[Nyagdu] Fw: Shoppers with guide dogs being denied access at goodwill industries

[Margo and Arrow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: cheryl echevarria 
To: David R. Stayer ; Anil Lewis ; Margo Downey ; john pare jr. ; carl jacobsen NFB of NY President 
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 8:52 AM
Subject: Shoppers with guide dogs being denied access at goodwill industries


I thought I would share this.


It was posted by my guide dog school, the guide dog foundation for the blind in Smithtown, NY.


My own comments, on this, really is Goodwill crazy or what, sorry very unprofessional of me, but really.


Cheryl



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This notice is not specific to Tennessee. If you have had access issues with any Goodwill facility, please contact the law firm below. 

Disability Law & Advocacy Center of Tennessee, a non-profit legal center advocating
for the rights of Tennesseans with disabilities, together with the national civil
rights law firm Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian are investigating
complaints of discrimination against shoppers with service animals at Goodwill stores
across the United States. In particular, we are investigating complaints that shoppers
have been asked to provide "credentials" or documentation for their service animals;
have been barred from entering or have been thrown out of Goodwill stores because
they do not have documentation for their service animals; or have been asked questions
about their service animals even when the handler's disability or the service provided
by the animal is obvious.
If you have been denied access to Goodwill stores or have been asked inappropriate
questions by Goodwill employees because you use a service animal, we want to hear
from you.
To share your stories, please call Scott Grimes at Goldstein, Demchak's toll free
number: 1-800-822-5000, or email
sgrimes at gdblegal.com
, or Sheila Odusote at
sheilao at dlactn.org
. All communications will be kept confidential.







Leading the Way in Independent Travel!


Cheryl Echevarria, Owner
http://www.echevarriatravel.com
631-456-5394
reservations at echevarriatravel.com
http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com


President
Travel and Tourism Division
National Federation of the Blind
631-236-5138