New US Accessibility Law Discriminates Against Service Animals!

Please sign petition to give service animals such as Helper Monkeys and Miniature Guide Horses equal legal protection to access public places. 

 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/Save-Our-Service-Animals-non-disabled/

Stay in the Loop by Subscribing to Accessibility News Weekly Newsletter

CRTASA: Stay in the Loop by Subscribing to Accessibility News Weekly Newsletter

Stay in the Loop by Subscribing to Accessibility News Weekly Newsletter

If you are interested in learning more about what is new in the Accessibility World please consider subscribing to the Accessibility News Weekly Newsletter at http://www.accessibilitynews.ca or email them at: newsletter@accessibilitynews.ca

Accessibility Newsletter for January 29, 2011 Issue contains:

1) Message Board

2)Articles
* The Blind Have Rights, the Right to Unemployment, Unequal Access and   Poverty
*Blind Man to Take to the Road at Daytona International Speedway
*Why Does Disabled Son Have So Many Fewer Choices in Life?
*People with Disabilities 'Huge Untapped Pool of Labour'
*Town Asked to Reconsider Accessible Transportation Booking
*Transit for the Physically Challenged Moves Ahead
*Rowland Discusses Online Access
*New Technologies Bring Accessibility to Canadian School
*Ottawa Parents Appeal to Premier After U.S. Facility Refuses to
Treat Mentally Ill Daughter
*Get R-E-A-L: A Manifesto for Blind Citizens
*The Politics of Blindness: From Charity to Parity
*Cell Phones Utilizing Sign Language Increase Communication Between
Deaf Friends and Family
*Service Dog Denial Leads to Charges for Eatery

3) Classifieds

4) This and That

Please Sign Petition to Stop Horrifying Cruelty on Animals!

Your signature is a valuable contribution to our Campaign; every signature counts and together we will make a difference in stopping dogs and cats being skinned alive for their fur!

Please take another step by making a personal pledge that you will never, in the future, buy a product made wholly or partly from any fur. Please tell your family and friends about your pledge and ask them to make a similar pledge and to sign the online petition of Animal Saviors.

If you should ever see their yacht, Kristin, in a port during its solo global awareness sail, you have an open invitation to visit.

To let your voice be heard please visit http://www.animalsaviors.org/index.html and sign their petition!

 

Thank you!

US Accessibility Law Redefines Service Animals to Detriment of People with Disabilities! Please Sign Petition...

Help Us Reach Our Goal of 5 Million Signatures to Change Law Before March 15, 2011 Comes into Effect!

Definition of "Service Animal" was changed in the USA on July 23, 2010 by General Eric Holder who signed final regulations revising the US Department’s ADA regulations, including its ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The official text was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2010 and will come into effect in less than six months on March 15, 2011.

Revisions on how a service animal shall be defined in the USA as of March 15, 2011 includes:

The government has defined a “Service Animal" as any dog that is individually trained to provide assistance or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

However all other species of other animals regardless of domestic species, training are no longer to be considered a service animal under the purposes of this new service animal definition.

Many oppose this new accessibility law because it discriminates against people with disabilities including:

- People with disabilities that have dog-allergies
- People with psychological disabilities that use an animal other than a therapy dog.
- War veterans and others with paralysis who cannot use their hands, and who need service monkeys to provide them with assistance in their daily activities.

This law is no different than if it proclaimed that all wheelchairs will no longer be permitted in public places as of March 15, 2011 and for people that use them to make alternate arrangements for their freedom of mobility.

Please raise your voice and sign the petition as this law is duplicitous!

On the one hand it proclaims to be promoting accessibility and the rights of people with disabilities to use service animals - yet on the other hand it manifests discrimination against specific categories of disabilities - the very tenets this law is supposed to uphold and protect!

To help promote and protect the rights of all people with disabilities that use a service animal other than a guide dog - and to help change this law please sign the petition (see link below) and also share it with your other contacts.

Our goal is to have a minimum of 5 Million Votes before March 15, 2011!!!
People with disabilities that currently own service animals like Helper Monkeys, Miniature Seeing Eye Guide Horses, and other certified and trained service animals are depending on your support. They are distraught and concerned because the looming new law is threatening to take away their independence.

Thank you in advance for your support!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/Save-Our-Service-Animals-non-disabled/

What are Some Popular and Unsual Therapy and Service Animal Names?

We want to know what are some popular and unusual names of Therapy and Service Animals. Tell us the name of your working animal and post a photo of your animal on here.

Also please share what exceptional dog names you have heard lately and what you would consider to be the best or worst name for a dog.

Upcoming Autism Workshop in New York City: Remediating Auditory and Language Processing Disorders

Event: Remediating Auditory and Language Processing Disorders Workshop
Date: Saturday, January 22, 2011
Where: Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, NY, US

Details:

This low cost CEU eligible workshop put on by the nationwide pediatric therapy and autism services company ,Bilinguals Inc., will address current theory and research as it relates to auditory and language processing as well as the cognitive and linguistic deficits that impact sequencing.

For more information and to see who's attending Remediating Auditory and Language Processing Disorders Workshop visit: http://www.bilingualsinc.com/us/workshops/nyc-workshops

Or visit LinkedIn Resource:

Remediating Auditory and Language Processing Disorders Workshop on...  

Nurse Sentenced Following Abuse of Quadriplegic Patient

Robert “Buddy” Harkness was paralyzed by the effects of cerebral palsy and is dependent on his wheelchair. Buddy was also reliant on healthcare professionals to care for all his needs and he trusted them with everything from feeding and bathing to helping him get dressed. Due to his disability Buddy was particularly vulnerable and one of his personal caregivers named Tammy Labreque took advantage of that by subjecting him to repeated cruelty and abuse on a regular basis.

What is shocking is that Tammy Labrecque was one of Buddy's nurses for 15 years when Buddy finally built up the courage to confide to his conservator one day that he was being abused at the hands of Labrecque.

To catch his nurse in the act, they set up a sting operation that included hiding a nanny-cam in the room. On the very first day that the camera was in use, Labrecque's disgusting conduct of Buddy was captured on tape, where she was seen screaming, cursing, and threatening Buddy. She repeatedly slapped his arms and legs, forced his arms over his head, and threatened to break his fingers.

Labrecque was subsequently arrested and charged in Waterbury court with felony cruelty to a person. She was found guilty and recently sentenced to 5 years in prison including having her nursing license revoked.

A friend of Buddy read a victim impact statement to the court after the sentencing in which Buddy called this to be one of the happiest days of his life. 

The convicted Labrecque told the court that she was under mental and physical stress at the time and had no memory of the incident.

What needs to be recognized is that incidents of Labrecque’s behavior are not isolated events and many people with disabilities are subject to this type of cruel and abusive conduct by the very same people entrusted to provide them with care, respect and dignity.

While working with people with disabilities can be a stressful profession, where working conditions, low pay and difficult work can build up. These factors can never be deemed as an excuse or a mitigating consideration for these bullies that exercise cowardly acts against persons that cannot defend themselves against their atrocities.

The point of the matter is, that abusing someone who is unable to fend for themselves is an abhorrent deviant act that should be punished by the full extent of the law. Society needs to send a loud and clear message that this malicious behaviour and abhorrent conduct will not be tolerated in a civil society. If work stress and other factors are proving to be too much for a caregiver or a nurse then they should know better and seek out another profession before they snap and hurt the very person that is depending on them for care.

To help stop these incidents of abuse, it is imperative for people to keep close watch of their loved one under the care of a personal caregiver.

Common Red Flags of abuse include: 

• suspicious and frequent bruises or fractures, 
• occurrence of suspect injuries often explained by hard to believe accounts, 
• marked changes in victimized person's behaviour including sadness, withdrawal, loss of appetite or nervousness

The abuser's behaviour also offers tell-tale signs often characterized by nervous affect or show of overcompensating affection, attention or care of the person with a disability especially when others are present.  

It is very important for family members to also listen and act upon any reported incidents of abuse by their loved one being cared for by their personal caregivers. Remaining vigilante and aware of these signs and taking action such as reporting the abuse to the authorities before something serious happens is the key! 

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You can also access the newsletter on the web at http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/.

What Was the Strangest Service or Therapy Animal You Ever Saw?

A Labrador dog is the typical image of service animal that comes to most people's minds.

However, not only do different dog breeds provide similar assistance around the world to their owners with visible or non visible disabilities but so do different animal species altogether.

For example; Cappuchin monkeys are trained as Helper Monkeys for People with paralysis while Miniature Guide Horses are trained to assist owners with no vision.

That being said, we want to know what type of animal you ever saw providing assistance or guidance to their owner with special needs in a public place. Tell us what was your reaction was and that of others.

We really are interested in your thoughts!

School Denies Entry to Elementary Student with Service Dog

A Northern Virginia elementary school in Fairfax County turns away one of their their students because he is accompanied by a service dog.

The twelve-year-old boy, Andrew Stevens lives with a rare form of epilepsy and his assistance dog is trained to detect and respond to his seizures. Despite the animal helping the boy lead a more independent life, the Fairfax County says this dog is not allowed in school.

For complete story click here - then tell us what you think. 

What staff training has your business delivered to its employees to help accommodate customers with service animals entering your premises?

As per recent changes to accessibility legislation in both Canada and the USA pertaining to rights of public access to owners with service animals, we want to open a discussion here to explore and identify how well your staff is prepared to address these sample accessibility questions around service animal access:

- Under which scenario can an employee ask a person with a service animal for identification to confirm rightful ownership and certified status of the animal being used for assistance?

- Does your staff know how to distinguish a personal pet from a service animal being brought on to your premises?

- How will your staff react to a person entering your premises with a service animal that is not the typical seeing eye guide dog but rather providing assistance to a non-visible disability such as seizure or diabetes support response?

- What types of service animal identification cards or documentation is your staff familiar with and ready to accept as official identification for rightful ownership and confiming the service animal is certified?

- Does your staff know what information they are verifying on the documentation being presented?

- Do your employees know how to respond to a situation when identification presented by a person has been issued in a different country, state, province or new training facility where the employee is unfamiliar with the issuer or the authenticity of the information presented?

- Does your staff know how to spot inaccurate or fake identification which a person might be using to gain public access with their pet rather than a certified service animal?

- What instructions has your business given to staff to ensure accessibility laws are respected while protecting the safety and needs of your other customers?

- How will your staff respond to a situation where a person insists on entering with an exotic breed of an animal (e.g., reptile) claiming that they have medical documentation that the animal is being used for a unique medical condition or a disability?

- Does your staff know how to properly approach a customer accompanied by a service animal? Includiing staff knowing what questions not to ask the person with the service animal?

- Was your staff trained on appropriate conduct and approach around service animals at your facility?

- Is your staff trained about different species and breeds of service animals different from a guide dog such as in Canada where Cappuchin Monkeys and Miniature Guide Horses are used for assistance for different disabilities?

- Does your place of business know under which limited circumstances access can be denied to a specific location to any person with or without a service animal?

- What liability insurance coverage has your business sought to protect against actionable discrimination complaints when a staff member denies public access to your premises to a person with a disability using a service animal for assistance?

- Does your business carry liability insurance coverage in the event a customer claims a service animal harmed them while on your premises?

The issue of providing public access to owners and their certified service animals is an important matter in today's society to ensure businesses become accessible and inclusive to every customer regardless of their abilities. At CRTASA work in collaboration with many businesses across Canada and the USA to help them be recognized as Accessibility Corporate Champions.

At CRTASA - our professional training coaches work with businesses and retailers alike to educate their staff about the use of the new official CRTASA Photo ID Card issued to certified service animals in both Canada and the USA. We also teach employees how to successfully accommodate the needs of every customer - not just because it is the law but because it is the right thing to do!

For more information on the CRTASA accessibility staff training program please contact us today!

Words of Wisdom....

Never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Considering to Pose as a Service Animal Trainer to Exploit People with Disabilities? Think Again!!!

Woman Posing As Service Dog Trainer Sentenced to 15 Days In Jail and 24 Months Probation Offender also ordered to pay restitution and other charges totalling $10,000

As a result of an investigation by Ontario’s Ministry of Consumer Services, Hamilton Provincial Offences Court has convicted Jacqueline Wilson of K9 Kingdom Service Dogs, a company not registered to do business in Ontario, on two counts of engaging in an unfair practice and one count of failing to provide a contract that meets the requirements of Ontario’s consumer protection legislation. 

In April 2007, a Hamilton-area consumer contracted Ms. Wilson to train her dog as a service dog.  Ms. Wilson promised to train the dog to help look after the consumer’s son, who has severe brain damage and has gone through two years of extensive rehabilitation. The consumer was looking for a way to help her son gain some independence. Ms. Wilson claimed to be a qualified service dog trainer with over 20 years of experience. Ms. Wilson also offered to assist with local fundraising initiatives to offset the cost of training the dog, although the consumer still paid $6,000 to Ms. Wilson. It was agreed that the dog would be fully trained and returned to the consumer by January 2008.
The consumer’s dog was not returned to her until the Hamilton Police Service intervened in May 2008. 

However, the dog had not been trained or adequately cared for and had not acquired any skills to assist the consumer’s disabled son. By that time, Ms. Wilson had obtained nearly $9,000 through fundraising initiatives. The consumer filed a complaint with the Ministry of Consumer Services’ Consumer Protection Branch.

On January 7, 2010, Ms. Wilson failed to appear for her trial in Hamilton Provincial Offences Court in Ontario Canada before Justice of the Peace Lillian Ross. The trial proceeded in absentia. It was established during the trial that Ms. Wilson had no experience or qualifications to provide the services she claimed to be able to provide.

Court sentenced Ms. Wilson in absentia to 15 days in jail followed by 24 months probation. 

Ms. Wilson was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and fined a further $5,000 on other charges and ordered to refrain from engaging in any business involving animals.

On January 19, 2010, Ms. Wilson was arrested by the Hamilton Police Service and commenced serving her sentence issued on January 7, 2010.