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Respecting Disabilities

Peter Ashenden
Monday, January 12, 2009
Recently, I had an experience that illustrates the naïve misunderstanding of what it's like to live with a mental illness or disability. I travel fairly often, and it's important to mention I do so with a service dog, Bella. She provides comfort during the at-times stressful and difficult travel...

This entry was posted on Monday, January 12, 2009

12 Responses to "Respecting Disabilities"

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  1. Untitled Comment
    birdbreather
    Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 01:37 AM

     

    Hi Peter,

     

             I think its pretty awful how you were treated at the hotel. The employee was clearly not doing his job well. In my experience most people really like dogs and are quite tolerant of them. It sounds like the guy was just a jerk or someone having a really bad day.

     

    What kind of dog do you have?

     

    I had a situation happen to me when I was walking my German Shepherd in my neighborhood. As we were walking we came around a corner and a woman saw us and stopped walking and just started screaming. She picked up her yorkie and took off running (the absolute worst thing to do if a dog happened to be vicious). My dog just looked at me "what is her problem" she seemed to say. I never saw that woman again, but my guess is that she had a fear of big dogs. Sometimes our dogs can illicit a really strong reaction from people, 95% of the time its really positive. Sometimes people just take off screaming.

     

    Don't let this guy discourage you from taking your service dog with you. I think its awesome you have a service dog to help you out. Its amazing how many ways dogs can help make our lives better.


    reply
  2. SERVICE DOGS
    Anonymous
    Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 08:08 AM

    Hi Peter,

      I think the way you were treated was awful.  The manager needs to be fired if that's the way he speaks to paying guests, or anyone, for that matter.

      I think he may have been more upset because the dog was on the couch where other guests sit and would get dog hair on their clothing.  I think it would be better for the dog not to sit on the couch in a "general population" area.  Now in your room, that's another matter.  The dog can sleep in the bed if he wants to.  I know for myself that I would be aggravated to sit on the couch and pick up dog hair on my clothing.  

    I have a black lab that stays indoors.  We don't allow him on the furniture for that very reason.  We have a spare bedroom where I put an old blanket over the bedspread and let the dog have that bed to sleep on.  He also has a dog bed in the living room.

      Regardless, the manager was incorrect speaking to you that way.  


    reply
  3. Service Dog
    artista
    Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 09:09 AM

    It is really a wonder that in a country such as ours that has extensive rules and regulation protecting the rights of all citizens under the ADA is a shock. I felt so sorry for Bella especially when she knows that her job is to help you is a a family member.

     

    If I was a lawyer I would be more than happy to take your case pro brono and fight until the ignorant is fired as well as the HR Manager who should keep the manager informed of these laws and also sue the pants of the hotel and black list it not only here but all over the world. Great idea for us to start a mental health illness rights blog and spread the world.

     

    Count on me

     

    Arthur Bipolar1Sealed


    reply
    re: Service Dog
    Sorry but Your wrong
    Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 12:36 PM

    I hate to be the voice of opposition here... Peter I do really like how you applied the situation into a positive way we can promote mental health and help reduce stigma.

    Still, some times we might HAVE the right to do something and sometimes we need to forfeit that right so we offend other...  We may get caught up in the thinking that we should never be offend by others action and yet for get how they feel about it...

    Yelling at you no doubt was not the way to handle it... But then again having a service dog on the couch is not where a dog belongs...  It's disrespectful, your a guest is their house, even a paying guest has to abide by rules... Not just to the letter of the rules but to the spirit of the rules... Witch is that every guest is entitled to have and enjoyable stay and be treated with respect.

    It's possible the manager got complaints about a dog on the couch...  Or just maybe there were circumstance beyond your knowledge that would make this guy fly off the rack...  Maybe he was getting review or simply just knows other guest my be deathly allergic to dogs...  To think this would have anything to do with mental health from what you told us would be a stretch... In the end you had a bad experience because the animal was not where 90% of services dogs surposta be, at your side, sitting on the floor.  I think when he said,"that dog better not be on the couch!" This tells me he was not thinnking anything about your mental state... I'm sure if you were blind and if the dog was a guide dog on the sofa he would have side the same thing...

    If fact I kind of admire this man... Think about Peter, your a statuesque guy, and your size could make other shy away from speaking up... Yet this guy might have seen you there and might have had to work up the courage to confront you... Granted it sound like he did it wrong... But when you got up and walked towards him till him to clam down... I'm sure in the back of his mind he might have felt like he was taking the bull by the horns... Yet he stood his ground...  Gosh, that is the kind of fortitude and conviction we all could use when we see other blatantly stigmatizing our condition...  To have the courage to stand up to others and inform, and teach them about the how and why that are associated with mental disorders. 

    I'm sorry you had this experience, but I'm shocked it has not happened more often...  I'm sure if the dog stays next to you on the floor where he belongs you wont ever have this problem again...

    Oh, and I would not hold my breath in getting a apology from that manager... I'm sure he feels 100% right for his actions how ever abrupt it was... In fact I think you could go the extra mile an apologize to him... After all he was doing his job...  He seems like the tape of guy that if you have a bunch of people calling you names, and making fun the "crazy, mental person" he would stand to them too.

     

    the fact is I wish I had his guts to sign this post, but, I fear retrabution for speaking my mind.


    reply
  4. Untitled Comment
    Anonymous
    Friday, January 16, 2009 at 08:43 PM

    First of all, I disagree with the fact that you believe everyone with a mental illness is "disabled".  If that were the case, and we're looking at ALL mentall illnesses, then 90% of the United States would be collecting SSDI checks because they are depressed, OCD, bipolar, ADHD, or have social anxiety disorder. 

     

    I know many people, myself included, who have bipolar, depression, or an anxiety disorder, and we manage it, and we work, and we go to school, and we pay bills, and we have social lives, and we are not "disabled".  You cannot let the disorder DEFINE YOU, you have to DEFINE AND MANAGE THE DISORDER. 

     

    So, stop whining about the hotel manager that was mean to the poor, disabled, bipolar guy because that's exactly what you let the illness define you as.

     

    Furthermore, the dog belongs in your lap or on the floor; other people sit on those couches, and you certainly are not entitled because you've labled yourself the "disabled, bipolar guy".

     

    Angie Wink      


    reply
  5. Peter Ashdenhen's article regarding a "service dog."
    Heidi
    Friday, January 16, 2009 at 10:04 PM

    I agree with Angie.  I was diagnosed with bipolar in 1974 and do not consider it a disability calling for a "service dog."  I love dogs and have one as a pet and family member, but service dog ... no.  In a time when most people with bipolar want to go about with their daily lives, what's the point to "advertise" the disability when, if you take care of yourself and do the right things, no one can tell you have the disability most of the time.


    reply
  6. Bella
    John S
    Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 02:32 AM

    I think Bella should be allowed on the couch, she is a princess and deserves to be treated as such... I hope u get an appology from the manager, he is lucky bailey was not there...Keep up the good work. JRS


    reply
    re: Bella
    Suzanne
    Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 08:49 AM

    I also think the manager handled the situation inappropriately with yelling & causing a scene.  He should have spoken to you quietly & respectfully.  I think he should have asked you politely to remove your dog from the couch.  I think that was the issue--not your "disability" or having a service dog--but I don't think the dog belonged on the couch where other people were going to sit.  I would object to seeing the dog on the couch & I have a dog, love dogs & also have bipolar disorder & do have to make accommodations in my life to successfully manage my symptoms.  However, I do not consider myself "disabled."

     

    I also have diabetes & have to make accommodations in my lifestyle to keep myself healthy since it is a disorder that requires me to do so as does my bipolar.  I realize some people with bipolar disorder do qualify for disability & apply for it & deserve it.  I, however, am not one of those, despite having to give up certain functions at my job due to a relapse several years ago.  

     

    I did not reveal to my boss the nature of my "illness" that required my time off from work as I think that is my personal business.  And when I returned to work I simply talked to him & stated that I would need to cut my hours & fashion a schedule where I could come into work on my own time schedule & discontinue the portion of my job that required me to deal with the public.  I realize I am fortunate that I have been with this company for 17 years & am a valued employee & not only did my boss agree to every accommodation I requested, he gave me a raise.

     

    I do think it is very respectful of you to alert the hotels & other establishments that you will be visiting that you will be bringing a service dog so that they will be aware of the situation & not be surprised as sometimes they are unsure of the protocol & this will give them time to educate themselves.

     

    My daughter is a law prof. & is teaching a course on ADA & I just sent her an article on the newest update regarding mental disorders & medications & ADA.  She is glad she can keep the upcoming lawyers aware of the issue of mental illness & disability & mental illness & ABILITY.


    reply
  7. Shame on you Barack!!!!!!
    madeline cincotta
    Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 07:45 PM

    OK....I love you and voted for you and I will still love and support you Mr President.

    You did something bad today. You made a joke about Washington schools closing because of the ice storm today. You said your 7 year old never missed a day and Chicago never closed schools for weather related ice or snow. Your asking for an elitist tag with a comment like that.My son doesn't have bodyguards or limo"s or even anyone to watch over him.

    You see Mr President " Jeff was left behind" He didn't even have a chance toi go to school. He has non-verbal learning disability (if you know what that is) I think Hillary knows. I'm sure you weren't thinking when you made that comment today.

    When I was pregnant with my son I was refused a job with US AIR. I was refused because I would't have an Xray done. I fought them and won. The EEOC changed the rules and they could no longer force pegnant woman to take xray's and they couldn't just fire them in 3 months because they just found out they were pregnant at 2.

    That's change.

    I'm one person. I changed USAIR policy.

    TODAY

    We all need to fight the fight.

    Yesterday I got a traffic ticket for parking in my own driveway.

    My car was hanging out a bit because  a of big huge snow bank in front

    I had to dig out of that same snowbank this morning to go to emergency.

    I have food poisoning from peanut butter and I'm sick today.

    I parked on the sidewalk and I'm waiting for meter maid Doyle to give me another ticket tomorrow because it's a sheet of ice on my steps and sidewalk.

    After spending all day advocating for dead people and nursing home people and basically all those who can NOT call to complain about peanut butter...

    I thought.

    I will fight for you. I will fight with words and strength. I will call and let them hang up in my ears but they won't silence me because I won't let them.

    I'll probably get a ticket tomorrow and find out my tests are positive for salmonilla.

    I got back home after driving myself to the hospital and bank etc. Jeff has agoraphobia and bulimia. Most anxiety he has stems from an unknown learning disability which no one has a clue about. Do you know what it is Mr President?

    When I was pregnant with Jeff in my belly, I went through a really bad time with discrimination. I also had to have my baby alone because his dad took off.

    There's more. 

    I'll write bits at a time

     

    I'm Jeff's sole caretaker.

    The system failed him so I took over for the system. I'm strong  YET

    I have acute depression at times. This was a hard week. I just found out that my college is no longer a college and I have a huge student loan to pay . Well.....

    That's an attorney general thing and the peanut nutter is an FDA thing,the parking ticket is city thing...

    Also Mr president I'm going to court for Jeff next week

    You see

     

    . He had a chase credit card with a $400.00 line of credit...There was a master card settlement and Chase didn't respect it...Jeff is on SSI. He has no money and no assetts. The department of mental health comes over to take him out 2 times a week. Next week they will come along to see me at the court house with Jeff. You see last year a collections agency bought  this contract and pursued jeff with a court order and this $400.00 turned into $1,100.  I wrote and provided all documentation about the settlement and the law.

    Jeff can't be sued because he has no money and can't work. CHASE got the account returned then sent it to another collection law firm.

    I called them. I want them to take ME to court because if I call then CHASE will send it to another collection agency. This time he owes $1,200. Next year it will go higher. Jeff has no clue about any of this. CHASE does. CHASE is a bank!!!!!!!

    Well

    I suffer from acute depression but I will be there for Jeff to stop the chain of horror

     I will countersue for $1,200 so I can pay CHASE so Jeff won't have to be sold every year to collector after collector. To this day Jeff has no life. CHASE wants to squeez whatever life he has left.

    Well....No wonder 10 people hung up on me today. Not one wants to hear it.

    No one cares. So ...Please Mr president....Don't brag about how great and strong your babies are. Mine is not. We are not all like you. We are starved and crippled and sad. We are sick of braving the weather and society. We are cold and not dressed well enough to brave the winter

    We lack the help and care that we so desperately cry out for.

     

      CHANGE must occur and as my doctor say's suffering brings strength".

    So I write to you and all my story today.

      A woman from a peanut dealer said to me today

    "I understand" (salmonilla)

    I said "please don't tell me you understand"

      Please don't use those words to me when your not in my sick body. I hate those words. The nursing home used those words when my mother died of neglect. She went in with a broken arm and never came home.

    I watched her die. It took 10 days. Later I ran into a friend of mine in the hallway. She understood because she was my moms therapist. She was also a big cocaine dealer and an alcholic etc. Why did they hire her??? Why is a nursing home unsafe? Why are they dying from poison peanut butter who purposfully was sent by a crimminal.

    Well

    This therapist said she couldn't help my mom. She said she couln't get her out of bed so my mom stayed in bed , got a urinary tract infection and congestive heart failure. Her young beautiful doctor took us to a room and said "I understand" that your mom doesn't want to be a vegetable so we should all let her die naturally. Well I think we had to hurry up and let her die because this young beautiful doctor was getting married in 2 months..  My mom was dead in 2 weeks. That was plenty of time for the doctor to plan her shower and wedding.

    My POINT:

    Today my point is with you Mr President.

    We are in pain

    We are sick

    We are hopeless

    BUT

    We are strong

    Suffering brings strength

    The Kennedy's are strong.

    You are strong

    We are all putting our hearts and souls into    CHANGE

    Today I felt HURT.

    I felt hurt because you reminded me of how physically weak I am

    You reminded me of a 58 year old who is tired and slips on the ice.

    I had a dream that all the schools would close in the United States till Summer.

    Today I hear that the heat will be lowered

    Will the heat in your children's school be lowered?

    That was my dream.

    We're all counting on you Barak O'Bama

    We love you .

    Please be more sensitive and understand that we don't want to walk on

    THIN ICE

    We want to be safe.

    maddie

     

     


    reply
  8. Shame on you Barack!!!!!!
    madeline cincotta
    Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 07:46 PM

    OK....I love you and voted for you and I will still love and support you Mr President.

    You did something bad today. You made a joke about Washington schools closing because of the ice storm today. You said your 7 year old never missed a day and Chicago never closed schools for weather related ice or snow. Your asking for an elitist tag with a comment like that.My son doesn't have bodyguards or limo"s or even anyone to watch over him.

    You see Mr President " Jeff was left behind" He didn't even have a chance toi go to school. He has non-verbal learning disability (if you know what that is) I think Hillary knows. I'm sure you weren't thinking when you made that comment today.

    When I was pregnant with my son I was refused a job with US AIR. I was refused because I would't have an Xray done. I fought them and won. The EEOC changed the rules and they could no longer force pegnant woman to take xray's and they couldn't just fire them in 3 months because they just found out they were pregnant at 2.

    That's change.

    I'm one person. I changed USAIR policy.

    TODAY

    We all need to fight the fight.

    Yesterday I got a traffic ticket for parking in my own driveway.

    My car was hanging out a bit because  a of big huge snow bank in front

    I had to dig out of that same snowbank this morning to go to emergency.

    I have food poisoning from peanut butter and I'm sick today.

    I parked on the sidewalk and I'm waiting for meter maid Doyle to give me another ticket tomorrow because it's a sheet of ice on my steps and sidewalk.

    After spending all day advocating for dead people and nursing home people and basically all those who can NOT call to complain about peanut butter...

    I thought.

    I will fight for you. I will fight with words and strength. I will call and let them hang up in my ears but they won't silence me because I won't let them.

    I'll probably get a ticket tomorrow and find out my tests are positive for salmonilla.

    I got back home after driving myself to the hospital and bank etc. Jeff has agoraphobia and bulimia. Most anxiety he has stems from an unknown learning disability which no one has a clue about. Do you know what it is Mr President?

    When I was pregnant with Jeff in my belly, I went through a really bad time with discrimination. I also had to have my baby alone because his dad took off.

    There's more. 

    I'll write bits at a time

     

    I'm Jeff's sole caretaker.

    The system failed him so I took over for the system. I'm strong  YET

    I have acute depression at times. This was a hard week. I just found out that my college is no longer a college and I have a huge student loan to pay . Well.....

    That's an attorney general thing and the peanut nutter is an FDA thing,the parking ticket is city thing...

    Also Mr president I'm going to court for Jeff next week

    You see

     

    . He had a chase credit card with a $400.00 line of credit...There was a master card settlement and Chase didn't respect it...Jeff is on SSI. He has no money and no assetts. The department of mental health comes over to take him out 2 times a week. Next week they will come along to see me at the court house with Jeff. You see last year a collections agency bought  this contract and pursued jeff with a court order and this $400.00 turned into $1,100.  I wrote and provided all documentation about the settlement and the law.

    Jeff can't be sued because he has no money and can't work. CHASE got the account returned then sent it to another collection law firm.

    I called them. I want them to take ME to court because if I call then CHASE will send it to another collection agency. This time he owes $1,200. Next year it will go higher. Jeff has no clue about any of this. CHASE does. CHASE is a bank!!!!!!!

    Well

    I suffer from acute depression but I will be there for Jeff to stop the chain of horror

     I will countersue for $1,200 so I can pay CHASE so Jeff won't have to be sold every year to collector after collector. To this day Jeff has no life. CHASE wants to squeez whatever life he has left.

    Well....No wonder 10 people hung up on me today. Not one wants to hear it.

    No one cares. So ...Please Mr president....Don't brag about how great and strong your babies are. Mine is not. We are not all like you. We are starved and crippled and sad. We are sick of braving the weather and society. We are cold and not dressed well enough to brave the winter

    We lack the help and care that we so desperately cry out for.

     

      CHANGE must occur and as my doctor say's suffering brings strength".

    So I write to you and all my story today.

      A woman from a peanut dealer said to me today

    "I understand" (salmonilla)

    I said "please don't tell me you understand"

      Please don't use those words to me when your not in my sick body. I hate those words. The nursing home used those words when my mother died of neglect. She went in with a broken arm and never came home.

    I watched her die. It took 10 days. Later I ran into a friend of mine in the hallway. She understood because she was my moms therapist. She was also a big cocaine dealer and an alcholic etc. Why did they hire her??? Why is a nursing home unsafe? Why are they dying from poison peanut butter who purposfully was sent by a crimminal.

    Well

    This therapist said she couldn't help my mom. She said she couln't get her out of bed so my mom stayed in bed , got a urinary tract infection and congestive heart failure. Her young beautiful doctor took us to a room and said "I understand" that your mom doesn't want to be a vegetable so we should all let her die naturally. Well I think we had to hurry up and let her die because this young beautiful doctor was getting married in 2 months..  My mom was dead in 2 weeks. That was plenty of time for the doctor to plan her shower and wedding.

    My POINT:

    Today my point is with you Mr President.

    We are in pain

    We are sick

    We are hopeless

    BUT

    We are strong

    Suffering brings strength

    The Kennedy's are strong.

    You are strong

    We are all putting our hearts and souls into    CHANGE

    Today I felt HURT.

    I felt hurt because you reminded me of how physically weak I am

    You reminded me of a 58 year old who is tired and slips on the ice.

    I had a dream that all the schools would close in the United States till Summer.

    Today I hear that the heat will be lowered

    Will the heat in your children's school be lowered?

    That was my dream.

    We're all counting on you Barak O'Bama

    We love you .

    Please be more sensitive and understand that we don't want to walk on

    THIN ICE

    We want to be safe.

    maddie

     

     


    reply
  9. service pup
    lauren
    Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 06:36 AM

    That guy sounds like douche of the century. Im pretty sure there are laws that accomidate people with special needs, like a service dogs. i read a response to your post in which someone thought it was silly to "advertise" your illness with a dog. thats pretty ignorant coming from another person struggling with the illness. Everyones needs are different and i can totally see how a dog can help with things like anxiety and manic episodes.. i miss my pup back home everyday, wish he was my service pup, but he is far to plump and lazy to be my servant. Anyway, i had kind of a similar ignorant thing happen throughout my education. ever since elementry school, they would have me in a special ed group at a time in the day and pull me out of class..they put me in with kids with far worse problems. one kid was actually autistic, i couldnt believe it, all i needed was more time on my work and tests because i failed just about everything, i have ADHD and bipolor. its like "normal" classes cant keep up with that or except it. Now in college i have special testing and homework accomidations and i feel like they and the law are on my side..Although i had a terrible math teacher who basically denied all my requests at extra time and treated me like a complete moron. i complained to the school disabilities department and they reminded him to do his job and since he passed me even though i failed and let me know..haha..its sad but he atleast apologized and admitted that he was very wrong about me. college is so much better with this sort of thing than early education. 


    reply
  10. This is in fact a serious issue
    Kdh15
    Monday, February 02, 2009 at 09:43 PM

    i attend Trinity University, which clearly has a policy allowing service animals but continuously denied my request to bring a small service dog on campus due to absolutely debilitating bipolar disorder along with anxiety and serious depression. My dog gives me a certain degree of support and love like no psychiatrist can. I really wish people would begin to understand the severity of bipolar disorder.


    reply
    re: This is in fact a serious issue
    Rankin Marshall
    Friday, February 27, 2009 at 12:13 AM

    I attended Trinity University 1974-1978 in beautiful San Antonio.  Nice to see that Trinity allows students with mental illnesses admission to the #1, top-rated university in the west, according to US News And World Report, for the past 16 years.

     

    ADA did not exist in 1974.

     

    The university catalog specifically noted that applicants with mental illnesses would not be admitted.  We were not a protected class back then.  So we lied on our applications.

     

    I noticed two on-going processes that "handled" students with MI.

     

    First, there was an on-going MI "underground" network of students with MI secretly and discretely staying in touch, sharing meds when needed, and quietly hustling a fellow member having an "episode" into a "safe" dorm room where we could keep that student out of sight... bring in food... bring in extra meds... or discretely drive the student to a doctor or hospital.

     

    Sadly, there were two friends who had public episodes that got them kicked out of school.  Libby had epilepsy that was effectively treated with meds, but a seizure broke out when she was in the middle of the Coates Center snack bar, and we couldn't rescue her before security called EMT's.  When she returned to campus, security supervised Libby as she loaded her stuff out of her room in Isabel into her car, and watched her leave campus.

     

    Glen came back from Christmas break my junior year all goofy from a med change his home town pdoc Rx'd.  He went manic, roamed campus in 50 degree weather with no shoes, chain smoking cigarettes, and dropping in on any group conversation to babble about random stuff.  Glen kicked-out a plate glass window in the reception room at the end of dorms North/South.  We got him to the hospital for stitches.  We begged the docs to call his pdoc for a med change, but to no avail.  Glen was too manic to stay put in a room.  He roamed campus, sitting in with random groups of people, uninvited, where he burned out his stitches in his foot with a cigarette.

     

    Next day, his parents came and packed his stuff to go home while ARMED GUARDS supervised their departure.

     

    Second, the university had a "Counseling Center" in an old house (long gone) down at the corner of Divine and Mulberry.  Soft-spoken counselors spoke at events, encouraging anyone who felt the need for some emotional support to come down, have a talk, and we'll make you better.  To drive there, one would drive down Shook, take a right on Mulberry, then drive back to the dorms up Divine.  Their cutesy little saying was, "If you come down feeling 'Shook', we'll send you back feeling 'Divine'."

     

    We called the Counseling Center "Auschwitz".  Anyone who went down there with genuine issues never came back.  They vanished without a trace.  The counselors would hold anyone suspected of having any MI there until parents came, signed them out at the Registrar's office, loaded their stuff in the car, and left for good.

     

    I had a safe room in Laurie Auditorium, another one in the Coates Center, and another in a professor's office in the Graduate Studies building.  I went there with a dx of complex partial seizure disorder, that I could tell was coming on because my hands would feel like ballons, like Mickey Mouse gloves... that was my signal to hide.

     

    I also went 2-3 days between sleep.  That was normal for me.  My room mate too.  I just chalked it up to excess energy and insomnia.  No idea it was hypomania and mania.

     

    I'm reading Dean Grissom's book now.  What a hoot!!

     

    Second, the University operated a Counseling Center out of an old house, way down Divine Ave. at the corner of Mulberry Ave.


    reply
  11. service dogs
    Donna
    Thursday, March 05, 2009 at 11:02 AM

    I am apalled at the response of the hotel employee, and I am also startled by some of the comments posted here.

     

    I have a service dog.  He is vital to my recovery and ongoing wellness.  Does he advertise that I have a disability?  Sure!  I am not ashamed of having a disability.  There is the crux of it: I am not disabled, I have a disability.  I am not bipolar, I have bipolar.  I am a successful professional, and part of my success comes from having the services of my dog.  I DO have symptoms sometimes even though I am in recovery.  He helps to mitigate those symptoms.  I know other people who have bipolar disorder who say they experience few or no symptoms, or that the symptoms they have would not be mitigated by a service dog performing tasks for them.  Not a problem. 

     

    Like Peter, I also call ahead to inform airlines and hotels that I am accompanied by a service dog.  It is not required, it is something I do to test the waters in case I have to do some advance education about my rights.  On rare occasions I do have to.  Most of the time as I travel in my own community and elsewhere there are either no comments (except from the curious public; that's a whole other story!) or else a polite "Is that a service dog?"  Every now and then something does come up.  As long as they are polite I don't mind explaining ADA to them.  I still explain it if they are not polite, but I do mind their attitude in such situations.

     

    As for service dogs on furniture or in your lap, that depends upon the nature of the tasks they are trained to perform.  Some dogs can perform all their tasks with "four on the floor."  Occasionally there are tasks that require closer proximity to the person. Mine is mostly but not always on the floor.  In a restaurant I always have him on the floor.  If I need him to perform tasks that require him to be closer to me, which is only occasionally the case, I order out or have food delivered.

     

    I am not ashamed of having a disability, so I don't mind using a service dog that also communicates to people that I have a disability.  I don't mind calling my experience of bipolar disorder a disability because that is how it impacts me using the ADA definition of disability.  It does not impact some people that way, but it does me.

     

    Consider checking out "Disability Culture Rap", which talks about disability pride, the evolution of our civil rights, and ending stigma.


    reply
  12. Public Opion
    Dana Q.
    Friday, October 09, 2009 at 03:11 PM

    It's really sad that we have to be subjected to people like the woman in this blog:

     

    http://www.amazon.com/review/R131EQS7MSV9YI/ref=cm_cd_pg_pg5?ie=UTF8&cdPage=5

     

    Does this make anyone besides me really mad?


    reply
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