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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello all<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This could be of interest with guide dog handlers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Just passing along from my friends in Massachusetts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Joanne Jordan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Isabel Rosario via Massachusetts-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 9, 2024 10:16 AM<br><b>To:</b> massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Isabel Rosario <isabelrosario76@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [Massachusetts-NFB] Fwd: [NAGDU] Important and time sensitive! Federal Register now accepting comments on DOT form required for air travel with service dogs. Due on1/12<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Good morning all,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>If you are a guide dog user or a supporter, the Federal Register is now accepting comments on the DOT form required for air travel for service animals. Please get your comments in by this Friday. More information on how to do so is forwarded below.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br clear=all><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Best regards,<br>Isabel Rosario<br>Co-chair|NABS Content Creation Committee<br>NABS Now podcast: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/47rJlZrFHD4EIqvgLRNhHM">https://open.spotify.com/show/47rJlZrFHD4EIqvgLRNhHM</a><br>203-993-3045<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Sarah Calhoun via NAGDU</span></strong> <<a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>><br>Date: Mon, Jan 8, 2024 at 9:41 PM<br>Subject: [NAGDU] Important and time sensitive! Federal Register now accepting comments on DOT form required for air travel with service dogs. Due on1/12<br>To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <<a href="mailto:nagdu@nfbnet.org">nagdu@nfbnet.org</a>><br>CC: Sarah Calhoun <<a href="mailto:sc-tico@att.net">sc-tico@att.net</a>><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br>Dear Members of the Service dog community, <br><br><br><br>It has come to our attention that the U.S. Department of Transportation form<br>required for air travel with service dogs is now under review. The Federal<br>Register is now accepting comments on this form until January12th, 2024, or<br>this coming Friday. <br><br><br><br>If you would like to provide your input, please submit to the Federal<br>Register at this link:<br><br><br><br><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/13/2023-24885/notice-of-submission-of-proposed-information-collection-to-omb-agency-request-for-reinstatement-of" target="_blank">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/13/2023-24885/notice-of-su<br>bmission-of-proposed-information-collection-to-omb-agency-request-for-reinst<br>atement-of</a><br><br><br><br>You may file comments identified by the docket number DOT-OST-2018-0068 by<br>any of the following methods:<br><br>. Federal Rulemaking Portal: Go to <<a href="https://www.regulations.gov" target="_blank">https://www.regulations.gov</a>><br><a href="https://www.regulations.gov" target="_blank">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and follow the online instructions for<br>submitting comments. (You may access comments received for this notice at<br><<a href="https://www.regulations.gov" target="_blank">https://www.regulations.gov</a>> <a href="https://www.regulations.gov" target="_blank">https://www.regulations.gov</a> by searching<br>docket DOT-OST-2018-0068.) <br><br>. Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200<br>New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Ground Floor Room, W12-140, Washington, DC<br>20590-0001; <br><br>. Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey<br>Ave. SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal<br>holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329. <br><br>Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number<br>DOT-OST-2010-0054 at the beginning of your comment. All comments received<br>will be posted without change to <<a href="https://www.regulations.gov" target="_blank">https://www.regulations.gov</a>><br><a href="https://www.regulations.gov" target="_blank">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information provided.<br><br><br><br><br><br>Below is a sample of comments that we intend to submit. Feel free to use<br>this as a basis for your comments. <br><br><br><br>If you have any questions please contact:<br><br>Moira Shea: <a href="mailto:moirashea@verizon.net" target="_blank">moirashea@verizon.net</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:moirashea@verizon.net" target="_blank">moirashea@verizon.net</a>> <br><br>Or <br><br>Martha Steele: <a href="mailto:marthajs@verizon.net" target="_blank">marthajs@verizon.net</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:marthajs@verizon.net" target="_blank">marthajs@verizon.net</a>> <br><br><br><br>With appreciation,<br><br><br><br>Moira Shea and Martha Steele <br><br><br><br>Comment:<br><br><br><br>I am a blind traveler who travels frequently domestically and<br>internationally with my service dog. I have been travelling with a guide dog<br>for the past 30 years without any incidence. But Since the US Department of<br>Transportation (DOT) started to require me to fill out an inaccessible form<br>(in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), flying has become<br>very problematic for me.<br><br><br><br>The DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form should be greatly simplified<br>in fully accessible format to conform generally with the requirements of the<br>Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Indeed the most recent version of the<br>Air Carrier Access ACT (ACAA) aligned its definition of service dogs as<br>defined within ADA. ADA only permits two questions of those individuals who<br>have a service animal: <br><br>1. Is your animal a service animal? <br>2. If so, what service does it perform?<br><br><br><br>Currently, the DOT form is burdensome, lengthy, requires the service animal<br>handler to insert the service animal name eleven times, and asks for far<br>more (and irrelevant) information than is allowed under ADA. Below is a<br>partial list of what the current form requires:<br><br><br><br>1. Handler's name, address, email, and phone number<br>2. Service Dog's name, with accompanying details on dog, such as breed,<br>weight, gender, and whether spayed or neutered<br>3. Dates of dog's rabies vaccination and expiration<br>4. Handler statement that the dog is free of fleas, ticks, or other<br>diseases that might affect humans or other animals<br>5. veterinarian name and phone number<br>6. Handler certification that service animal performs certain services<br><br>7. Name of trainer or organization and phone number<br><br>8. Handler certification that animal has been trained to behave in public<br><br>9. Handler certification that he/she understands that service animal<br>must be under control at all times<br>10. Handler certification that service animal is not aggressive<br>11. Warning that if service animal does not behave, airline can charge<br>pet fee<br>12. Handler certification that service animal has not behaved poorly or<br>caused injury to other dogs<br>13. Handler certification that he/she understands that service animal<br>must be harnessed at all times<br><br><br><br>If DOT continues to require completion of a form for service animal users to<br>travel by air, the form should contain no more than four questions, as<br>follows:<br><br><br><br>Are you traveling with a service animal?<br><br>If so, what service does it perform?<br><br>What is the name of the service animal?<br><br>What is the name and phone number of the school where the service animal was<br>trained? <br><br><br><br>However, I strongly urge that there be no form required for the service<br>animal handler to complete. The purpose of the ACAA is to make flying more<br>accessible to individuals with disabilities. Instead, in addition to<br>requiring that the handler complete the long, repetitive, and burdensome DOT<br>form inaccessible to many, the handler faces different requirements from<br>every airline. For example, Delta Airlines requires that the handler<br>complete the DOT form on the airlines' website, not accepting the already<br>completed DOT form with service animal identification number. Other<br>airlines, such as Jet Blue, require completion of an additional form beyond<br>the DOT form before they will give approval for the service animal's travel,<br>increasing the burden even more on the service animal handler. In addition,<br>the current process sometimes creates unnecessary and delayed travel<br>approval from the airlines.<br><br><br><br>To truly make airline travel more accessible and in conformance with ADA, I<br>propose that all guide dog schools input into the DOT website the name of<br>the handler, the name of the service animal, and the name and phone number<br>of the school where the pair graduated from. The airline personnel can then<br>enter the DOT website to verify that the passenger is traveling with a<br>trained service animal in accordance with ACAA. This takes the burden off<br>the service animal handler, addresses concerns that many handlers face<br>inaccessibility issues with online forms for a variety of reasons, and<br>restores the purpose of the ACAA intent to improve air travel access for<br>those with disabilities. <br><br><br><br>The requirements for air travel are also far greater than for any other mode<br>of travel or entering public spaces. No other mode of transportation, such<br>as rail, bus, or ferry/ship, requires any such documentation. Entering<br>public spaces such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, grocery stores,<br>theaters, or museums, also do not require burdensome documentation. Why is<br>travel on an aircraft any different from other modes of transportation or<br>places frequented by the general public?<br><br><br><br>Thank you for your careful attention to these comments.<br>Sincerely, <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>_._,_._,_<br><br> _____ <br><br>Links:<br><br>You receive all messages sent to this group. <br><br>View/Reply Online (#1641)<br><<a href="https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/message/1641" target="_blank">https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/message/1641</a>> | Reply To Group<br><mailto:<a href="mailto:GDUI-Advocacy@acblists.org" target="_blank">GDUI-Advocacy@acblists.org</a>?subject=Re:%20%5BGDUI-Advocacy%5D%20FW%3A<br>%20Important%20and%20time%20sensitive%21%20Federal%20Register%20now%20accept<br>ing%20comments%20on%20DOT%20form%20required%20for%20air%20travel%20with%20se<br>rvice%20dogs.%20Due%20on1%2F12> | Reply To Sender<br><mailto:<a href="mailto:sc-tico@att.net" target="_blank">sc-tico@att.net</a>?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BGDUI-Advocacy%5D%20FW%3A<br>%20Important%20and%20time%20sensitive%21%20Federal%20Register%20now%20accept<br>ing%20comments%20on%20DOT%20form%20required%20for%20air%20travel%20with%20se<br>rvice%20dogs.%20Due%20on1%2F12> | Mute This Topic<br><<a href="https://acblists.org/mt/103613510/150739" target="_blank">https://acblists.org/mt/103613510/150739</a>> | New Topic<br><<a href="https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/post" target="_blank">https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/post</a>> <br>Your Subscription <<a href="https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/editsub/150739" target="_blank">https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/editsub/150739</a>> |<br>Contact Group Owner <mailto:<a href="mailto:GDUI-Advocacy%2Bowner@acblists.org" target="_blank">GDUI-Advocacy+owner@acblists.org</a>> | Unsubscribe<br><<a href="https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/leave/9828135/150739/268555568/xyzzy" target="_blank">https://acblists.org/g/GDUI-Advocacy/leave/9828135/150739/268555568/xyzzy</a>><br>[<a href="mailto:sc-tico@att.net" target="_blank">sc-tico@att.net</a>]<br><br>_._,_._,_<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>NAGDU mailing list<br><a href="mailto:NAGDU@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">NAGDU@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/isabelrosario76%40gmail.com" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/isabelrosario76%40gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>