[stylist] Canes and Dogs

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Judith,

You miss the point of Marion's comments.  You said that if a restaurant
told you your guide dog is not suppose to be in their establishment that
you apologize and promise to not bring it next time.

As pointed out, this is illegal.  No public establishments , including
restaurants, have any right to deny a guide dog unless it poses a
threat.

So, in your example, the restaurant was verbally saying the dog is not
allowed.

Based on this, you can replace denying a service animal with an ethnic
group.

If you are denied access to a public place because of your ethnicity,
that establishment would be breaking the law.  Just like if they deny
access to a guide dog.

I fail to see the confusion.  Either way, the establishment is
discriminating and denying entrance to a person, which in this country
is illegal.

True, a guide dog owner has the choice to take or not take their dog,
but regardless of this, no public place can legally deny a guide dog,
just like they can not deny service due to race, religion, gender,
sexual orientation or ethnicity.

Bridgit

Message: 11
Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 17:20:16 -0400
From: Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net>
To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Canes and dogs
Message-ID: <300363A209294001AAA854B137937F2B at dell5150>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;
	reply-type=response

Where did my Jewish identity come in?  If a restaurant or anything else 
doesn't allow Jews based on their religion chances are pretty good
they've 
already been reported to authorities.  Many years ago in Florida my in
laws 
were vacationing.  My late mother in law had darker skin, resembling an 
Italian or Middle Eastern complexion.  She and my late father in law had

reservations in a hotel.  When they walked in the person at the desk
told 
them that my mother in law could not stay.  They didn't allow people 
described with the N word to be guests in their hotel.  My father in law

toldd them he couldn't stay either.  There's a big difference between a
dog 
and a Jew with a darker complexion or a Jew who looks as white as an
Aryian. 
Today all public establishments are mandated to allow guide dogs into
their 
establishment.  However the person using the guide dog has to make their
own 
determination as to weather or not they want to take their animal there.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Gwizdala" <marion.gwizdala at verizon.net>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 5:00 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Canes and dogs


> Judith,
>    I would like to respectfully disagree with some of your message. 
> How
> one handles an issue of going to someone's home is up to them. My
feeling 
> is that, if I am invited to someone's home who knows me, that person
knows 
> I have a guide dog. If they advise me that they are amenable to the 
> presence of my dog, I will make the choice based upon this fact. If, 
> however, they say nothing, I will not ask and will not bring my dog. I

> believe that doing so puts someone on the spot and they may agree to
let 
> me bring my dog in spite of their wishes that I not do so for fear
that 
> they may be seen as rude. Again, this is my approach and, by no means,
do 
> I believe this is the only way to handle it. It is my way. I am not
one 
> who believes, as I have stated previously, that if you do not accept
my 
> dog you don't accept me!
>    As to the issue of a public accommodation telling me I am not
welcome 
> with my dog, I will offer no apology.  It is a violation of both state
and 
> federal law to discriminate against a disabled individual accompanied
by a 
> service dog unless the dog poses a direct threat to the health or
safety 
> of others that cannot be eliminated by a reasonable modification of 
> policies, practices, and procedures or if my dog is out of control and
I 
> do not take immediate action to correct the behavior. Period. End of 
> Story! On this issue I am as intolerant as I hope you would be if a 
> restaurant told you they did not allow Jews! I would attempt to
educate 
> them, but if they persisted in their discrimination, they would find 
> themselves under arrest! In Florida, as is true in 33 other states, 
> discrimination based upon disability is a criminal offense!
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion Gwizdala