Categories
Celebrations International

UK Travel: Challenge, Church, and Cuisine

Afternoon Tea

Frequent flyer miles and promotion of the first book in my dwarfism memoir trilogy, Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses, led to free flights and two nights’ accommodation in Worthing, England. It was October 1990 and we were guest speakers at a weekend conference of the Restricted Growth Association, one of the English organization equivalents to Little People of America.

Our ninth wedding anniversary prompted us to extend the stay for another week. We prepaid a rental car to avoid giving advance notice of our stature. This wasn’t deceptive, but rather timing the disclosure to coincide with our arrival at the service desk. As expected, when we presented our prepaid voucher at the rental agency we were asked to explain how we would drive the car.

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Robert showed the manager our pedal extensions and seat cushions. Despite obvious doubts, management reluctantly allowed Robert to install the extensions. Word of our presence spread like wildfire and Robert artfully transformed this curious audience of agency mechanics into a team of helpers. They became just as determined as Robert to attach the pedal extensions safely. He probably met every mechanic on the lot before the extensions were successfully installed two hours later.

Then it was my turn. The manager insisted on driving around the block with me to be sure we were not an insurance risk. Robert appointed me to drive since I grew up driving on the left side of the road in New Zealand. I was sleep-deprived having traveled through the night and was relieved to gain the manager’s approval to drive off the lot and finally be on our way.

We had an ambitious itinerary that included the conference, Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Bath, Stratford-on-Avon, the Lake District, and London. Most of our accommodations were in bed-and-breakfast private homes. We felt the access challenges were worth it to soak in more British culture and cuisine. Did it really matter that we had to leave our bedroom door ajar because we couldn’t reach the door handle?

We spent more time at Salisbury Cathedral, built in 1220, than at Stonehenge which is anywhere from 3,500 to 5,000 years old. The rock formations were impressive, but we preferred the cathedral laid out in the shape of a cross, the 404-foot spire designed to lift our thoughts upwards to God, and seeing one of the four surviving original texts of the 1215 Magna Carta preserving the right to a fair trial and free church.

In Bath, we saw the Roman influence in AD 75 England. Here they built baths in the only mineral hot springs in the country. Robert handled the modern-day parking problem in the historic section of town by flagging down an officer who put a sign in our car window: Driver and passenger are both disabled from U.S.A. but do not have disabled badge.

After these and many other experiences, we left England with a strong taste for a return visit one day. But we couldn’t leave the country without sitting down to a traditional English afternoon tea.

This post was adapted from Chapter 10, Season of Travel, in book II of my dwarfism memoir trilogy, PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith, https://angelamuirvanetten.com/pass-me-your-shoes/.

You may also like prior posts:

“Read And Change Your Life For The Better.” Angela Muir Van Etten blog. September 5, 2022. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/read-and-change-your-life-for-the-better/

“Car Rental and Marriage Mulligans.” Angela Muir Van Etten blog. October 19, 2020. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/car-rental-and-marriage-mulligans/

Categories
Awareness Little People of America

DWARFISM SENSITIVITY & AWARENESS

Dwarfism Awareness band

S ─ Speak with a normal voice volume, tone and subject matter. 

  • Don’t change tone of voice to match the one used when speaking to a child.
  • It’s not taboo to use idioms like “It’s a small world.” It was appropriate for an observer to say this when five years after graduation I met someone from my law school class halfway around the world.

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E ─ Equal treatment is expected:

  • Not pity allowing emotions to run amok.
  • Not paternalism; offer a handshake not a handout.
  • Not a pedestal that elevates us to superhero.
  • Not special treatment, but accommodations that level the playing field.

N ─ Names matter. Call someone with dwarfism by their name rather than describe them by their height. Avoid offensive words like midget, crippled, hunchback, retarded, and dumb. Drop the list of demeaning synonyms for short-stature like pint-size, runt, shrimp, shorty, or stumpy.

S ─ See the little person’s character and abilities not the outward appearance.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7. New American Standard Bible.

I ─ Independence is highly valued by people with dwarfism as seen in the demand for:

  • Accessible and usable public buildings and facilities.
  • Accessible work spaces and off-site events.
  • Access to public or private transportation, including driving our own vehicle.  

T ─ Treat people with dignity and respect:

  • Service representatives should talk directly to the little person in front of them not to their companion who the representative assumes speaks for them.
  • Don’t condescendingly pat a little person on the head. And certainly don’t reach over a little person’s head to avoid waiting in line.
  • Respect the personal space of someone using a wheelchair or scooter. In other words, the armrest or writing surface is not free space to be appropriated.

I ─ Imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes. Not so that you thank God you are not the one with dwarfism, but to be sensitive to needs.

V ─ Value differences.Remember each little person is an individual and will have their own way of doing things. For example, some lower counters in their homes, others use stools and climb; some drive with pedal extensions, others use hand controls; and, when talking to average-size people, some little people prefer they kneel down or crouch for an eye-to-eye conversation, others don’t want any concession to height differences.  

I ─ Interact as you do with any person. Common courtesy applies. Adults should not ask personal questions. Children are given a pass when their curiosity opens the door to a learning opportunity.

T ─ Take cues from the person with dwarfism. Ask if help is needed before rushing in and creating a problem.

Y ─ be Yourself. Relax. Joke. Smile. Encourage.

This post is based on principles and examples found in books I and II of my dwarfism memoir trilogy: Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses and PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith,https://angelamuirvanetten.com/books/.

You may also like prior posts:

Categories
Guest Independence

To Boldly Go With a White Cane

white cane pic
Jody W. Ianuzzi, a mentor and advocate for blind people conveying a can do attitude towards vision loss.


Through the ages blind people have used a staff, walking stick, or cane to explore their environment. This all changed in 1921 when James Big from Bristol, England painted his walking stick white to make it more visible. The concept caught on when Rotary clubs and the BBC encouraged all blind people to use white canes for identification. The concept spread to France and, in the 1930s, to the United States where Lions clubs promoted the white cane to identify blind people. By the late 1930s, state laws were enacted to protect blind pedestrians.

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The next major advancement in cane mobility came after World War II when Richard Hoover used a long white cane to explore the environment along with a new method of moving the cane from side to side one step ahead of the traveler. This was the beginning of the Orientation and Mobility Specialist profession. Today O and M specialists teach young children to senior citizens how to use the long white cane and nonvisual environmental clues to negotiate around all kinds of obstacles. These techniques include listening for traffic and safely crossing the street.

In the past, blind people rarely traveled alone but now with the advanced O and M techniques blind people are able to travel independently with safety and dignity. The techniques have evolved but so have the canes. Historically the walking stick was made of wood. Now modern canes are made of carbon fiber and they are available with many different types of tips depending on the travelers preference. 

Blind adults who learned to use the white cane as a young child never knew a time in their life when they didn’t have the advantage of traveling with a long white cane. Other adults sometimes have an adjustment and resist using the white cane until they discover the freedom and independence it provides.

I was taught to use the white cane at age 16 when all of my friends were getting their drivers licenses. This was very difficult for me because I did not want to appear different from my friends. I also resisted using the white cane until I met other capable blind adults who could travel more freely than I could because they had great cane skills. I realized that I would rather travel as a competent blind person than try to fake being sighted and risk a serious injury. I no longer walked with my head down. Rather I held my head up high and walked proudly and quickly for the first time in my life!

In 1964, Congress recognized the importance of the long white cane in providing freedom and independence to blind people and passed resolution HR 753 declaring October 15 to be White Cane Safety Day across the United States. Every president since Lyndon Johnson has observed this date as White Cane Safety Day for all blind Americans. 

Now, a century after James Big painted the first white cane, blind people around the world can all go boldly with their long white canes!

Reference: https://www.njcounciloftheblind.org/brochures/history_of_white_cane.htm

For a subscription to my weekly blog on dwarfism and disability issues, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com/blog/.

Categories
Work

Lessons From My 40-Year Law Career

New Zealand bar admission with Nana & Dad

Law was my chosen profession. After earning law degrees and multiple bar admissions in New Zealand and the United States, I discovered that such credentials are not an automatic entry into the work force. Many prospective employers can’t imagine a client having confidence in the ability of a 40-inch-tall lawyer. Thankfully, I had enough imagination for both of us.

My entry into a legal career preceded nondiscrimination disability laws. Hence employers freely expressed flimsy excuses and abhorrent advice:

  • You won’t be able to appear in court because the legal robe will be too long!
  • Judges won’t wait for you to run up and down the stairs to get instructions from a client in custody.
  • Get a job in government service where you’ll work behind closed doors and won’t need to deal with the public.

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Undeterred by discriminatory barriers, I looked for employers focused on skills not appearances. To be sure I wasn’t screened out before a job interview, I gave no hint of my height when calling or submitting a resume. It wasn’t a matter of hiding my size, rather a question of timing. It’s easier to dispel preconceived notions face-to-face.

Although not all employers are open to persuasion as shown in one interview. The attorney leaned back into his leather chair, put his feet on the desk, and his only questions were unrelated to the job or my experience. Clearly he was not considering me for the position. With nothing to lose, I challenged him for the questions he didn’t ask. This startled him into a bolt upright position followed by one open-ended query. My answer did not dint his prejudice, but at least he learned his bigotry was exposed.

Several months after I began working for an employer obligated by federal law to provide reasonable accommodations, a kindergarten height toilet mysteriously appeared in the bathroom. I was transported into the fantasy land of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: one for papa bear (wheelchair height), one for mama bear (regular height), and one for baby bear (my height). I had to ask, “What does the company think I’ve been doing all this time when I needed to use the bathroom?” The incident sparked an addition to the employee policy manual: Always ask the person with a disability before making an accommodation!

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The range of law jobs I engaged in during my 40-year law career demonstrates a few of the many directions a law degree can take:

  • Barrister and solicitor in a legal aid court practice.
  • Legal writer and project editor of disability civil rights and other law books for Thomson Reuters.
  • Staff writer on religious liberty issues for the Christian Law Association.
  • Advocacy Specialist and Coordinator for the Coalition for Independent Living Options.

My first thought of becoming a law correspondent for a media outlet never happened, but my interest in writing featured for the majority of my career. So don’t be afraid to pursue your passion and don’t succumb to the bigots who ignore your talent. This post includes excerpts from books I and II in my dwarfism memoir trilogy: Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses and PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith, https://angelamuirvanetten.com/books/.

Categories
Transportation

Add Teeth Not Candles for Birthday of Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)

Airport

Wheelchairs and scooters are not baggage; they are like legs to those whose mobility depend on them.

Yet over 20,000 wheelchairs were reported lost, damaged or destroyed since December 2018, the first month airlines were required to report numbers to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This represents nearly 1.5 percent of mobility devices loaded as cargo and, in January 2022, was double that of baggage! This breaks down to about 29 a day.

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And according to the Paralyzed Veterans of America September 2022 survey, almost 70% of those traveling with a wheelchair or scooter have had their device damaged. Although the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, published in July 26, 2022, mandates that the airline compensate up to the original purchase price of the wheelchair or device, this falls far short of redressing the hardship experienced by device users.

Wheelchairs are not bought off the store shelf; they are customized to fit the user’s body and medical needs.

As one disability advocate explained, “You can’t just say, ‘The chairs’ broken, here’s another chair.’” A loaner wheelchair or scooter will lack the custom features needed to maintain health and safety. In a most egregious case, Engracia Figueroa, an amputee with a spinal cord injury died from a severe infection of a pressure sore that developed when she was using an airline loaner after they totaled her power wheelchair.

Repairs to damaged wheelchairs often take weeks or months to complete. The process involves an evaluation, a prescription, insurance approval, ordering parts, and making the repairs. In the meantime, the user loses mobility, independence, possibly the purpose of their trip, and maybe the ability to go to work or play their sport.

Wheelchairs are not simple technology; they are sophisticated, fragile, and should be handled with care.

Airlines often choke when asked to pay the original purchase price of the wheelchair or scooter. Some airlines have responded to passenger complaints about damages with low ball offers like 5,000 travel miles or monetary compensation of $125. In Figueroa’s case, it took months of fighting before the airline agreed to pay the $30,000 needed to replace her wheelchair. And yes, high tech power wheelchairs can cost more than some cars.

Under the ACAA passengers can’t bring private legal action against offending airlines. They’re limited to filing complaints with the airlines and the DOT. But only three times since 2018 has the DOT exercised its’ authority to fine an airline for ACAA violations, despite receiving about 30,000 disability-related complaints annually.

So on October 2nd let’s give the ACAA a 36th birthday to remember. Let’s jump start the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2021 (H.R. 1696/S. 642) introduced by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Representative Jim Langevin, on March 9, 2021. Among other things, the bill increases penalties for damaged wheelchairs or mobility aids, gives air travelers the right to sue in court for damages, and requires better stowage options for assistive devices.

Please contact your representative today and ask for their support.

You may also like to read:

For a subscription to my weekly blog on dwarfism and disability issues, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com/blog/.

Categories
Celebrations Transportation

Finding Hugo: Our Wheelchair Accessible Van

Finding Hugo

Eighteen weeks without a vehicle parked in our garage was a constant reminder of our quest for independent transportation. Robert’s struggle to get into a sedan, SUV, and wagon made it clear that our next vehicle would be a Wheelchair Accessible Van (WAV)—one he could enter riding his scooter up a ramp.

Our seven trips to three different WAV dealers took us from 20 miles to 125 miles from home. We considered the Chevrolet Traverse, Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, and settled on a 2020 Toyota Sienna. In addition to sales spiels, we paid attention to consumer reports and conferred with little people in the “LP Adaptations” Facebook group. And we prayed for God’s direction.

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Given the technology needed to customize a WAV to our driver and passenger needs, one dealer would only sell to us if a Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS) gave a thumbs up on the primary safety questions:

  • Pedal extensions or hand controls?
  • Seat cushions, power adjustable height driver seat, or both?
  • Remove and replace the existing steering wheel or add an extension?

But after waiting three weeks for this driver evaluation, the CDRS erected a major road block.

Although I had driven with pedal extensions for 50 years and most little people I consulted use extensions on their WAV, the CDRS recommended hand controls. She rejected a seat back cushion and proposed modifying the driver’s seat depth. Her idea of replacing the steering wheel with a smaller wheel meant relocating the controls on the original wheel. She gave no cost estimate for any of these “safety” changes. But clearly such customizations would add insane expense to an already costly purchase. And when we rejected the CDRS evaluation, the dealer discontinued any effort to sell us a WAV.

As with any road block, God showed us the detour that got us back on the road to WAV ownership. My online query to a dealer in Fort Myers, Florida was answered the same day and was quickly followed with an offer to send a driver to transport us free of charge from Stuart to their location. And in a surprising twist, the dealer representative wore two hats: sales and DRS credentials. Her knowledge of mobility technology squelched any safety concerns about driving with pedal extensions or a back rest seat cushion strapped in place. She retained the existing steering wheel and attached an extension in the front. Thus no modifications to the seat depth or steering wheel controls were needed.  Both CDRSs recommended an adjustable height transfer seat, but only one found a vehicle that fit two scooters.

In a perfect world Hugo would not have cost more than the starter home we bought 35 years ago! Plus we would never have bought a vehicle with a fuel cap above my head. But God gave us a miracle when He steered us to Auto Express South in Fort Myers, https://www.autoexpresssouth.com. Thanks to team Yasmin, Tom, Cris and Eddie. You all are the best!

You may also like prior posts:

For a subscription to my weekly blog on dwarfism and disability issues, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com/blog/.

Categories
Celebrations

My Path to Citizenship

American Passport

At 4:00 PM on September 17, 1987, the 200th anniversary of the United States Constitution, I joined the Bells Across America tribute. I was the only one at my workplace to ring a bell in remembrance of church bells ringing in Philadelphia calling people to hear the first public reading of the newly signed Constitution. This was ironic given that as a legal permanent resident alien from New Zealand I was celebrating more than my American-born citizen colleagues.  

Even though I was eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship, I wasn’t ready. Ringing a bell was one thing, but taking the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. required me to “absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity” to New Zealand. But by 1998 my perspective had changed.

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After 17 years as a legal permanent resident alien, I was tired of sitting on election sidelines. I wanted to vote. And on January 17th when news broke of President Clinton’s alleged White House sex scandal with a White House intern, I knew I needed to vote. So on June 26th, I applied for citizenship. And my decision was confirmed in December when President Clinton was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice.

Approval of my naturalization application involved more than living lawfully in the country as the spouse of an American citizen. An immigration officer would interview me and ask questions about my application and background. In addition, I had to show the officer my ability to read, write, and speak basic English and have a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government. Thankfully my dwarfism was not an issue.

For the English test, I had to correctly read out loud and write one out of three sentences. No problem. The civics test was more challenging. I studied a list of 100 questions, but at the immigration interview the officer randomly picked ten questions from the list. A passing score was six out of ten. I questioned the officer when he stopped after six questions and wrote 60% on the test paper. But he saw no reason to continue and left me feeling like I fell short of the 100% mark.

September 25, 1999, the day of my naturalization ceremony in Miami, Florida, was emotional and stressful. There were no tears of joy, but rather sobbing in the car when six lanes of traffic came to a standstill for so long that we arrived late to the venue. Robert dropped me near the entrance, but was denied entry after he parked the car. I made it in by the skin of my teeth, but had to sit in a back row unable to see anything. When it was time to take the citizenship oath, applicants stood when their country’s name was called. I waited expectantly, but New Zealand was never mentioned. Instead, I stood on the last call for anyone whose country had not been named! I took the oath of allegiance, but was in no mood to ring any bells.

For a free subscription to my weekly blog on dwarfism and disability issues, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com/blog/.

Categories
Transportation

Acts of Encouragement

Driver Carol Paul

I was sitting in the garage waiting room when the manager asked me to step into another room. Bad news was not what I expected to hear. But she hit me with an accident report. A worker had crashed my car when moving it into a service bay. The rear end was smashed in. The car was not drivable, not now, not ever! Written off. Junkyard inventory.            

My mind started spinning as I contemplated the ramifications. Repairs on the 18-year old Mazda wagon would cost more than it’s worth. We had sold Robert’s van a few months earlier so now we were without wheels. Modifying a rental vehicle was difficult. Locating and modifying a replacement vehicle was time consuming and costly.

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These thoughts spun in my head as I observed the distress of the worker who had slammed his foot on my left foot accelerator instead of the brake. He was mortified. The manager was effusive with apologies and assurances that the garage would fully compensate me for the loss. And the garage faithfully followed through with funds for both the car’s value and cost of rides in the interim. But how could they compensate for the loss of time, independence, spontaneity, and plans that had to be cancelled?

I clung to the knowledge that God is in control and allowed this to happen. And it occurred to me that this was God’s way of expediting our long term plan of replacing my car with a wheelchair accessible van (WAV)! We had known for some time that Robert’s difficulty getting in and out of my car meant a WAV was in our near future. The accident made it clear the future had arrived. 

            Even so, I was disheartened and discouraged. Our plans for driving to the Little People of America Florida weekend meeting in Sarasota were scrubbed. The opportunity for making in person book sales was lost. COVID had made in person marketing inadvisable and now this!

The words of the psalmist struck a chord with me.

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” Psalm 43:5, New Living Translation (NLT)

And God reminded me that He is a worthy source for my hope and praise! He activated our church and biological families to encourage us by meeting our transportation needs. They acted in accordance with New Testament instructions:

“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, . . . encourage the disheartened, . . .” 1 Thessalonians 5:14, New International Version (NIV)

“But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.” 2 Corinthians 7:6 (NLT)

            This #NationalDayofEncouragement, I reflect on our 18 weeks without wheels. Our 21 member driver team transported us to 58 destinations primarily for church activities, medical, and vehicle shopping. We also had personal couriers pick up prescriptions and mailed packages.

We are encouraged beyond what words can express! We salute you all.

For a subscription to my weekly blog on dwarfism and disability issues, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com/blog/.

Categories
Awareness

Read and Change Your Life for the Better

Dwarfs Don't Live

Reading is good for your health. According to the promoter of National Read A Book Day on September 6, reading renews energy, elevates mood, promotes more restful sleep, and slows the progression of dementia. Another study shows that adults who read at least 30 minutes a week are 20% more satisfied with life than those who spend less time reading.

Add to that the wisdom of others who promote the value of reading:

  • “Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” ~ Malorie Blackman
  • “The more that you read, the more things you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~ Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! 
  • “Read to make yourself smarter! Less judgmental. More apt to understand your friends’ insane behavior, or better yet, your own.” ~ John Waters, Role Models
  • “We read to know we’re not alone.” ~ William Nicholson

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Even though most of us know what’s good for us, we often don’t do it. Reading is one of those activities. Reportedly, 81% of people don’t spend as much time reading as they’d like. I’m one of those people. As a result, my “want to read” list has 235 books! 

So how do we decide what to read? Actress Emma Thompson gives us a hint. “Books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.”

After writing part one in my memoir trilogy—Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses— https://angelamuirvanetten.com/dwarfs-dont-live-in-doll-houses/, I was surprised how many parents of young children were hungry for the information I shared about my growing up years in New Zealand. One mother told me, I keep your book by my bedside and refer to it frequently. Elizabeth, a parent of a short-statured adult, revealed:

“I thought I knew a great deal about what it was like to be a short-statured person but like so many others, I was not realistically seeing life as a Little Person experiences it.”

And Rosemary wrote:

“In this book is pure wisdom and great help! As I am petite and short in height, I had experience with stares and oglers in life. . . Bravo and cheers for a wonderful, in-depth analysis!”

Susan, the grandparent of a teenager with Down Syndrome said:

“Your book has answered my questions. With this new understanding, I now see ‘little people’ in no need of pity, but as my equal and capable of achieving all God has planned for them.”

Two colleagues of average height appreciated having misconceptions dispelled and being informed of everyday obstacles a little person overcomes.

So this year, how about enjoying National Read A Book Day by reading a Kindle e-book or used paperback of Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses available on Amazon.com? Or, due to my sister’s discovery of a box of print books in her basement, order a new print and autographed copy for $4.99, plus $4.00 postage, from angela@angelamuirvanetten.com. Need more information? Go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com, read about my memoir trilogy, and subscribe to my weekly blog.

Categories
Disability Rights International

Welcome Service Dogs; It’s the Law

Jody & Chief

Exclusion
Your dog can’t come in here.
You and your dog must leave immediately.

These are the words service dog owners frequently hear when seeking to enter hotels, restaurants, stores, and the like. And some dogs are excluded without words. This happens when drivers of buses and taxis refuse to stop after seeing a service dog with a passenger waiting for a ride.

So how frequently are service dogs excluded? The numbers are extraordinary. Access has been refused to three-quarters of American and British guide dog owners and half of Australian handlers and their dogs in the past two years.

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Exasperating civil rights violation

How can this be when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 33 State laws, and civil rights laws in other countries make it unlawful to withhold the welcome mat? Service dogs must be allowed to accompany their handlers into any facility, or portion thereof, open to the public. It’s the law!

Exception

Removal of a service dog is permitted if the dog is out of the handler’s control, behaving badly, poses a public health and safety risk, or is not housebroken.

Excuses don’t hold water

Businesses are either ignoring the law or ignorant of what the law requires. But neither excuse condones comments like the following:

I’m allergic to dogs.
I don’t want my car to get dirty.
I thought the dog was a pet since he wasn’t wearing a vest.
You don’t look disabled.

Besides, ignorance of the law is no excuse. For an employee to say, “I didn’t know,” at best, shows poor training or, at worst, a reckless disregard for the well-being of those whose safety and security is dependent on their service dog.

Examine

Staff challenging the legitimacy of a service dog can legally only ask the handler two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff cannot demand that the dog be registered, certified, or identified with a harness, ID card, or vest. Training documentation and a demonstration of tasks the dog performs cannot be required. Questions about the handler’s disability are off limits.

Exercise your right to enter

When service dogs are denied entry, handlers can take one or more of the following steps:

1. Explain how the dog’s entry is legally mandated. Consider sharing a one page summary of the ADA, State, or other pertinent law.

2. Ask to speak to a manager or owner if lower tier staff still refuse entry.

3. Consider calling the police if the law provides for criminal penalties and ask for a police report.

4. If feasible, use your cell phone to record the refusal.

5. Document the refusal by making contemporaneous notes of the words spoken and actions taken against you and your dog.

6. File a complaint with the appropriate State or federal enforcement agency, see https://beta.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/

7. Get a lawyer to bring a private civil action against the offending business or entity.

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