<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Robert Stigile, Second Vice-President<div>National Federation of the Blind of California</div><div>President San Fernando Valley Chapter</div><div>818-381-9568</div><div>Kn6uvd</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> Sarah Calhoun via NAGDU <nagdu@nfbnet.org><br><b>Date:</b> January 8, 2024 at 6:41:47 PM PST<br><b>To:</b> "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Sarah Calhoun <sc-tico@att.net><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[NAGDU] Important and time sensitive! Federal Register now accepting comments on DOT form required for air travel with service dogs. Due on1/12</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu@nfbnet.org><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><span>Dear Members of the Service dog community, </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>It has come to our attention that the U.S. Department of Transportation form</span><br><span>required for air travel with service dogs is now under review. The Federal</span><br><span>Register is now accepting comments on this form until January12th, 2024, or</span><br><span>this coming Friday. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>If you would like to provide your input, please submit to the Federal</span><br><span>Register at this link:</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/13/2023-24885/notice-of-su</span><br><span>bmission-of-proposed-information-collection-to-omb-agency-request-for-reinst</span><br><span>atement-of</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>You may file comments identified by the docket number DOT-OST-2018-0068 by</span><br><span>any of the following methods:</span><br><span></span><br><span>. Federal Rulemaking Portal: Go to <https://www.regulations.gov></span><br><span>https://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for</span><br><span>submitting comments. (You may access comments received for this notice at</span><br><span><https://www.regulations.gov> https://www.regulations.gov by searching</span><br><span>docket DOT-OST-2018-0068.) </span><br><span></span><br><span>. Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200</span><br><span>New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Ground Floor Room, W12-140, Washington, DC</span><br><span>20590-0001; </span><br><span></span><br><span>. Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey</span><br><span>Ave. SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal</span><br><span>holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number</span><br><span>DOT-OST-2010-0054 at the beginning of your comment. All comments received</span><br><span>will be posted without change to <https://www.regulations.gov></span><br><span>https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Below is a sample of comments that we intend to submit. Feel free to use</span><br><span>this as a basis for your comments. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>If you have any questions please contact:</span><br><span></span><br><span>Moira Shea: moirashea@verizon.net <mailto:moirashea@verizon.net> </span><br><span></span><br><span>Or </span><br><span></span><br><span>Martha Steele: marthajs@verizon.net <mailto:marthajs@verizon.net> </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>With appreciation,</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Moira Shea and Martha Steele </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Comment:</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>I am a blind traveler who travels frequently domestically and</span><br><span>internationally with my service dog. I have been travelling with a guide dog</span><br><span>for the past 30 years without any incidence. But Since the US Department of</span><br><span>Transportation (DOT) started to require me to fill out an inaccessible form</span><br><span>(in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), flying has become</span><br><span>very problematic for me.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>The DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form should be greatly simplified</span><br><span>in fully accessible format to conform generally with the requirements of the</span><br><span>Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Indeed the most recent version of the</span><br><span>Air Carrier Access ACT (ACAA) aligned its definition of service dogs as</span><br><span>defined within ADA. ADA only permits two questions of those individuals who</span><br><span>have a service animal: </span><br><span></span><br><span>1. Is your animal a service animal? </span><br><span>2. If so, what service does it perform?</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Currently, the DOT form is burdensome, lengthy, requires the service animal</span><br><span>handler to insert the service animal name eleven times, and asks for far</span><br><span>more (and irrelevant) information than is allowed under ADA. Below is a</span><br><span>partial list of what the current form requires:</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>1. Handler's name, address, email, and phone number</span><br><span>2. Service Dog's name, with accompanying details on dog, such as breed,</span><br><span>weight, gender, and whether spayed or neutered</span><br><span>3. Dates of dog's rabies vaccination and expiration</span><br><span>4. Handler statement that the dog is free of fleas, ticks, or other</span><br><span>diseases that might affect humans or other animals</span><br><span>5. veterinarian name and phone number</span><br><span>6. Handler certification that service animal performs certain services</span><br><span></span><br><span>7. Name of trainer or organization and phone number</span><br><span></span><br><span>8. Handler certification that animal has been trained to behave in public</span><br><span></span><br><span>9. Handler certification that he/she understands that service animal</span><br><span>must be under control at all times</span><br><span>10. Handler certification that service animal is not aggressive</span><br><span>11. Warning that if service animal does not behave, airline can charge</span><br><span>pet fee</span><br><span>12. Handler certification that service animal has not behaved poorly or</span><br><span>caused injury to other dogs</span><br><span>13. Handler certification that he/she understands that service animal</span><br><span>must be harnessed at all times</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>If DOT continues to require completion of a form for service animal users to</span><br><span>travel by air, the form should contain no more than four questions, as</span><br><span>follows:</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Are you traveling with a service animal?</span><br><span></span><br><span>If so, what service does it perform?</span><br><span></span><br><span>What is the name of the service animal?</span><br><span></span><br><span>What is the name and phone number of the school where the service animal was</span><br><span>trained? </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>However, I strongly urge that there be no form required for the service</span><br><span>animal handler to complete. The purpose of the ACAA is to make flying more</span><br><span>accessible to individuals with disabilities. Instead, in addition to</span><br><span>requiring that the handler complete the long, repetitive, and burdensome DOT</span><br><span>form inaccessible to many, the handler faces different requirements from</span><br><span>every airline. For example, Delta Airlines requires that the handler</span><br><span>complete the DOT form on the airlines' website, not accepting the already</span><br><span>completed DOT form with service animal identification number. Other</span><br><span>airlines, such as Jet Blue, require completion of an additional form beyond</span><br><span>the DOT form before they will give approval for the service animal's travel,</span><br><span>increasing the burden even more on the service animal handler. In addition,</span><br><span>the current process sometimes creates unnecessary and delayed travel</span><br><span>approval from the airlines.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>To truly make airline travel more accessible and in conformance with ADA, I</span><br><span>propose that all guide dog schools input into the DOT website the name of</span><br><span>the handler, the name of the service animal, and the name and phone number</span><br><span>of the school where the pair graduated from. The airline personnel can then</span><br><span>enter the DOT website to verify that the passenger is traveling with a</span><br><span>trained service animal in accordance with ACAA. This takes the burden off</span><br><span>the service animal handler, addresses concerns that many handlers face</span><br><span>inaccessibility issues with online forms for a variety of reasons, and</span><br><span>restores the purpose of the ACAA intent to improve air travel access for</span><br><span>those with disabilities. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>The requirements for air travel are also far greater than for any other mode</span><br><span>of travel or entering public spaces. No other mode of transportation, such</span><br><span>as rail, bus, or ferry/ship, requires any such documentation. Entering</span><br><span>public spaces such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, grocery stores,</span><br><span>theaters, or museums, also do not require burdensome documentation. Why is</span><br><span>travel on an aircraft any different from other modes of transportation or</span><br><span>places frequented by the general public?</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Thank you for your careful attention to these comments.</span><br><span>Sincerely, </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>_._,_._,_</span><br><span></span><br><span> _____ </span><br><span></span><br><span>Links:</span><br><span></span><br><span>You receive all messages sent to this group. </span><br><span></span><br><span>View/Reply Online (#1641)</span><br><span><https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/message/1641> | Reply To Group</span><br><span><mailto:GDUI-Advocacy@acblists.org?subject=Re:%20%5BGDUI-Advocacy%5D%20FW%3A</span><br><span>%20Important%20and%20time%20sensitive%21%20Federal%20Register%20now%20accept</span><br><span>ing%20comments%20on%20DOT%20form%20required%20for%20air%20travel%20with%20se</span><br><span>rvice%20dogs.%20Due%20on1%2F12> | Reply To Sender</span><br><span><mailto:sc-tico@att.net?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BGDUI-Advocacy%5D%20FW%3A</span><br><span>%20Important%20and%20time%20sensitive%21%20Federal%20Register%20now%20accept</span><br><span>ing%20comments%20on%20DOT%20form%20required%20for%20air%20travel%20with%20se</span><br><span>rvice%20dogs.%20Due%20on1%2F12> | Mute This Topic</span><br><span><https://acblists.org/mt/103613510/150739> | New Topic</span><br><span><https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/post> </span><br><span>Your Subscription <https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/editsub/150739> |</span><br><span>Contact Group Owner <mailto:GDUI-Advocacy+owner@acblists.org> | Unsubscribe</span><br><span><https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/leave/9828135/150739/268555568/xyzzy></span><br><span>[sc-tico@att.net]</span><br><span></span><br><span>_._,_._,_</span><br><span></span><br><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>NAGDU mailing list</span><br><span>NAGDU@nfbnet.org</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org</span><br><span>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:</span><br><span>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rstigile%40gmail.com</span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>