Hello, I have attached a file that I have received from another list that I feel will help all of you who have guide dogs. You may want to print it out and keep it with you. If you read through it, it states that all businesses that serve the public must serve those with guide dogs as well along with many other items that it states. So, I suggest that everyone read it and use it as needed. Robert and Wonder. > ----- Original Message ----- >From: "Hyde, David W." <david.hyde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 13:40:56 -0500 >Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: FW: [TSE-Chat] Fw: [doggie-den] Fw: Please Show >That Discrimination Is Not Acceptable! >I don't know Maine law, but there is probably something on the books >requiring dog guides and their users be admitted to all public places. >This would include the brewery. Those who were denied access should >file the complaint, not Seeing eye, or Sendero Group. Neither Seeing >Eye, nor Sendero were discriminated against, so probably do not have >standing to file on your behalf. Talk with the attorney general there, >a f file either individually or as a group. >-----Original Message----- >From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >[mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sarai >Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 1:33 PM >To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: FW: [TSE-Chat] Fw: [doggie-den] Fw: Please >Show That Discrimination Is Not Acceptable! >Or lawyers. Or maybe someone can pod cast the entire thing. > -----Original Message----- > From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >[mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of gerry leary > Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 1:26 PM > To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: FW: [TSE-Chat] Fw: [doggie-den] Fw: >Please Show That Discrimination Is Not Acceptable! > Maybe we should bring another large group with imbedded >reporters who don't look the type. Gerry > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Sarai <mailto:bucc7465@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > To: Seeing Eye <mailto:seeingeye-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx> ; GPS ><mailto:gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Cc: GDUI <mailto:GDU-United@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> ; ACB List ><mailto:acb-l@xxxxxxx> ; alabama <mailto:alabama@xxxxxxx > Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 12:11 PM > Subject: [gps-talkusers] FW: [TSE-Chat] Fw: [doggie-den] >Fw: Please Show That Discrimination Is Not Acceptable! > -----Original Message----- > From: TSE-Chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >[mailto:TSE-Chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Barbara Gatto > Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 11:19 AM > To: Seeingeye List > Cc: Seeing eye Chat > Subject: [TSE-Chat] Fw: [doggie-den] Fw: Please Show >That Discrimination Is Not Acceptable! > Subject: Please Show That Discrimination Is Not >Acceptable! > | Hey, all, > | I haven't posted much recently, since I'm only on >the Digest version, > | but I wanted to enlist your help. I just returned from >a wonderful week > with > | the Sendero Group (the maker's of the BrailleNote GPS) >in Maine. Every > year, > | the Sendero Group goes on a tour to an interesting >destination anywhere > in the > | world. They've toured California's Gold Country and >last year they > visited > | Ireland and Scotland. As I said, this year's trip was >to Maine and, > luckily, > | they have scholarships for college students and young >professionals which > pay > | for the hotel and traveling expenses. The trip is >basically just a group > of > | thirty blind folks going to a cool location and >traveling around > independently > | using their canes, guide dogs, and the Braille Note >GPS. I highly, highly > | recommend that those of you who are interested in >going next year apply > for a > | scholarship. It's a really great time. > | Okay, so anyway, that's the background. Here's why >I need everybody's > | help. > | As wonderful as the trip was, we did encounter one >really disturbing > | incident. As a cane user, I don't encounter guide dog >discrimination > myself, so > | traveling in a group where many people used dogs was >an eye opening > | experience. On Thursday, we were in Portland, Maine >and after lunch, > several of us > | decided to go to the Shipyard Brewing Company. Some of >our other > traveling > | companions had had Shipyard beer at the restaurant >where they'd eaten > lunch and > | they highly recommended that a group of us go check it >out. So, about > fifteen > | of us braved the light rain that had begun to fall and >walked the mile or > so > | to the Shipyard Brewery. With visions of hops and >barley dancing in our > heads, > | we all trooped into the brewery. Unbeknownst to me at >the time, several > of > | the brewery employees pulled two members of our group >aside and told them > that > | they didn't want "all these blind people" going >upstairs and taking the > | tour. After all, they said, there are hoses all over >the floor and puddles > of > | water everywhere. Luckily, these two people explained >that we would all be > using > | canes or dog guides and that these mobility aids would >prevent us from > | getting into any sort of trouble. > | Things seemed settled and we all trooped in to the >waiting room. > There > | were about fifty or sixty people waiting to take the >tour. A brewery tour > | guide came up to the front of the room and announced, >"Just so everybody > knows, > | we're going to watch an eight minute film on the >brewery and the brewing > | process. After that, we're going to go upstairs and >take a tour. This > will involve > | going up three flights of stairs and there are hoses >and puddles of water > | all over the place. So, you might all want to think >about that as you > watch the > | film." > | Naturally, all of us knew that this was code for, >"Are you blind folks > sure > | you can handle this?" So, we all nodded and smiled >amiably and sat > through > | the eight minute introductory film. After it had >ended, the tour guide > came > | back and informed the audience that guide dogs were >not allowed upstairs. > We > | tried explaining to the employees that not allowing >the guide dogs to > come with > | their owners was against the law, but they didn't >care. They seemed > | particularly concerned that the dogs would somehow >contaminate their > yeast. We > | reminded them that guide dogs are very well groomed >and cared for and > that, after > | all, how could they guarantee that any people who >went on the tour had > good > | hygiene and were clean? After arguing with them for >quite some time, it > became > | apparent to us that they would use any excuse to keep >us from going. > First, > | they didn't want us to go because of safety concerns. >When we refuted > those > | concerns, they brought up the guide dog issue. After >we told them that > that was > | discrimination, they told us that they just didn't >like large groups > coming > | in. (This is complete crap. We were just going to tag >along with a public > tour > | of about fifty or sixty people and their were only >about fifteen or > twenty > | of us. There was plenty of room.) Finally, they >offered us a tour if we > left > | the guide dogs downstairs. Most of the group decided >not to go on the > tour on > | principle and also because of the practical matter of >where they would > leave > | their guide dogs. However, two guide dog users agreed >to leave their dogs > | downstairs with a friend and go on the tour anyway. >Being a cane user, I > decided > | to join them. So, Jamie took the tour guide's arm and >Denna took my arm > and > | we were off. I was still seething, but I wanted to see >what about the > brewery > | floor was so treacherous and frightening. I can >honestly say that there > was > | no reason the dogs couldn't have gone. We were never >in contact with any > of > | the actual product and, as I said, they don't screen >people for > cleanliness > | and all of the guide dogs were probably better groomed >then some of the > people > | who take the tour. > | Because we had been treated with such disrespect, >none of us bought > anything > | from the gift shop and Mike May called the Seeing Eye >to look into the > | matter. We quickly found out that another guide dog >user had once been > denied > | access into another brewery and the court had found >the brewery to be > guilty of > | discrimination. We wished we had known this when we >went in, but we > warned > | them that they have not seen the last of us. Sendero >Group and the Seeing > Eye > | are going to have their lawyers contact the brewery. > | In the meantime, we need to show the brewery that >denying access to > | blind people who use guide dogs is unacceptable. Many >guide dog users in > our > | group have toured other breweries without incident >and, as I said, there > is legal > | precedent that breweries are not allowed to do this. >Please email the > | brewery and let them know that they have lost your >business and that of > your family > | and friends. They need to know that what they did >angered not only a > group > | of fifteen blind people, but also those people's >family and friends. I > | especially encourage you to pass this on to other >listservs, particularly > guide dog > | users listservs. Here is the Shipyard Brewing >Company's contact info: > | Email: info@xxxxxxxxxxxx > | Office Phone: 207-761-0807 > | Office Toll Free: 1-800-789-0684 > | Thanks for your help! > | Stacy > | PS Throughout the trip, all the scholarship winners >were responsible for > | writing a web log of the trip. You can check it out >at : > | _http://www.senderogroup.com/blog.htm_ > (http://www.senderogroup.com/blog.htm) > to contact the list owner > TSE-Chat-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > to subscribe > TSE-Chat-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To receive message digests > TSE-Chat-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To receive individual messages > TSE-Chat-normal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > To go no mail > TSE-Chat-nomail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >________________________________ > YAHOO! 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