[Oagdu] Fwd: [nagdu] Just Sent To My Local Paper

Fri Sep 25 18:04:43 UTC 2015

Hello 
Alleeha, 

Yes, the article was well written and definitely got the point across. I
haven't had something like this happen twice in a row, but it seems to be
happening more than it used to. I often do wonder if service animals are
even discussed during training. Thanks for sharing. 

Kathy Zolo 

From: Oagdu [mailto:oagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Aleeha Dudley via
Oagdu
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2015 10:26 PM
To: Ohio Association of Guide Dog Users List <oagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Aleeha Dudley <blindcowgirl1993 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Oagdu] Fwd: [nagdu] Just Sent To My Local Paper

Thought this was a nice read. 

Begin forwarded message:

From: Buddy Brannan via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org <mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> >

Date: September 24, 2015 at 1:56:46 AM EDT

To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org <mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> >

Cc: Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name <mailto:buddy at brannan.name> >

Subject: [nagdu] Just Sent To My Local Paper

Just sent the following to our local paper. Hopefully where I sent it will
get it to the right place. 

Today, I experienced something very unusual, more unusual because it
happened twice in rapid succession. In fact, this is the first time I've had
this experience during the 13 years I've lived in Erie. Frankly, it really
surprised me; for the most part, Erieites are wonderful folks. Rare as this
occurrence is, it seems like a good time to call it to the public's
attention, since September is National Guide Dog Month.

Twice today, I was told that I was not allowed to enter a restaurant with my
Seeing EyeR dog. On one occasion, the hostess or waitress actually went out
of her way to inform me of this potential refusal. The second time, the
"misunderstanding" was cleared up and I was able to have lunch, but it
should never have happened in the first place. 

In my travels downtown, I went in search of lunch. I found myself first at
Tandoori Hut. I ducked in, not knowing what the restaurant was, decided I
didn't want to have lunch there, and left after less than a minute. While  I
was tying my shoe outside the door, someone came out and told me that I
couldn't bring my dog into the restaurant. I explained that yes, he was a
Seeing Eye dog, and I was allowed to bring him into restaurants. She
insisted I could not. I asked if they would like to discuss with the health
department. Eventually, she left, and I didn't press the issue, since I
didn't want to have lunch there anyway. 

I then went next door to 28 North Gastropub, which had, near as I could
tell, just two customers at one table. I asked them where I was, and after
they answered, a gentlemen, who turned out to be the waiter, asked if he
could help me. I told him I was looking for somewhere to have lunch. He,
also, told me I could not have my dog inside the restaurant. We had the same
discussion, and he went off to discuss with, one supposes, his manager. He
came back, told me to sit anywhere, there was no problem, he just didn't
know, he "just works here". I told him that he clearly needed further
training. While taking my order, he let me know that he didn't know, and
"didn't intend to deny me access". One wonders what he calls what had just
happened. 

In 13 years living in Erie, I've never had this happen. In one day, on one
stretch of road, in fact in less than a hundred feet,  it happened twice.
Guide dogs have been out and about with their blind owners for 86 years.
Other service dogs assisting with other disabilities have been around a long
time, too. If restaurant owners are not made aware of their
responsibilities, and their rights, under the law regarding access to public
places for people with disabilities and their service dogs, they should be.
If they are made aware and don't pass this knowledge on to their staff, they
are negligent in their duties. In brief, a person with a disability is
allowed to be accompanied by a trained service dog in all public places.
Service dogs are well trained and should not be disruptive. If it is unclear
that a dog is a service animal (in my case, it was very clear), there are
two questions that can be asked:

1) Is this a service dog needed to assist with a disability? If answered in
the affirmative,

2) What tasks has your dog been trained to perform? 

You may not ask the nature of the disability. You may not ask for ID or
certification, because there aren't any that are worth the paper they're
printed on anyway. You may, however, have a disruptive, aggressive, or out
of control dog removed from the premises whether or not it's a service dog.
Parenthetically, I ask, please do ask, even insist, that such dogs be
removed. Nobody likes growling, lunging, out of control dogs. For more
information on this, please see this page:
http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

Finally, if you're one of those people who brings your untrained pet into
public places, claiming it's a service dog, please don't. For one thing, you
are by extension claiming you have a disability. For another, you're making
my life more difficult, as well as the lives of all people with disabilities
who legitimately need their service dogs. Your thoughtlessness, indeed your
selfishness, could literally cause someone real injury. We don't have these
dogs because they're cute (even though they are), and most of us would swap
the need for a service dog for your not needing one if we could. 

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name <mailto:buddy at brannan.name> 

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org <mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blindcowgirl1993%40gmail.
com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 12311P (20150925) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

- is OK
> MIME > part000.txt - is OK
> MIME > part001.htm - is OK
part001.txt - is OK

http://www.eset.com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 12311P (20150925) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

Email message - is OK
Untitled attachment 00077.txt - is OK

http://www.eset.com

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 12311P (20150925) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

Email message - is OK

http://www.eset.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/oagdu_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150925/f56b70f2/attachment.html>