I don't know how it works everywhere else Benjamin, but out here they would admit a blind person with a dog without batting an eye. At least locally (and this may be a national interpretation), Seattle-area stores don't stop any entry from anyone with a dog or other animal, as long as they contend the animal is to meant to assist them. Those restaurants that advertise "No Animals?" I have seen one restaurant admit a Helper Ferret to dine with its owner. I would think that actually walking into a theater with a dog would be pretty mundane by comparison. Sure, some folks will push it, but for the most part people really use these lizards, cats, dogs and ferrets to help them out. <shrug>

Besides, not everyone with a guide dog is totally blind, and the sight-impaired folks I know tend to pick up on more than I ever could. I suspect they can follow alot of movies alot better than I could.

Actually Ben, I was thinking I might add some Kotex. Let them get a look of the big guy with the big beard and mad scientist hair in a town with a pretty sizable transgender population. But that is just daring them.

I am confused by your post.

were you carrying food from outside vendor into the theater?

does the theater manager refuse to let you in because you carry large bag?

does the theater management afraid you carry a video camera into the theater?

That's partly because there is NO national standard for what a helper animal is. I took the Red Cross Shelter Manager course a while back - it was clear as day - someone claims that an Animal is a helper animal, you let the animal in. Next drill, we threw a wrench at them (we tried to arrange it for real) - a helper elephant. Would have been great publicity. The fun was not only throwing the curve of a helper elephant at the shelter manager - but they throwing the "Now you have to feed, water, and deal with the mess" element - getting extra staff, having the staff at HQ try to find out where to get food for an elephant, plus the trucks to deliver it, etc - basically, took the drill from "Yawn, we know how this plays out" to "NOW what do we do?"

Ever try to find out from the owner of the building your in (in this case a NYC public school) if the floor load rating of the building can even support the elephant before you let it in? Yes the shelter manager thought about it - had them open a ground floor room - if they had not, we where going to throw a building collapse at them - yes, we got creative

U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section





Americans with Disabilities Act


ADA Business BRIEF: Service Animals


Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.



Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, hotels, taxis and shuttles, grocery and department stores, hospitals and medical offices, theaters, health clubs, parks, and zoos.





Caption: Businesses that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to enter with their service animal.


Businesses may ask if an animal is a service animal or ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform, but cannot require special ID cards for the animal or ask about the person's disability.


People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be charged extra fees, isolated from other patrons, or treated less favorably than other patrons. However, if a business such as a hotel normally charges guests for damage that they cause, a customer with a disability may be charged for damage caused by his or her service animal.


A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the animal is out of control and the animal's owner does not take effective action to control it (for example, a dog that barks repeatedly during a movie) or (2) the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.


In these cases, the business should give the person with the disability the option to obtain goods and services without having the animal on the premises.

Businesses that sell or prepare food must allow service animals in public areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.


A business is not required to provide care or food for a service animal or provide a special location for it to relieve itself.

Allergies and fear of animals are generally not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people with service animals.


Violators of the ADA can be required to pay money damages and penalties.






Caption: Service animals are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities.


If you have additional questions concerning the ADA and service animals, please call the Department's ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) or visit the ADA Business Connection at ada.gov.

Duplication is encouraged. April 2002

******************
As far as I know, Dogs, monkeys and miniature horses can be service animals, and there are prob more types of animals that qualify

So basically a person with an unauthenticated disability can trample all over my public rights without remunerating me or anyone else. That seems pretty discriminatory. So if I have an allergy to dogs and someone brings one to a restaurant where I am eating then I have to leave.

That kinda squelches the tolerance aspects towards disabled people a tad.

Perhaps Ironraven could borrow a Shetland pony to go with those dark glasses to go to the cinema next time, to see if he gets turned away..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/2954170.stm

*snorts*

One, several of my friends have negative history with horses.

Two, I can't ride a Shetland, I'd kill the poor thing.

A Morgan on the other hand....

Is petty discrimination worth fighting against? Yes.
As a student of history:
Little discrimination's become bigger discrimination's. Then full on discrimination.

Discrimination is a wonderful thing: It lets the petty, vicious, small minded and bigoted indulge themselves to the full. Right up until when decent ordinary people decide to "take steps" as it were.

Then the riot's start.....

"So basically a person with an unauthenticated disability can trample all over my public rights without remunerating me or anyone else. That seems pretty discriminatory. So if I have an allergy to dogs and someone brings one to a restaurant where I am eating then I have to leave... That kinda squelches the tolerance aspects towards disabled people a tad."

Are you trying to be funny again and I missed it?

You want to be paid a fee so someone who is paralyzed in three limbs and partially paralyzed in the fourth can have dinner like a white man? Excuse me?

When you see a blind person with a dog in a restaurant, an assistance dog huddling over a person having a seizure in the gutter, have to listen to the dog in the apartment next door barking to attract attention to his unconscious owner, maybe it would be better if you thought, "There but for the grace of God, go I", instead of "How much money will you pay me for having to be in this person's presence?"

Please forgive me if I've misunderstood and your comment was a joke. I'm just not in much of a joking mood lately, and must have missed your point.

Sue