@Lola Nocheprieta - Thanks for all your great advocacy work! We need more good advocates and people out there like you who really get it.
I would have also spoken with the manager of the grocery store as well, and educated him/her about the TWO AND ONLY TWO questions the STORE representative is allowed to ask: "Is this a service dog required due to disability?" And, "What work or tasks has this dog been specially trained to do?" And those questions are NOT allowable if it is readily apparent that the dog is a service animal (like a guide dog.)
The confronting party was just a random member of the public, another store customer, who happened to be walking out of the store just as I was walking in. A passionate citizen. One good thing about what happened is that I was really glad that the store's staff is actually wonderful about my service dog. They will at times mention my dog is cute, but quickly say, "I know I can't touch her." I have never had to tell them that. They don't ever ask questions and have always given me access with no issues. If one of the staff had seen what happened, I would have easily gone to them for help. But, they were no where nearby and didn't see what happened.
I try to use access difficulties to educate businesses on what they can ask, and what they can actually do if they think the dog is fake.
Recently, a local hospital asked me for my dog's ID before they would let me enter. Her ID. The guard said it was a matter of hospital policy. I quickly requested a copy of the policy and and said I'd be glad to meet with hospital administration and do a conference call together with the Dept of Justice's ADA technical assistance center so they can help educate the hospital that they are indeed not allowed to require my dog have ID. I was able to show him link to the ADA technical assistance center website and let him review educational materials on what they could ask and require... and to his credit, he realized it wasn't ID. It took about 10 minutes when all was said and done and the guard offered to buy me coffee to make up for my trouble.
But then he said they needed to put a band on my arm to indicate that I was a service dog user. Because the dog itself wasn't enough? I joked and said, "oh, how about a star on my jacket too..." (ok, so I know it was a bad joke that probably went too far...)
I declined the special band, and at that point they probably just didn't want to deal with it anymore and they let it go. I still stopped by hospital administration on my way out. A week later the hospital wrote me a letter to apologize and confirmed they changed their entire policy and it's no longer anything outside of what the ADA says they can do... so that's good... but sometimes, damn, I just want to walk into the building without drama... Ugh.
It has been good "practice" for boundary setting skills though. I get to practice saying NO and setting limits all the time. A major access issue where the business or agency doesn't want the dog to enter has only come up twice for me in 10 years training dogs for others + 5 years with my own SD. Usually it's just someone asking the wrong questions, rather than outright denial of access. If I respond with a quick redirect and willingness to call the ADA technical assistance folks on spot - it usually gets them to back down.
One time I had to take two ambulances in the same day. (long story) The first ambulance wouldn't let me have my dog with me, so a firefighter offered to drive my dog to the ER. I gladly agreed. The second time, they let my dog ride with me right on my lap, seat belted in. :)
The main access issue I encounter is the general public. Not people who control access to a business or location. It's just other citizens. Pushing the limits... again and again...
about the TWO AND ONLY TWO questions the STORE representative is allowed to ask: "Is this a service dog required due to disability?" And, "What work or tasks has this dog been specially trained to do?" And those questions are NOT allowable if it is readily apparent that the dog is a service animal (like a guide dog.)The second allowable question bothers me because it can easily "out" someone as having a psychiatric disability.
I have had a number of places ask the second question. I usually tell them, "my dog alerts to symptoms so I can take measures to control them." They can't ask what symptoms, so it works to keep my psych disability hidden and satisfy the question.
If they ever want more tasks, I then might say "My dog uses her front paws to apply pressure to assist in grounding to reduce symptoms." It's overly technical about PTSD, and unless someone really knows what PTSD is, they won't have a clue what I mean, and it meets what most people want.
I gladly accept that there are people who are going to "work the system," if it means that businesses are no longer allowed to put up numerous barriers for people with disabilities who rely on service dogs. UGH! This topic is ripe for the thread, "Insert swearish rant here."
Yep. Well said.
I don't think I've actually had any "gatekeepers" know what questions they can ask well enough to ask both questions. That's a really sad commentary on service dog education right there.
In my area, I have been happily surprised that a fair number of places get it and know what they can ask. I still do run into the odd places that require things like dog IDs and wrist bands...
Like I've paid entrance into a fancy club or something! ha! :p
