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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Connecticut Bill On Guide Dogs Misguided <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>State Senate Bill Would Interfere With the Way Blind People Acquire Guide Dogs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Elizabeth Rival and her guide dog, Finbarr.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> (Posted by kjurgens01, Community Contributor)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>February 23, 2016 Hartford Courant<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I write to ask the public’s help in defeating a new state Senate Bill that would medicalize the way blind people acquire our guide dogs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As it is currently written, the bill in question, SB 35, will see medical service providers making decisions about what types of rehabilitation services we need, something they are absolutely not trained to do. Health insurance and medical personnel need to leave it to experienced rehabilitation professionals.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>SB 35 will take us away from the philanthropic funding model, which is already working quite well, and stack yet another cost onto health insurance. The current guide dog system isn’t broken and I don’t want the General Assembly to try to fix it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>While the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut appreciates well-meaning people have authored SB 35 to help us, it poses serious potential to do a lot more harm than good.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Right now, guide dogs are funded through charitable donations. No doctor is required to say I need one, and no unit of government says where I must go to get a dog. Please do not let SB 35 change that. Legislators should reject this bill until the language about guide dogs has been removed. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Elizabeth Rival, Kensington<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The writer is second vice president of National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This article is related to: Connecticut General Assembly,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>