tries to protect their rights, as described by the 
>>>> law and Uber’s own policy, will be removed from the platform 
>>>> simply for exercising their rights. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> I 
>>>> shared what had happened with President Riccobono, and he contacted 
>>>> Uber himself. Uber executives were at the convention, and President 
>>>> Riccobono arranged a meeting for those executives, John Paré, the 
>>>> scholarship finalists and me. Uber made a lot of promises and 
>>>> commitments, but more than a year later, I’ve not seen any of 
>>>> them come to fruition. >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I filed two complaints with the [United States] Department of
>>>> Justice (DOJ) about this experience—one against Harris County 
>>>> Police, and the other against Uber. DOJ closed the complaint 
>>>> against Harris County Police with no action. I have not yet heard 
>>>> any information about the Uber complaint. >>>>>> >>>>>> What 
>>>> happened to my companions and me isn’t rare. There isn’t a week 
>>>> that goes by that I don’t hear from someone about a rideshare 
>>>> denial because of their guide dog or long white cane. These denials 
>>>> mean that blind people are late for work, medical appointments, 
>>>> worship services, and so on. The fact that Uber personnel didn’t 
>>>> know the law, or their own policies is unforgivable. The fact that 
>>>> law enforcement doesn’t know the law is disgusting and 
>>>> terrifying. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Join Our Mailing
>>>> List >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>   >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Advocates for Service Animal Partners |
>>>> 1003 Papaya Drive | >>>>>> Tampa, FL 33619 US >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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