Therapy Dogs International Discriminates Against The Disabled?

Sadly, it would appear so.  How very interesting and sad that a highly-trained service dog cannot also be a TDI therapy dog.  Here's a link to what's going on over at Service Dog Central.  http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/568  I find this pretty shocking coming from Therapy Dogs International - of all groups?

I suppose it's a little like The National Federation of the Blind now urging a boycott of Goodwill Industries until Goodwill decides to pay their disabled employees AT LEAST minimum wage.  Yes, you read that right.    Goodwill is a non-profit and so they are exempt from minimum wage standards.  Check it out http://www.nfb.org/national-federation-blind-urges-boycott-goodwill-industries

Woof!

The Senseless Death of Guide Dog Quincy

Most people around me are intimately familiar with the untimely death of Guide Dog Quincy last month.  A ProBoneO legal team is working to help handler Bruce Cole and too many people to thank have stepped up to show their support of the enforcement of Scanner's Law in this case.  Scanner's Law is a special law in Florida State that provides special protections for Service Dog Handlers.  Please take the time, if you haven't already, to check out Quincy's Memorial page on Facebook.  We'd appreciate a "Like".  The more Likes we have, the better we can show that this is a serious issue and that the public supports laws that protect service dogs and their handlers.  https://www.facebook.com/QuincyColeGuideDog  Thanks!!!

Really Petaluma, CA?

Got word today that paratransit is trying to require that Service Dogs ride in kennels.  I don't have too many details yet, but really Petaluma?  If any place in the U.S. should have a handle on the laws regarding Service Animals, I'd think it'd be Petaluma.  Guide Dogs for the Blind, Canine Companions for Independence and Bergin U are all within a stone's throw.  *sigh*

OT: Netflix case setting precedent

 As someone with Deaf and HOH friends and family members, I have been watching this case with interest.  While not dog related, it's BIG and most definitely disability-related.

From the SF Chronicle: "

A federal judge has taken a step toward requiring Netflix to provide closed-captioning for the deaf on its video-streaming website, ruling that federal disability laws cover businesses that serve their customers online. 

Netflix, headquartered in Los Gatos, is the dominant provider of movies and TV programs on the Internet, with more than 20 million subscribers. The National Association for the Deaf accused the company of violating the law by withholding closed-captioning from most of the videos on its "Watch Instantly" on-demand website. <snip>

This is huge.  Google it for more information.

Another, similar issue, that's been brought up by some of my friends and clients who rely on captioning involved the "tweet" and "text" messages that some live shows are starting to pop up during their broadcasts. Often this text interferes with the captioning to the point where it is basically useless.  Dear Networks, Is knowing what Pam in St. Louis thinks about some dancer's butt more important than your Deaf/HOH viewers being able to read what it is the judges were saying about the dancer's routine?!?!?!?

/rant