WOW!! "every time I say something they find hard to hear they chalk it up to my anger and never to their own fear" Ani Difranco: I'm Not A Pretty Girl 1995 Nimer M. Jaber The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender via reply e-mail, and delete the material from any computer. Website: http://www.empowertheblind.org Phone: (720) (251-4530) -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [nagdu] Does seeing-eye horse go too far? Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:10:18 -0400 From: <craig.borne@xxxxxxx>Reply-To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <nagdu@xxxxxxxxxx> FYI - notice NAGDU was included with this article as a link resource. Craig http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/wfaa0903 24_wz_serviceanimalsfolo.67c58be1.html 3/20: Does seeing-eye horse go too far? LINK: ABC News story on this topic LINK: Rules for service animals LINK: Service animals Q&A LINK: Guide Horse Foundation LINK: Pony Talez Equine Services LINK: National Association of Guide Dog Users MORE: Stories about animals and pets list end Search Video: images/searchbtn FORT WORTH - What's a horse doing in the dairy aisle at Target? Last week we reported on an expanding list of service animals for the disabled, including ferrets, monkeys and horses. The story has ignited a controversy among some in the disabled community who say using a horse to get around in a grocery store goes too far. Trixie the seeing-eye pony knows Target like the back of her slip-proof pink boots. "She means the world to me," said Tabitha Darling, Trixie's owner. "Not just a working animal, but - well - my friend." Darling is legally blind, with a bone condition that she says can make walking painful. The Americans with Disabilities Act makes it illegal for stores to refuse entry to a service animal. But while Tabitha says Trixie is critical to her independence, she is now drawing fire from some, accused of abusing the system. "She doesn't need to be riding it around like Lady Godiva in a store," said Carolyn Finefrock, who has far less vision than Darling and uses a more traditional seeing-eye dog and a wheelchair for mobility. Finefrock thinks licensing service animal users would eliminate abuse. "What about people who really can't walk? What about people who really can't see?" she asked. Lex Frieden, a professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, helped develop the Americans with Disabilities Act. What does he think of going shopping with a horse? "There are other solutions besides that one that are more functional and more appropriate for her," Frieden said. "But consider this: It's her choice." Frieden has been using a wheelchair since he was injured in a car accident when he was a college student. He favors a case-by-case review of a person's disability. Any blanket solution, he says, is a step in the wrong direction. "We actually stop innovation; we stop discovery; and we actually provide a cap on what's possible," he said. "Who knows what's possible in the future?" Tabitha Darling says she is often asked why she insists on riding a horse inside a store when there are other options. Her answer? It's what works best for her. E-mail dschechter@xxxxxxxx Craig Borne, Esq. External Compliance Program Manager Disability Program Manager National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Civil Rights 1200 New Jersey Avenue, Southeast Suite W43-321 Washington, DC 20590 Office : (202) 493-0627 Fax: (202) 493-2990 Email: craig.borne@xxxxxxx<mailto:craig.borne@xxxxxxx> The information contained in this communication (including any attachments) may be confidential and legally privileged. This email may not serve as a contractual agreement unless explicit written agreement for this purpose has been made. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication or any of its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please re-send this communication to the sender indicating that it was received in error and delete the original message and any copy of it from your computer system. _______________________________________________ nagdu mailing list nagdu@xxxxxxxxxx http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu: http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/nimerjaber1%40gmail.com blind_html To unsubscribe, please send a blank email to blind_html-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with unsubscribe in the subject line. To access the archives, please visit: //www.freelists.org/archive/blind_html Thanks