Saturday, April 05, 2008

LD #2285: The Political Battle for Equal Justice for All Under Law... continuing Saga

The link listed below is the newest wording of LD #2285 which is an act to redefine service dog in the State of Maine. If this is passed as worded here are the conflicts that will arise:
As it is worded now, the only service puppies in training that will be allowed public access in the state will be those that will be trained for visual impairments and physical disabilities. Dogs in training for mental disabilities are NOT included in this. If this isn't statewide discrimination I don't know what is. My good friends at Tail Waggin Training Center in Levant, Maine will be severely affected by this as their specialty is training dogs to assist children with Autism. This LD just gets more and more complicated the more work we do on it. We get a stab in the back by one of our Task Force members who instead of informing us she had problems with it way back when we were going to submit the report in January brought it up at the last minute at the final hearing. If I have a more than slight problem with my fellow peers who have visual impairments that are involved with this crap over at Pine Tree State Guide Dog Users right now, please forgive me. People with disabilities who have problems with people with different disabilities from their own shouldn't be in a position of providing advocacy, support or information to anyone, including participation in law changing events. AND they should be truly ashamed of themselves. These particular individuals involved in the LD #2285 disaster should be ashamed of their dogs too. I would not like those dogs to represent all service dogs. I noticed at the hearing that a representative complimented my dog and the dog in training lying next to her and not the beasts on the opposite side of the room.
Sorry. I am angry. It is still true though.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It seems that we always take one step forward and three back when it comes to our service dogs especially service animals in training. Being that the ADA does not cover this section we have to rely on the state and local laws to include in training. The big problem is with many states is that they make it their way and not to benefit all people that is a qualified person with a disability. Just a few! This makes me mad as well! Many states have excluded invisible disabilities. Just the blind, hearing and the physical while there are so many individuals that has invisable disability and is in need of a service animal.

Instead of the largest minority (ie pwd), banding together it seems that we don't. As long as it doesn't affect them then why should they bother fighting. This attitude just bites! I have worked very hard with my dogs to become service animals. Even had many stores praise my dogs but we had to start somewhere. Luckly all the places I go loved being involved with the process! Great PR on both counts!

I hope this law doesn't pass for you. I do not live there but I don't want laws to become stricter for us in which we have to jump over more obstacles just to have the same benefits as others.