[Nyagdu] Accessibility updates for service animals working with Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple Properties in the Caribbean

Tue May 26 14:28:15 UTC 2015

Good morning all:

Some of you know that if you travel quite a bit and you are a guide dog
user, that sometimes our hands are tied to where we can bring out dogs
outside of the country. Even when we get to these destinations, you may not
be able to bring dogs to those locations because there are no ADA
complaints, why because that is only for the USA, not to the other
countries.

Many countries with the help of the World Blind Union and other areas of the
world, these laws are changing. More recently in July 2014, the Island
Country of the Bahamas has increased their Access and Disability Laws, in
the past you were allowed to legally bring your service animal into the
country but that property may not want the dog, and the country you were
visiting didn't work on protecting your rights. Well know they will.

Also the Island of Grenada also in the Caribbean. Grenada is also called the
"Spice Islands"

Now that all being said, I have also been working very hard with the
management of Sandals Resorts.

You may have seen in the past on Facebook or from other marketing and
advertising that I do for Echevarria Travel. That I am a Certified Sandals
Specialist, not all travel professionals take the time to know the
properties, islands, and of course attend sales meetings with the people who
actual own the properties, they are just some big huge conglomerate that has
a Board of Directors that only concerns them is the bottom line, how much
money they are going to make.

Over the last  few years, I have been working with upper management of
Sandals Resorts which are (Sandals for Couples Only), (Beaches For Everyone
by Sandals), and (Grand Pineapple the more economic product of the family of
brands). They are still family owned over 30+ years by the Founder and
Chairman Gordon "Butch" (which we call him) Stewarts, and now is being run
by his son, Adam Stewart, who is the CEO. 

Because of who they are, not only in the Caribbean, but a big name here in
the states, they have been working with me and several other travel experts
who work in the realm of disabilities, and the tightening up of the Laws in
the Bahamas and Grenada, service animals, are now allowed at all properties
that allow service animals into the country.

With the proper paperwork, informing the GM of the properties you are
visiting, there should be no worries.

So out of the 7 Island Countries that Sandals Properties are on, only 2 you
will not have a problem with again the Bahamas (2 couples only properties,
and 1 property in Grenada).

The other countries working on having more access is Jamaica - I recently
found out that the President of the Senate in Jamaica: Floyd Morris is
blind. So right now only access to Jamaica with service animal is via cruise
ship.

St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Turks & Caicos are off the radar for now,
but when and if there countries change their accessibility, they will allow
service animals on properties.

The work I do, wouldn't be without the knowledge and the family of being a
member of the National Federation of the Blind.

Cheryl Echevarria, President

National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division

A proud division of the 

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND - "Live the life you want"

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The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

Cheryl Echevarria 

Travel is our specialty and offering the best of meaningful travel for all
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