I wanted to take some time to talk with you, one graduate ...



ADVOCACY LECTURE

Becky Davidson, Manager of Consumer Outreach and Graduate Support

and GEB graduate, wanted to take some time to talk with you, one graduate to another, about some of the things you may face as you and your dog head home and start your new life together as a team.

Please remember, whatever you face, that you may be the first guide dog team that person has ever met. Whether we want to be or not, we are, to some extent, ambassadors for Guiding Eyes for the Blind as well as for the guide dog movement as a whole. This does not mean you should be a “doormat”, but it’s always best to remain calm and pleasant while we are making our needs known and demanding that our rights be respected.

You probably already know that people are anxious to pet your dog. For some reason people seem to feel that if there’s a dog present, they have a right to pet it. Most people are well-intentioned, they “just can’t resist”. You have every right to ask them not to pet your dog; you have every right to say “no” if they ask you for permission to pet. You also may choose to have your dog sit and let them pet. It’s your choice. Based on my own experience, though, I recommend that you be strict about other people’s interaction with your dog for the first few weeks or months as the two of you settle in together and bond as a team.

You will also confront the “no dog” situation, in which you enter a store or restaurant and are told that dogs are not allowed. As you are aware, service dogs are allowed anywhere the general public is allowed. Not everyone is educated about this, and you may have to do a little educating. Your packet includes the “Access Laws” booklet, which has the laws for the 50 U.S. states, Canadian provinces and US territories. It also includes a summary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You might want to put a paper clip on the page that has your state’s law so you can find it quickly if you need to. Also, The National Association of Guide Dog Users, (NAGDU) has recently developped an app for smart phones that has all the state and federal law information accessible right from your phone. The app is simply called nagdu. Smart phones can serve another useful purpose as well, you can use it to take pictures of the situation as it unfolds. Some guide dog users have already found this useful particularly in dealing with denial of taxi service because of the presence of the guide dog.

But what happens if the person doesn’t want to be educated? If you can’t get anywhere with the manager or supervisor, and you have no other recourse, you are within your rights to call the police or have the manager or supervisor call the police, and have them come explain the law to the offending restaurant or store staff. Do NOT call 911 to do this, call the general police number for the community. If things are not resolved to your liking, you may also want to call your local media (newspaper, TV, radio) and give them a story. Another effective response is to post on their Twitter feed or Facebook page. You may also choose to simply take your business elsewhere, and as you leave let them know that you will be following up on their social media pages and possibly filing a complaint with the US Department of Justice.

Hotels and landlords are not allowed to charge you a “pet” fee or additional fees for bringing your service dog. You cannot be denied housing or hotel accommodations based on the presence of your service dog.

When you are denied access to any business, transportation or housing it’s a good idea to file an ADA complaint by calling the ADA hotline at 1-800-514-0301 or going to and filing online. While you won’t get immediate satisfaction, it lets the Department of Justice know that these incidents are still happening. At a meeting some time ago with D.O.J. representatives they told us they thought that this was no longer a problem. Sometimes just informing the offending person that you will be filing a complaint with the Department of Justice is enough to make them re-think their denial of access.

If you are denied access, and if you think I can be of help, please call or e-mail me. I will be happy to share any resources I’ve discovered.

One of the most annoying denials of access is taxicabs. We don’t take a cab because we feel like taking a leisurely ride around town, we do it because we need to get somewhere. Cab drivers can be quite creative with their excuses for not taking you and your dog, but none of those excuses are valid. It’s a good idea to find out who oversees taxis in your community. Most counties or larger cities have something called a “taxi and Limo Commission” or something similar. You can check with your local department of motor vehicles to see who would be the right person to take a report of denial of access. The same laws apply to ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft. These companies do have a mechanism for filing complaints within their apps. Both Uber and Lyft say they will fire any driver who refuses a ride to someone because of the presence of a service dog.

Although it happens fairly rarely, you need to be somewhat prepared in case you and your dog are accosted by a loose dog. These dog attacks happen frequently enough that a number of states have addressed the problem by passing laws that assess fines and in some cases jail time for the owner of a loose dog that attacks a service dog. If you are aware of a dog in your neighborhood that may be dangerous contact your local animal control to see if there is any history with that dog. Also, if you are concerned for your safety there’s a good chance other neighbors are concerned for theirs or that of their children or pets. It's important to remember that you would need to give the dog the ability to defend itself by letting go of the harness. Do NOT try to break up a dog fight by yourself! It's likely you would get hurt! The best thing you can do is make a lot of noise. I carry a whistle, but loud yelling will attract attention. The other important thing is to always be as aware as you can be of your surroundings. What street are you on? What's around you (houses, trees, stores)? what's the nearest cross street? Are there other witnesses? Call the police, not animal control. An assault on your working dog is an assault on the whole team. It's an issue for the police first, then perhaps animal control will become involved. When you speak to the police tell them that you are being attacked by a loose dog so they won’t refer you directly to animal control. Once they arrive on the scene make sure they fill out a complaint. As I said, these attacks are rare, but our best defense is to have thought through what we would do in that situation so that if we do face it we can respond with a little more calmness. I always tell people to get good directions, walk confidently, be aware of your surroundings, and if possible, carry a cell phone. Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy get yourself out of the situation, even if it may be inconvenient to do so.

Screening at airport security is an issue that continues to generate a lot of discussion and concern. Below is information from the TSA (transportation Security Administration) web site about how you should be treated at the airport security station:

Here is the section on service dogs from the TSA page:



Service Animals

• If you have a service animal, you are encouraged to inform the screener that the animal accompanying you is a service animal and not a pet. This will provide you with an opportunity to move you to the front of the screening line since the screener may need to spend more time with you.

• It is recommended that persons using a dog for assistance carry appropriate identification. Identification may include: cards or documentation, presence of a harness or markings on the harness, or other credible assurance of the passenger using the dog for their disability.

• Advise the screener how you and your dog can best achieve screening when going through the metal detector as a team (i.e., whether walking together or with the dog walking in front of or behind you while you continually maintain control of the dog with the leash and/or harness.

• The dog's harness will likely set off the alarm on the metal detector. In such cases, the screener will perform a hand inspection of the dog and it's belongings (collar, harness, leash, backpack, vest, etc.) The belongings will not be removed from your dog at any time.

• The screener should ask permission before touching your service animal or its belongings.

• At no time during the screening process will you be required to be separated from your service animal.

• Screeners have been trained not to communicate, distract, interact, play, feed, or pet service animals.

• If you need to leave the sterile area to relieve your animal, you must undergo the full screening process again. Inform the screener upon your return to the security checkpoint and she/him will move you to the front of the screening line to expedite the screening process.

If faced with a problem at airport security you may ask to speak with a Passenger Support Specialist (PSS). They are now available at all airports. You can call TSA Cares at 855-787-2227 to get further information. You can also call TSA Cares at 855-787-2227 48 hours prior to your flight to arrange for a Passenger Support specialist (PSS) to meet you at the airport and escort you through the screening and to your gate. You may have them meet you at the curb or at the TSA screening area, whichever you prefer.

If you run into issues in other areas of the airport such as the gate area or even on the plane you can ask to speak to a Conflict Resolution Officer (CRO). These people are also available at most if not all airports.

We never know when a disaster will affect our lives and the daily routines to which we are accustomed. It is our goal to help you in any way we can to prepare you so the transition will be as smooth and stress-free as possible.

What we are talking about is an emergency preparedness kit or survival kit that you can easily take with you when you are forced out of your home or apartment and into an emergency shelter. These situations can be very stressful in the sense that most shelter and emergency personnel are not equipped or trained to handle a person with a service dog.

Your take-home pack includes some guidelines for making a “survival kit” that you can grab as you go. You may also want to check in your community to see what emergency procedures are in place and you may also want to let your local first-response agency (police, fire, etc.) know that you have a service dog. Many communities provide stickers that you put near the entrance to your home indicating that there’s a service dog in residence.

Your take-home pack also includes contact information for the Guiding Eyes Graduate Council. Fairly soon after you return home you will receive an email or call from a council member who will do your exit interview, asking questions about your training experience and generally welcoming you to the Guiding Eyes graduate family.

A Few Resources:

Guide Dog Users, Inc.

1-866-799-8436



National Association of Guide Dog Users

888-624-3841



International Association of Assistance Dog Partners is a consumer group of people using all types of assistance dogs (guide, hearing, service)



Enjoy your new dog, and I wish you much success as you grow as a team!

Becky Davidson

(914) 243-2210

email: bbarnes@

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