To show an I.D. or not to show an I.D.

There has been a lot of discussion on an E-mail list I am on,
both public and private, regarding the carrying of I.D.s for
guide dog handlers. While some say this is not required under
the ADA, I'm not so sure. However, one of those who is saying
this is someone I respect for his knowledge on the law and this
person even thinks that maybe a change is needed.

I have also advocated on and off this list for standardization of
training for other service dogs, something which won't happen
overnight but certainly needs to happen. It didn't happen
overnight with guide dogs either and it won't happen overnight
with other service animals, particularly dogs, but I think it
will eventually happen and needs to happen. There needs to also
be standards and licensure for private trainers. While there
are some private trainers who might be good, there are others who
are horrible and who use this to take their precious little pets
with them everywhere they go. That's an abuse that must be
stopped for the sake of those who use service animals
legitimately.

Standards and licensure are used for other professions and no
one screams bloody
murder about that
but when it comes to
showing an I.D. to
prove your dog is a
legitimate guide
dog, then people
scream bloody murder
and use the law to
hide their laziness
about showing an
I.D. I would think
that you would have
a better case if,
after showing the
I.D., there is
discrimination. How
come people don't
scream bloody murder
about having to have
an I.D. for
paratransit, yet
they scream bloody
murder about having
to show a stinking
I.D. related to
having a guide dog.
What's the big
freaking deal? You
pull out the I.D.,
show it and put the
freaking thing away.
Is that too much to
ask? How do these
screamers do
anything in today's
society where you
have to have an I.D.
to fly, ride Amtrak
and cash a check,
just to name a few
things one must have
an I.D. in order to
do.

Standards and an I.D. will hopefully come sooner rather than
later so that people cannot use private training to take their
precious little pets everywhere with them. Anyone who is good at
training should not mind having to submit to standards to prove
the creditability of their training. Anyone who screams about
this must know that they cannot qualify for licensure, pure and
simple.

BTW this is one of many reasons why I won't get a dog in the
first place.

The importance of access

Once again, the subject says it all; but does the community get it? I'm not
sure about the answer to the second half of that question though. What
might you ask am I referring to? Well, it's that thing called digital TV,
or should I say don't watch TV independently anymore. The latter name
applies if you must use a converter box to convert analog signal into
digital signal. In this case, it is entirely driven by inaccessible menus
so that one MUST have sighted help just to watch a TV show. This has been
illustrated very plainly to me at work the last couple of days when I have
gone on break. Both days, I have had to call someone to help me with the TV
and that's not a good feeling either. I knew the disappearing remote was
going to be a problem; but I did not realize fully the fact that I would
lose independent access. While I'm angry about this one, I'm not in a
position to file a complaint as my employer would have to agree to it and
this is a place that I just won't go. I want to keep my job, especially in
these tough economic times. BTW this is not an issue at home as we have
cable,thank God.

However, those who were in a position to do so should have been filing
complaints long before the conversion happened. How can the government do
anything about a problem if no one files a complaint, especially when there
is assistance available to help with the filing of such complaints. There
is one individual that I know of who has been urged by more than one person
to file a complaint but for some reason, unknown to this author, will not
file a complaint. How are we supposed to get access when people in a
position to do so won't file complaints? Well, don't come crying to me when
you lose access to TV and more because you can't access the menus. Keep in
mind that this is the same issue with the DVDs, not to mention the players
in that case. In case anyone is asking, I do include myself when it comes
to the DVD comments. Also keep in mind that phone service is going digital
through use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and the ability to access
it through your cable company; and some of this isn't accessible either.
Then there is the fact that the relay service is going to video as is phone
service for the deaf itself through the use of the video phone (VP). Once
again, this brings up access issues in the deaf-blind community. When will
this community unite and demand access?

I have a question for everyone who reads this. That question is how long
will it take for us to realize the importance of access? Then how long will
it take for us to demand such access? Or, will we continue to be left
behind in this brave new digital world? I'll let the reader decide.

Mobility options cane vs. dog guide

Recently, there has been a discussion of an incident in Texas regarding a
woman and her guide dog. She fussed over the use of the term "seeing eye"
to describe the dog and got into a tussle with the police when she tried to
correct them. She pointed to the harness and tried to show them a book
which had all of the laws in it. It is questionable whether she showed the
actual ID or not.

It has been said that the ADA does not require these IDs and that they are
required only for guide dogs. I hope I am understanding this correctly but
that could be faulty as that has been known to happen. In any case, this
whole thing has led me to some thoughts. Regarding mobility options. I use
a cane and am quite content with it as I don't have the major hassles that a
dog guide team has, the above story being but one of those hassles.

I call it a hassle. Others might call it a responsibility; but either way,
it is a problem or situation I don't want to deal with. There are other
responsibilities or hassles with using a guide dog. You have to take care
of them, feed them, relieve them, make sure their vet records are up to
date, etc. With a cane, you don't have any of these problems and you avoid
the fights in restaurants such as I opened this entry with. You can just
put your cane in a corner and forget about it when you come home, not so
with a dog.

Guide dogs can be a wonderful option for those who are willing and able to
take on that responsibility; but too many think that once they get a dog,
they can just go and go anywhere. Well, you still have to have the mobility
skills necessary to travel well and some of us, myself included, just don't
have the skills for whatever reason. One needs to think about their
lifestyle and whether having a dog would fit into that lifestyle. Quite
frankly, it would not for me as we travel quite a bit. We also live in a
condo which is not fair to a dog.

With regard to the issue of IDs, I think this should be mandatory for all
types of service dogs. This is one way of knowing which ones are legitimate
and which ones are not; and also which people are trying to use this
designation to have their pets ride with them in the cabin of a plane rather
than in the cargo holds where pets ride. We have lisences for drivers. Is
it too much to ask to have official IDs for dog guide and other service dog
teams. I speak of dogs as I believe these are the only legitimate service
animals which will put me at odds with some people for sure. I, however,
can't see letting many other types of animals into public facilities under
the guise of "service animal". I know this is a sensitive issue and just
another reason why I won't have a dog.

In the opening story, I don't have any doubt that the woman's rights were
violated but maybe an ID could have quickly diffused the situation. Only
time and a thorough investigation will tell us for sure whether this is the
case. I don't know whether we have heard the last of this story; and the
issues are certainly ones we have not heard the last of by a long shot.