[Oagdu] FW: [NAGDU] Urgent: FAA Reauthorization

[Deanna Lewis]

Hi all,
This is very important and I wanted to make sure you all were aware of this. The letter below is written by President, Marc Riccobono of the National Federation of the Blind. Please feel free to share far and wide!
Deanna


Dear Fellow Federationists,

Please see the letter below from President Riccobono to members of Congress regarding the FAA Reauthorization and feel free to disseminate this as widely as appropriate.

Please call your representative in the House and urge them to either remove Section 437 from H.R. 302 in its entirety, or align the language with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is 202-224-3121.

Fraternally Yours,
Marion Gwizdala
NAGDU President

September 25, 2018

Re: Section 437 of FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018

Dear Chairman Thune, Ranking Member Nelson, Chairman Shuster, and Ranking Member DeFazio:

The National Federation of the Blind and its special interest division, the National Association of Guide Dog Users, strongly oppose Section 437 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 302). The proposed measures detailed in this section infringe upon the civil rights of the blind by imposing unnecessary and burdensome restrictions upon those of us who use trained guide dogs, including people who train their own guide dogs. The purpose of this letter is to address some of our main concerns with the proposed language. We would welcome the opportunity to work with Congress to seek a solution that is satisfactory to all stakeholders.

One concern we have with the bill is requiring guide dog users to produce photographic identification of our guide dogs. This would only serve to enhance the sham cottage industry of fraudulent service animal certifications. Such restrictions would do nothing to curb those counterfeiters who attempt to take advantage of our civil rights in order to avoid legitimate fees charged by air carriers for the carriage of pets.

In addition, requiring guide dog users to obtain immunization records prior to traveling on an aircraft restricts the freedom of movement for the blind to travel for emergencies or simply take a spontaneous trip.
This requirement is therefore discriminatory by creating a separate and unequal encumbrance on the blind not imposed upon our sighted peers.

We urge that Section 437 is either eliminated in its entirety or amended to align with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which provides sufficient protections for entities by allowing for the exclusion of any animal exhibiting disruptive behavior. We further urge the implementation of legal sanctions for the fraudulent misrepresentation of an animal as a service animal rather than imposing undue burdens on those of us who use legitimate specifically trained service animals.

We appreciate your immediate attention to this matter and we are available to meet to discuss this further. I can be reached by phone at 410-659-9314, or by email at officeofthepresident at nfb.org.

Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind