[nFBMI-Talk] Fwd: Service animals on airlines

Wed Jan 24 01:02:45 UTC 2018

Hi, 

Oops!  I forgot to paste, sorry.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Federation of the Blind Statement on Delta’s New Service Animal Policy

Baltimore, Maryland: (January 23, 2018): The National Federation of the Blind stated the following with regard to the new service and support animal policy announced by Delta Air Lines on January 19:

We are deeply concerned that Delta Air Lines has taken this action without consulting the National Federation of the Blind, our division the National Association of Guide Dog Users, or any other democratically elected representative of blind Americans. Blind people have safely and successfully used guide dogs for decades, but this policy fails to make a clear or practical distinction among guide dogs, other “service and support animals” (as Delta puts it), and pets. Onerous restrictions on guide dog handlers do not resolve anything and violate the principle of equal access for passengers with disabilities. Furthermore, we believe that elements of Delta’s policy, as currently articulated, violate the Air Carrier Access Act.

We are particularly troubled by the requirement that guide dog users submit paperwork to Delta forty-eight hours before flying. Travelers without guide dogs are not required to plan their travel forty-eight hours in advance. Furthermore, guide dog users will no longer be able to fly Delta in family, medical, or other emergencies. We believe that this forty-eight hour requirement is both unnecessary and unlawful.

We are asking for an urgent meeting with Delta and stand ready to work with it and other airlines to craft fair and reasonable policies to address the concerns of air carriers, their personnel, and their passengers, without imposing undue, unsupported, and unlawful hardships on guide dog users.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind 

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at www.nfb.org.

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

cdanielsen at nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD 21230 | (410) 659-9314
Unsubscribe | Opt Out |  Sign up for email newsletter 

200 East Wells Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBMI-Talk [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathy Koyanagi via NFBMI-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 5:16 PM
To: mpowell7583 at yahoo.com; NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>; Ody Norkin <ody.norkin at gmail.com>; Martin Rothman <rothman626 at comcast.net>; LYNN FITZSIMMONS <lynnf3717 at gmail.com>
Cc: Cathy Koyanagi <cakoyanagi at gmail.com>
Subject: [nFBMI-Talk] Fwd: Service animals on airlines

Friends in the Blind Community,
I just learned about this regarding Delta and Guide Dogs.
Pass it on.
Cathy-Alice Koyanagi

*Cathy-Alice Koyanagi, BSW, MS*
*Motivational Speaker, Humorist, Disability Advocate, Sensitivity Trainer,
Vision Loss Coach*

*Phone:  321-474-0721*

*"I have to exist in darkness, but I do not have to live in darkness." ~
Cathy-Alice Koyanagi*

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tracy Wright <tracwrig at umich.edu>
Date: Tue, Jan 23, 2018 at 3:45 PM
Subject: Service animals on airlines
To: Council for Disability Concerns <cfdc at umich.edu>

*FYI-*

*Delta Cracking Down On Service, Support Animals*

*by Michelle Diament *| January 23, 2018

Delta will implement a new policy on traveling with service or support
animals starting March 1. (Kent D. Johnson/The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution/TNS)

Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/01/23/delta-service-support-animals/24625/&t=Delta%20Cracking%20Down%20On%20Service,%20Support%20Animals>
 Twitter
<http://twitter.com/share?text=Delta%20Cracking%20Down%20On%20Service,%20Support%20Animals&url=https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/01/23/delta-service-support-animals/24625/>
 Google+
<https://plus.google.com/share?url=https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/01/23/delta-service-support-animals/24625/>
 LinkedIn
<http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/01/23/delta-service-support-animals/24625/&title=Delta%20Cracking%20Down%20On%20Service,%20Support%20Animals&summary=%3Cp%3EIt%20may%20soon%20be%20a%20little%20harder%20to%20fly%20with%20a%20service%20or%20support%20animal%20as%20one%20of%20the%20nation%E2%80%99s%20largest%20airlines%20looks%20to%20weed%20out%20biting,%20urination%20and%20other%20misbehavior%20on%20its%20planes.%3C/p%3E>
 Pinterest
<http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/01/23/delta-service-support-animals/24625/&media=https://pcdn.disabilityscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ds180123_delta.jpg&description=Delta%20Cracking%20Down%20On%20Service,%20Support%20Animals>
 Email
<?subject=Delta%20Cracking%20Down%20On%20Service,%20Support%20Animals&body=Check%20out%20this%20article%20from%20Disability%20Scoop:%20https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/01/23/delta-service-support-animals/24625/>

It may soon be a little harder to fly with a service or support animal as
one of the nation’s largest airlines looks to weed out incidents of biting,
urination and other misbehavior on its planes.

Delta Air Lines said this month that it will implement a new policy for
travelers flying with service or support animals starting March 1.

The move comes in response to a growing number of untrained animals
wreaking havoc on the carrier’s planes, the airline said.

 “Delta has seen an 84 percent increase in reported animal incidents since
2016, including urination/defecation, biting and even a widely reported
attack by a 70-pound dog,” Delta said in announcing the change. “In 2017,
Delta employees reported increased acts of aggression (barking, growling,
lunging and biting) from service and support animals, behavior not
typically seen in these animals when properly trained and working.”

Under the new policy, travelers with a service or support animal must
provide proof of health or vaccination at least 48 hours before their
flight. In addition, those with an emotional support or psychiatric service
animal will need to supply a doctor’s note and sign a document attesting
that their animal can behave.

Delta said travelers bring some 700 service or support animals on its
planes each day, or roughly 250,000 each year. In addition to dogs,
customers have sought to bring comfort turkeys, gliding possums known as
sugar gliders, snakes, spiders and other animals aboard, the airline said.

“The rise in serious incidents involving animals in flight leads us to
believe that the lack of regulation in both health and training screening
for these animals is creating unsafe conditions across U.S. air travel,”
said John Laughter, senior vice president of corporate safety, security and
compliance at Delta.

The new procedures will help ensure the safety of Delta’s staff and
customers while also protecting trained animals who are assisting those
with disabilities, the airline said. They were developed in consultation
with Delta’s Advisory Board on Disability, which is comprised of advocates
and flyers with various disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said it is aware of the changes at
Delta and will monitor the implementation to make sure that the rights of
people with disabilities who rely on service animals are upheld.

“Under DOT’s current rules implementing the Air Carrier Access Act,
airlines are required to accommodate passengers with disabilities who
depend on the assistance of service animals within limits,” the agency said
in a statement. “In enforcing the requirements of federal law, the
department is committed to ensuring that our air transportation system is
safe and accessible for everyone.”

Ultimately, Delta may not be the only airline to set tougher standards.
American Airlines said it is also considering additional requirements for
travelers with service or support animals and United Airlines said it is
reviewing its existing policy.

-- 

Tracy D. Wright, RN BS CCM LNC

Senior Health Management Consultant/Critical Incident Coordinator

University of Michigan ~ Dean of Students ~ Student Life

phone: (734) 764-7420  fax: (734) 647-4133

If you have an emergency call 911

Please note that this e-mail and any files transmitted with it may be
privileged, confidential, and protected from re-disclosure under FERPA,
HIPAA, applicable law. Please contact me if you have received this message
in error.
*Please support students by giving to Student Life*
http://studentlife.umich.edu/giving

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in
harmony."
~ Mohandas Gandhi
_______________________________________________
NFBMI-Talk mailing list
NFBMI-Talk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBMI-Talk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/f.wurtzel%40att.net