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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br><br>
<div align="center"><h1><b>National Federation of the Blind Applauds
United Airlines for Prudent Service Animal Policy</b></h1>Major air
carrier’s policy on trained service animals remains unchanged<br><br>
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<b>Baltimore, Maryland (February 6, 2018):</b> The National Federation of
the Blind, the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people,
commends United Airlines for announcing that there will be no changes to
its policies regarding travelers with dog guides and other service
animals, as opposed to animals that may fit other categories.<br><br>
“Blind people have worked for decades to make sure that dog guides are
trained and managed in a manner that supports the equal treatment of
blind people in public places,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the
National Federation of the Blind. “Every day, dog guides facilitate
smooth and independent travel by the thousands of blind people who choose
to use them, including my own wife. Unnecessary and burdensome notice and
documentation requirements would have limited the independence of these
travelers. We therefore thank United for continuing to recognize the
qualifications of trained dog guides in its recently announced policy
revisions, and we call on all other air carriers to adopt this same
approach. We also urge United and the rest of the airline industry to
engage with us to ensure that all aspects of the air travel experience,
including in-flight entertainment and the use of mobile applications and
websites, are accessible to blind people.”<br><br>
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About the National Federation of the Blind <br><br>
</b>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
<a href="https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=10201&qid=2129297">
www.nfb.org</a>.<br><br>
<b>CONTACT:<br><br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br><br>
Director of Public Relations<br><br>
National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br><br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br><br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br><br>
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<b>National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD
21230 | (410) 659-9314</b><br>
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