[nagdu] National Epidemic of Horrible People Pretending to Be Disabled |
Julie McGinnity
kaybaycar at gmail.com
Tue Oct 15 04:02:54 UTC 2013
I don't really like the tone of this article either. "horrible
people" doesn't sound like professional language to me, even if it is
true.
That being said, I think something needs to be done about people
pretending to be disabled so that they can take advantage of things
that we consider to be accomidations. But I don't think a required
cirtification for service dogs is the answer. The logistics of such a
thing would be insane, not to mention choosing an institution or
agency to control the process would create a lot of room for unfair
treatment. I think that owner trainers have proven themselves worthy
of training and working with their own dogs. Let's not sacrifice them
because there are people who believe they are above the law.
I believe that education is the answer. If only businesses actually
knew the law... We need to find more efficient ways of educating
these places as well as the public. That is the best answer I can
find for this problem.
On 10/14/13, Tami Jarvis <tami at poodlemutt.com> wrote:
> Sheila,
>
> Yeeks! And I thought it was grim out here in the rural wilds... I can
> get to the local bus stop and get somewhere; it's just expensive and a
> long trip. But for rural owner-trainers, the cost and time of getting to
> wherever the testing takes place would be quite a burden over and above
> the cost of testing and certification itself. Well, even when I lived in
> Portland, getting down to Salem to be tested would have been a problem
> and expense, so I was not much less in favor of having to do such a
> thing than I am out here. /smile/
>
> Also, if I can't use public transportation until after the test, I would
> still have to hire a driver for a 600 mile round trip covering at least
> 3 days. That would be a big bummer for sure. Well, I have a driver, but
> a lot of rural disabled folks don't.
>
> Going back to Marion's ponderings about the motivations behind CCI's
> push for ID requirements -- which is also echoed in some articles by
> other training programs -- I do wonder if they are thinking they would
> be exempted from the testing requirements or perhaps be in charge of the
> system? Or is it just a chance to work in their usual fundraising spiel?
> I don't know, but the bit where the article about able-bodied folks
> faking disabilities is suddenly co-opted by statements about how the
> problem is disabled people thinking they can train their own dogs, which
> of course they can't, sure does set my teeth on edge. /lol/ I guess the
> big insistence that real service dogs are specially bred for generations
> is more a sales pitch for established programs over newer start ups than
> anything else. If I remember that the nature of the business end of the
> training programs is charitable fundraising, then it all actually makes
> sense. It's all about brand marketing, I guess.
>
> I think the chances of a standardized testing system being established
> are pretty slim, just because of the cost of it. I do wish, though, that
> these folks would think about the unintended consequences of their
> proclamations about the perfection of real service dogs. I have a grim
> suspicion that more problems for service dog users may come about
> because of unrealistic expectations than are caused by rotten pets of
> able-bodied folks. I hope I'm wrong there.
>
> Tami
>
>
>
> On 10/14/2013 04:50 PM, Sheila Leigland wrote:
>> hi Tami right now in our state of Montana, we don't have any bus service
>> out of Great falls because the carrier decided that it wasn't cost
>> effective to keep the system running so if we don't drive or have a
>> driver we couldn't get to the capitol of our state even if we wanted to.
>> We don't know when this situation will be resolved. as it stands now we
>> are renting a van to go to our state convention in billings which is
>> about 225 miles from here because it is the only way we can get there.
>> because we can't get out of here it goes without saying that getting to
>> a place of certification for our dogs wouldn't be posible if I agreed
>> with this which I don't.
>> On 10/14/2013 3:20 PM, Tami Jarvis wrote:
>>> Danielle,
>>>
>>> It's a fair question. In short, the biggest deal with requiring proof
>>> of training is the cost of creating and administering such a program
>>> and exactly who is expected to pay for it.
>>>
>>> Are the fundraising organizations that provide trained service dogs to
>>> be exempted from the standardized testing? If not, what will the fees
>>> and cost of transportation to the testing facilities do to their
>>> budgets and the availability of service dogs for those who can't or
>>> don't want to train their own? Or should those costs be passed on to
>>> the consumers in fees for the dogs? Perhaps, instead of requiring the
>>> training programs to take the dogs to be tested, it should be up to
>>> the handler to do that before they can take the dog out to work in
>>> public?
>>>
>>> Another big consideration is that many service dogs do work for people
>>> with disabilities that affect their ability to handle and manipulate
>>> objects such as, say, ID cards. It may be easy for you to whip out a
>>> card every time you walk in a door, but for some people it would be
>>> difficult, painful, or even impossible. How is that to be dealt with,
>>> then?
>>>
>>> There are a number of other considerations, which may or may not count
>>> as big deals, depending on point of view, I guess. On the larger
>>> scale, though, I think cost and logistics are the biggest ones.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, as things now stand, our dogs' training must speak for
>>> itself, every day, everywhere we go. That is true no matter who
>>> trained the dog or what paperwork is involved. It's up to us as
>>> handlers to ensure that our dogs are up to snuff all day every day in
>>> the real world, not just at a specific place and time under controlled
>>> conditions to pass a test. If we as handlers do not keep our dogs up
>>> to snuff, we may be asked to remove them. We can even be charged for
>>> damages if any other member of the general public would be charged.
>>> Thus, businesses and other places of public accommodation do have
>>> recourse against badly behaved dogs with irresponsible handlers,
>>> whether the handler has ID from a training program or not. Or, for
>>> that matter, whether the dog is a service dog or not.
>>>
>>> Tami
>>>
>>> On 10/14/2013 11:25 AM, Danielle A. Creapeau wrote:
>>>> I don't see what the big deal is regarding stricter proof of
>>>> authenticity. That's why the schools give us ID cards, right? If
>>>> someone trains his or her own service dog, couldn't there be a way to
>>>> develop certification criteria that they would have to meet? For
>>>> example, if I'm in Milwaukee and I train my own guide, I should be
>>>> able to go to Madison, the state's capitol, to take some sort of
>>>> standardized test with my dog to prove that he/she is fit to work.
>>>> I guess the way I see it is that I'd rather be able to take my dog
>>>> with me and show her ID than to let things stand the way they are and
>>>> be refused entrance because too many people tried to pull a fast one.
>>>>
>>>> On 10/14/13, Sheila Leigland <sleigland at bresnan.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On 10/14/2013 10:25 AM, National Association of Guide Dog Users wrote:
>>>>>> Dear All, I think we should be very skeptical of the flurry of such
>>>>> > articles in the past couple months. Most of them have one thing in
>>>>> > common: Most either refer to or are featuring CCI consumers. CCI
>>>>> is
>>>>> > the organization promoting an online petition to regulate the
>>>>> online
>>>>> > sale of service dog gear and identification.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > These reports have asserted it is a federal crime to pass a pet
>>>>> off
>>>>> > as a service dog. I find it very interesting, as violation of
>>>>> the ADA
>>>>> > is not a criminal offense, rather, the aDA is a civil law with no
>>>>> > criminal remedies.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > It is my personal opinion that the prevalence of this sort of
>>>>> > behavior is being intentionally exaggerated in an effort to
>>>>> support
>>>>> > the need for certification. This would only benefit the training
>>>>> > programs, not the disabled community. I am of the opinion that the
>>>>> > best way to counter this issue - if it is really an issue - is to
>>>>> > better educate places of public accommodation about what is
>>>>> really a
>>>>> > service dog and that the rights of the disabled under the ADA
>>>>> are not
>>>>> > absolute, but carry with it specific responsibilities of
>>>>> acceptable
>>>>> > behavior.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I received a call from a restaurant a couple weeks ago about
>>>>> someone
>>>>> > who came in with an untethered dog, claiming it was a service
>>>>> dog.
>>>>> > The owner asked if it was a service dog and the patron told her
>>>>> that
>>>>> > it was none of her business and she could not ask any questions
>>>>> > because doing so was a violation of HIPAA. I advised her that she
>>>>> > could and gave her the questions she could ask. I was advised the
>>>>> > patron came in again a couple days later, she asked the right
>>>>> > questions, he again made the same assertions, he was asked to
>>>>> leave,
>>>>> > and he told her he would see her in court. She handed him our
>>>>> > brochure and told him to give me a call if he had any questions.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, it's a federal
>>>>> > crime to use a fake service animal to take advantage of privileges
>>>>> > reserved for those who genuinely need the assistance of such pets.
>>>>> > Nonetheless, according to a recent report from the Associated
>>>>> Press,
>>>>> > the use of phony "dog tags" is on the rise, with owners faking
>>>>> papers
>>>>> > or buying badges off the Internet just so that they can bring
>>>>> their
>>>>> > pooches into restaurants, shops, and other venues that don't
>>>>> usually
>>>>> > allow dogs. Advocates of both pets and the disabled are divided
>>>>> as to
>>>>> > how to police those who abuse service animal privileges, and
>>>>> some are
>>>>> > calling for federal authorities to better regulate and enforce
>>>>> > service animal rules around the country.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > While it's assumed that only a small percentage of the population
>>>>> > would even think of using a faux service dog to avoid leaving a
>>>>> pet
>>>>> > outside a store or at home in order to grab a bite at a
>>>>> restaurant,
>>>>> > even a single incident of phony service dog usage is enough to get
>>>>> > people-disabled and able-bodied alike-up in arms. Outrage followed
>>>>> > the story of a 33-year-old New Yorker named Brett David, who was
>>>>> > featured in the New York Post over the summer. David bragged about
>>>>> > bringing his fake "therapy dog" named Napoleon into movie
>>>>> theaters,
>>>>> > restaurants, nightclubs, Whole Foods, Starbucks, and more mainly
>>>>> > because "I was sick of tying up my dog outside," as he put it.
>>>>> > "Sometimes, they'll give me a hassle and say bring the papers next
>>>>> > time, but for five bucks, you order [a patch] off eBay, and it
>>>>> works
>>>>> > 90 percent of the time," he explained.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > People like David aren't the only ones pretending to be disabled
>>>>> to
>>>>> > take advantage of special perks. In late September, the Walt
>>>>> Disney
>>>>> > Company felt compelled to change its disabled guest policy at
>>>>> theme
>>>>> > parks partly due to "abuse of the system." The announcement came
>>>>> > after reports surfaced that wealthy guests were paying
>>>>> > wheelchair-riding tour guides top dollar so that the group could
>>>>> use
>>>>> > the line-skipping privileges granted to the disabled at Disney
>>>>> theme
>>>>> > parks.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Meanwhile, over the years, police around the U.S. periodically
>>>>> engage
>>>>> > in sweeps to round up drivers fraudulently using handicapped
>>>>> parking
>>>>> > passes, and apparently it's pretty easy to snag people abusing the
>>>>> > system. Last spring, over the course of a mere four hours,
>>>>> > authorities in Oakland, Calif., confiscated 13 handicapped
>>>>> placards
>>>>> > being used illegally by drivers. That's out of a total of 70
>>>>> placards
>>>>> > they came across, meaning nearly one in five was fraudulent.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > A report in Seattle published over the summer estimated that one
>>>>> in
>>>>> > eight drivers using disabled parking placards is doing so
>>>>> > fraudulently, costing the city $1.4 million annually. Like in
>>>>> > Seattle, drivers with such placards get to park for free in
>>>>> > Providence, R.I., where it just so happens that there has been an
>>>>> > influx of cars with disabled parking passes near train stations
>>>>> and
>>>>> > bus stops. Police began routinely demanding verification and
>>>>> handed
>>>>> > out multiple $500 fines to those who were using passes
>>>>> registered to
>>>>> > someone else. "Not only is it an affront to the persons who have a
>>>>> > disability and need the space, they're cheating the city out of
>>>>> > revenue by parking there," one Providence police officer said of
>>>>> the
>>>>> > offenders.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > In yet another sting, in Orlando, Fla., police zeroed in on
>>>>> offenders
>>>>> > like a 34-year-old woman using a placard registered to someone who
>>>>> > was 85, and who had died a few months prior to the bust.
>>>>> Apparently,
>>>>> > the driver, arrested just before 3 a.m., was using the placard in
>>>>> > order to park in a convenient handicap spot downtown-so that her
>>>>> car
>>>>> > was nearby when the bars closed.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Suspicions of disabled placard abuse have gotten so bad in New
>>>>> > Jersey-where more than 500,000 people have special placard and
>>>>> > license plate privileges-that the state introduced tougher
>>>>> > regulations last spring. In the past, anyone who classified for a
>>>>> > pass could renew automatically every three years. As of August 1,
>>>>> > though, drivers must submit proof of their condition every three
>>>>> > years before they're granted special privileges. Disabled parking
>>>>> > placards were also redesigned so that it is easier for police and
>>>>> > meter checkers to see expiration dates, and so that it's more
>>>>> > difficult for drivers to unlawfully change the information on the
>>>>> > passes.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Brad Tuttle @bradrtuttle
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Brad Tuttle covers business and personal finance for TIME. He
>>>>> lives
>>>>> > in Massachusetts with his wife and four sons, and also teaches
>>>>> > journalism at UMass-Amherst.
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
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>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/sleigland%40bresnan.netthanks
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> for pointing that out. I didn't think that it was a federal crime and
>>>>> I
>>>>> agree that more regulations of service gear will only benefit the
>>>>> training programs. I already am not convinced that the problem is as
>>>>> prevalent as people think and I also believe that training programs
>>>>> don't listen to blind folks as they should. It seems to me that
>>>>> anything
>>>>> that happens is often at first glance the handler's fault.
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>>>>>
>>>>
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--
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member, National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16
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