[Ohio-talk] service animals

[Deborah Kendrick]

Everyone, 
Please, please read and write carefully when sharing information that
references law. 
I find this post very troubling in that if it was actually printed as a Dear
Abby column, a newspaper source many read and regard as trustworthy, it is
full of errors. 
Guide dogs do not wear jackets. They wear harnesses.
Nowhere is there any nonsense rule about scratching dogs only under the chin
if permission has been granted. 
Many of the leading schools training dogs for blind people have been
actively working to dispel the incorrect information circulating about our
dogs, not to mention the rapidly growing number of fake service dogs.  This
article is the kind of thing that is really troublesome. 
I don't have a dog currently, but know how much my friends with trained dogs
depend on them for safety, and a stupid article like this one really screams
for our attention. 
Back to my corner...
Deborah

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-Talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marianne
Denning via Ohio-Talk
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2017 11:54 AM
To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List
Cc: Marianne Denning
Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] service animals

First, the woman who was checking the woman out had every right to ask that
question. According to the ADA an employee can ask 2 questions, was that dog
specifically trained to do a task and what task was it trained to do. The
person with the dog was absolutely wrong in this situation. BTW, HIPA only
covers medical facilities. I don't think it applies to retail stores. Since
the Ohio Association of Guide Dog Users has been working with the Ohio law
regarding service animals we have become very familiar with ADA
requirements. Thanks for pointing this out to us.

On 10/14/17, Wanda Sloan via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Thank you Barbara.  I feel the same as you do.  As an NFB member, we 
> are to educate the public in a tactful way as not to be rude or 
> insulting to an inquiring person.
>
> Wan Sloan
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ohio-Talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
> Barbara Shaidnagle via Ohio-Talk
> Sent: Friday, October 13, 2017 8:58 AM
> To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List 
> <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Barbara Shaidnagle <bshaid at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Ohio-talk] service animals
>
> I am concerned at times about an animal designated as a service animal 
> especially when they are not wearing a jacket, merely accompanying the 
> person.  And I  told one person at the airport in Bham a year ago, 
> "you are what gives guide dogs a bad name..."
>
> DEAR ABBY: Yesterday I was in a retail store with my service dog. The 
> clerk asked me what kind of service dog she was and I replied, She's 
> my service dog. She kept pressing me as to exactly why I have one, so 
> I asked her if she was inquiring about my disability. When she said, 
> Yes, I politely informed her that federal HIPAA laws protect my right 
> to privacy. She then said -- loud enough for everyone in the store to 
> hear -- I don't know what the big deal is. I just want to know what the
dog does for you.
>
> Please let your readers know how to be around a person and their 
> service
> animal:
>
> 1. You do *not* have the right to ask about the person's disability. 
> To do so is rude. Most people prefer strangers not know their medical
condition.
> The dog may be for PTSD, a hearing or seeing dog, or to alert the 
> person to a medical emergency.
>
> 2. Children (and adults) need to understand that when service animals'
> jackets go on, the dogs know it's time to go to work, and they take 
> their job seriously. At that point, they are not pets and should not 
> be treated as such. If a child rushes a service dog, the animal may 
> react badly because it is there to protect its person.
>
> 3. You may ask to pet the dog, but don't assume it will be allowed. If 
> given permission, the dog should be scratched under the chin *only*.
>
> Service animals know their place. It's a shame that most people are 
> not as polite. -- NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
>
> DEAR N.O.Y.B.: Thank you for sharing this information. According to 
> the Americans With Disabilities Act website (ada.gov): Businesses may 
> ask if an animal is a service animal or ask what tasks the animal has 
> been trained to perform, but cannot require special ID cards for the 
> animal or ask about the person's disability.
>
>
> .
> DeColores
> Barbara
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>


--
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053

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