From judotina48kg at gmail.com Sun Apr 12 07:49:13 2015 From: judotina48kg at gmail.com (Tina Thomas) Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 07:49:13 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] FW: [Nfbc-info] CAGDU Meeting April 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM In-Reply-To: <002e01d0752d$42f25420$c8d6fc60$@gmail.com> References: <002e01d0752d$42f25420$c8d6fc60$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <053401d0752f$d8c9a230$8a5ce690$@gmail.com> Thank you Roger for sending out the notice of our cagdu meeting. This will be a very informative and important meeting for all guide dog users as well as persons who are interested in getting a guide dog as well as people who support guide dog users. We will be discussing the California State Board of guide dogs for the Blind and their recent Letter to all out-of -state guide dog schools and how it affects consumer's. I am encouraging everyone to attend this meeting. Thank You. Tina Thomas Cagdu President Nagdu board member -----Original Message----- From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roger Oberholzer via Nfbc-info Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2015 7:31 AM To: nfbc-info at nfbnet.org Subject: [Nfbc-info] CAGDU Meeting April 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM Hi Everyone, Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 12 at 6:30PM. Please call (605) 475-4700 and enter the code 405682 followed by the pound sign to join the conference call. Thank you, Roger Oberholzer _______________________________________________ Nfbc-info mailing list Nfbc-info at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfbc-info: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org/judotina48kg%40gmail. com From judotina48kg at gmail.com Sat Apr 11 09:31:17 2015 From: judotina48kg at gmail.com (Tina Thomas) Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2015 09:31:17 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] FW: Guide Dog Board - April 20 Board Meeting Teleconference In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <0b1e01d07474$f0bb75f0$d23261d0$@gmail.com> Subject: Guide Dog Board - April 20 Board Meeting Teleconference Hello all, I apologize if this has gone out a few times, but it has come to my attention that this notification may have failed when it was sent yesterday. Thank you for your understanding. Please see attached the agenda for the next meeting of the California State Guide Dog Board. The meeting will be held at 1:00pm via teleconference and physically at the locations noted in the agenda. Please contact me if you have any questions or if you require a reasonable accommodation to access the meeting. Brian Skewis Executive Officer California State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind Office: 916-574-7825 Email: brian.skewis at dca.ca.gov Monday, April 20, 2015 1:00 p.m. - Completion of Business Teleconference Phone Number: 1-866-706-2450 Participant Code: 91486005 Department of Consumer Affairs 1625 N. Market Blvd N-112 Sacramento, CA 95834 Eric Holm 820 Mission Avenue, #12 San Rafael, CA 94901 Carmen Delgado 1921 Bella Colla Drive South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Don Brown 1947 Center Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Catherine Carlton 113A Long Mei Village Sai Kung, NT, Hong Kong Gwen Marelli 555 W. Fifth Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 Board Members Eric Holm, President Carmen Delgado, Vice President Joe Xavier, Secretary Don Brown Catherine Carlton Gwen Marelli Joan Patche Executive Officer Brian Skewis Board Staff Rosemary Robinson Legal Counsel Claire Yazigi Sabina Knight AGENDA 1. Call to Order/Roll Call 2. President's Welcome 3. Swearing in of new Board Member Joan Patche 4. Approval of the January 20, 2015 Board Meeting Minutes 5. Executive Officer's Report a. Budget Report b. Examination Update c. Regulations Update d. Outreach Update 6. Presentation on International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) Accreditation by IGDF Chair James Kutsch 7. Agenda Items for Next Meeting 8. 2015 Meeting Calendar and Locations 9. Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda 10. Adjournment Action may be taken on any item on the agenda. Agenda items may be taken out of order. Meetings of the Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind are open to the public except when specifically noticed otherwise in accordance with the Open Meeting Act. The meeting is accessible to the physically disabled. A person who needs a disability-related accommodation or modification in order to participate in the meeting may make a request by contacting Brian Skewis at (916) 574-7825 or by e-mail at Brian.Skewis at dca.ca.gov or send a request to 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite N-112, Sacramento, CA 95834. Providing your request at least five (5) business days before the meeting will help ensure availability of the requested accommodation. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150411/ec4b7125/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Agenda - 4-20-15 Board Meeting.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 198750 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150411/ec4b7125/attachment.bin From kwakmiso at aol.com Sun Apr 12 12:47:21 2015 From: kwakmiso at aol.com (Miso Kwak) Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 12:47:21 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] [Cabs-talk] FW: [Nfbc-info] CAGDU Meeting April 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM In-Reply-To: <053401d0752f$d8c9a230$8a5ce690$@gmail.com> References: <002e01d0752d$42f25420$c8d6fc60$@gmail.com> <053401d0752f$d8c9a230$8a5ce690$@gmail.com> Message-ID: Will this conference call be recorded? I'm interested in the topic, but not sure if I will be able to make it tonight. Please let me know if the conference call gets recorded and becomes available Thank you. Niso Kwak Sent from my iPhone > On Apr 12, 2015, at 7:49 AM, Tina Thomas via Cabs-talk wrote: > > Thank you Roger for sending out the notice of our cagdu meeting. This will > be a very informative and important meeting for all guide dog users as well > as persons who are interested in getting a guide dog as well as people who > support guide dog users. We will be discussing the California State Board of > guide dogs for the Blind and their recent Letter to all out-of -state guide > dog schools and how it affects consumer's. I am encouraging everyone to > attend this meeting. > Thank You. > Tina Thomas > Cagdu President > Nagdu board member > > -----Original Message----- > From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roger > Oberholzer via Nfbc-info > Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2015 7:31 AM > To: nfbc-info at nfbnet.org > Subject: [Nfbc-info] CAGDU Meeting April 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM > > Hi Everyone, > > > > Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 12 at 6:30PM. > > Please call (605) 475-4700 and enter the code 405682 followed by the pound > sign to join the conference call. > > > > Thank you, > > > > Roger Oberholzer > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Nfbc-info mailing list > Nfbc-info at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for > Nfbc-info: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org/judotina48kg%40gmail. > com > > > _______________________________________________ > Cabs-talk mailing list > Cabs-talk at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/cabs-talk_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Cabs-talk: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/cabs-talk_nfbnet.org/kwakmiso%40aol.com From WB2HWW at earthlink.net Sun Apr 12 15:43:08 2015 From: WB2HWW at earthlink.net (Howard J. Levine) Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 18:43:08 -0400 Subject: [Cagdu] [nagdu] FW: [Nfbc-info] CAGDU Meeting April 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM In-Reply-To: <053401d0752f$d8c9a230$8a5ce690$@gmail.com> References: <002e01d0752d$42f25420$c8d6fc60$@gmail.com> <053401d0752f$d8c9a230$8a5ce690$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <04a001d07572$0cdff5f0$269fe1d0$@earthlink.net> Is There a meeting? -----Original Message----- From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tina Thomas via nagdu Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2015 10:49 AM To: cagdu at nfbcal.org Cc: 'California Association of Blind Students Mailing List'; 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' Subject: [nagdu] FW: [Nfbc-info] CAGDU Meeting April 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM Thank you Roger for sending out the notice of our cagdu meeting. This will be a very informative and important meeting for all guide dog users as well as persons who are interested in getting a guide dog as well as people who support guide dog users. We will be discussing the California State Board of guide dogs for the Blind and their recent Letter to all out-of -state guide dog schools and how it affects consumer's. I am encouraging everyone to attend this meeting. Thank You. Tina Thomas Cagdu President Nagdu board member -----Original Message----- From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roger Oberholzer via Nfbc-info Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2015 7:31 AM To: nfbc-info at nfbnet.org Subject: [Nfbc-info] CAGDU Meeting April 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM Hi Everyone, Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 12 at 6:30PM. Please call (605) 475-4700 and enter the code 405682 followed by the pound sign to join the conference call. Thank you, Roger Oberholzer _______________________________________________ Nfbc-info mailing list Nfbc-info at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nfbc-info: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org/judotina48kg%40gmail. com _______________________________________________ nagdu mailing list nagdu at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/wb2hww%40earthlink.net --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com From judotina48kg at gmail.com Mon Apr 20 16:10:01 2015 From: judotina48kg at gmail.com (Tina Thomas) Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:10:01 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] California State board of Guide dogs for the blind meeting rescheduled Message-ID: <0a9601d07bbf$22200c40$666024c0$@gmail.com> Hello Everyone- I'm writing to inform you that the meeting via conference call of the California State board of guide dogs for the blind was canceled due to technical difficulties. (There were not enough lines open to accommodate the general public). The participants on the call were told that the meeting would have to be rescheduled for a later date and everyone would be notified when the meeting will take place. I encourage everyone to call in if possible. I will inform everyone when I find out the information of the meeting. Thank You. Tina Thomas CAGDU President -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150420/af517207/attachment.html From judotina48kg at gmail.com Sun Apr 19 12:25:57 2015 From: judotina48kg at gmail.com (Tina Thomas) Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2015 12:25:57 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] FW: Guide Dog Board - April 20 Board Meeting Teleconference In-Reply-To: <66A1A4835D29C34B951CF1A2DC384951187C9BA2@057-SN2MPN1-003.057d.mgd.msft.net> References: <66A1A4835D29C34B951CF1A2DC384951187C9BA2@057-SN2MPN1-003.057d.mgd.msft.net> Message-ID: <067f01d07ad6$aa962120$ffc26360$@gmail.com> Subject: RE: Guide Dog Board - April 20 Board Meeting Teleconference Attached are the meeting materials for Monday's California State Guide Dog Board Meeting Teleconference Please contact me if you have any questions. Regards, Brian Skewis California State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind Office: 916-574-7825 Email: brian.skewis at dca.ca.gov From: Skewis, Brian at DCA Sent: Friday, April 10, 2015 2:19 PM To: 'elenathomason at sbcglobal.net'; 'athomasson at cox.net'; 'candacet2 at gmail.com'; 'atwitty at guidedogs.com'; 'cvincent at guidedogs.com'; 'lwaite at guidedogs.com'; 'denboz480 at gmail.com'; 'swalsh at guidedogs.com'; 'dwalsh at guidedogs.com'; 'cw413 at comcast.net'; 'mwatkins at guidedogs.com'; 'morgan at watkins.net'; 'dwebster at guidedogs.com'; 'dougweil112 at gmail.com'; 'fwelte at lighthouse-sf.org'; Bob Wendler (bwendler at gddca.org ); 'kathywestling at gmail.com'; 'jwilkins at panix.com'; 'mwillows at sbcglobal.net'; 'juliebug576 at yahoo.com'; 'byoung at guidedogsofamerica.org'; 'szabitz at guidedogs.com'; 'szucker at chelseastudios.com'; 'cstmain at caninesupportteams.org'; 'plb1014 at hotmail.com'; 'oneallinda52 at gmail.com'; 'kateharp at aol.com'; 'socalrick2003 at yahoo.com'; Tina Thomas (judotina48kg at gmail.com ) Subject: Guide Dog Board - April 20 Board Meeting Teleconference Hello all, I apologize if this has gone out a few times, but it has come to my attention that this notification may have failed when it was sent yesterday. Thank you for your understanding. Please see attached the agenda for the next meeting of the California State Guide Dog Board. The meeting will be held at 1:00pm via teleconference and physically at the locations noted in the agenda. Please contact me if you have any questions or if you require a reasonable accommodation to access the meeting. Brian Skewis Executive Officer California State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind Office: 916-574-7825 Email: brian.skewis at dca.ca.gov Monday, April 20, 2015 1:00 p.m. - Completion of Business Teleconference Phone Number: 1-866-706-2450 Participant Code: 91486005 Department of Consumer Affairs 1625 N. Market Blvd N-112 Sacramento, CA 95834 Eric Holm 820 Mission Avenue, #12 San Rafael, CA 94901 Carmen Delgado 1921 Bella Colla Drive South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Don Brown 1947 Center Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Catherine Carlton 113A Long Mei Village Sai Kung, NT, Hong Kong Gwen Marelli 555 W. Fifth Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 Board Members Eric Holm, President Carmen Delgado, Vice President Joe Xavier, Secretary Don Brown Catherine Carlton Gwen Marelli Joan Patche Executive Officer Brian Skewis Board Staff Rosemary Robinson Legal Counsel Claire Yazigi Sabina Knight AGENDA 1. Call to Order/Roll Call 2. President's Welcome 3. Swearing in of new Board Member Joan Patche 4. Approval of the January 20, 2015 Board Meeting Minutes 5. Executive Officer's Report a. Budget Report b. Examination Update c. Regulations Update d. Outreach Update 6. Presentation on International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) Accreditation by IGDF Chair James Kutsch 7. Agenda Items for Next Meeting 8. 2015 Meeting Calendar and Locations 9. Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda 10. Adjournment Action may be taken on any item on the agenda. Agenda items may be taken out of order. Meetings of the Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind are open to the public except when specifically noticed otherwise in accordance with the Open Meeting Act. The meeting is accessible to the physically disabled. A person who needs a disability-related accommodation or modification in order to participate in the meeting may make a request by contacting Brian Skewis at (916) 574-7825 or by e-mail at Brian.Skewis at dca.ca.gov or send a request to 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite N-112, Sacramento, CA 95834. Providing your request at least five (5) business days before the meeting will help ensure availability of the requested accommodation. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150419/3767cdba/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Attachment 1 - Letter to Out of State Schools.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 195669 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150419/3767cdba/attachment.bin -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Attachment 2 - IGDF Standards 2015.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 285762 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150419/3767cdba/attachment.pdf -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Materials - 042015 - Guide Dog Board Meeting.docx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document Size: 268737 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150419/3767cdba/attachment-0001.bin From info at michaelhingson.com Wed Apr 22 15:46:26 2015 From: info at michaelhingson.com (Michael Hingson) Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2015 15:46:26 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] FYI FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit Message-ID: <006c01d07d4e$2a967950$7fc36bf0$@michaelhingson.com> Best, Michael Hingson From: Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Wichmann, Jessica via Nfbnet-members-list Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 2:42 PM To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Kevin Williams Legal Program Director Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (720) 336-3584 kwilliams at ccdconline.org PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit Plaintiffs Allege 'Separate but Unequal' Treatment of Blind Customers Denver, Colorado (April 22, 2015): PetSmart, Inc., which bills itself as the nation's largest seller of pet food, pet supplies, and pet services in the United States, is accused of violating the rights of blind customers under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), according to a class action lawsuit (Case No. 1:15-cv-00839) filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) , the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC), and six blind individuals who reside in Colorado, Texas, and Massachusetts. The suit alleges violations of Title III of the ADA as well as state laws, because PetSmart requires the entry of debit card PINs on touch-screen keypads, which the blind cannot operate, rather than simple, inexpensive tactile keypads. Despite a Department of Justice ("DOJ") statement filed in a Florida court more than a year ago that set forth the DOJ's position that merchants are required under the ADA to provide blind customers a physical keypad to input their debit card PINs, PetSmart has failed to do so. As a result, blind customers are forced to sacrifice the security of their debit card PIN by sharing it with PetSmart employees or using another less desirable form of payment. "PetSmart is discriminating against the blind by not providing us the same treatment as their sighted customers," says Yolanda Thompson, one of the lead plaintiffs in the suit. "PetSmart seems to have a 'separate but unequal' attitude when it comes to the disabled." Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "Blind people are just as concerned about the security of our financial accounts and information as our sighted peers, so having to verbally provide our debit card PIN to PetSmart's sales personnel is not acceptable. Nor is it an answer to say that we can pay with cash or a credit card instead; blind people must have all of the same options for payment as the sighted as a matter of equal treatment, and the benefits of using debit cards, such as the ability to receive cash back, apply equally to the blind. We will not accept PetSmart's cavalier attitude toward the basic security and equal treatment that we are entitled to expect from those with whom we do business." "It's difficult to give quality care to my guide dog from a place that doesn't offer me equality," said Dishon Spears, a Colorado resident and NFB member. "Blind customers cannot shop at PetSmart in the same way that sighted customers can. This is discrimination, whether or not PetSmart intends it that way." Plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Jana Eisinger and Douglas Lambalot of the Martinez Law Group, P.C., a law firm that specializes in complex litigation and class actions, with offices in Denver and New York City; Scott LaBarre of LaBarre Law Offices, P.C. in Denver; and Kevin Williams, head of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition Legal Program in Denver. ### About the National Federation of the Blind The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. About the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) is a non-profit, disability rights advocacy organization whose mission is to advocate for social justice for people with all types of disabilities. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150422/f0df5c83/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: Untitled attachment 00106.txt Url: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150422/f0df5c83/attachment.txt From mike at michaelhingson.com Wed Apr 22 16:54:55 2015 From: mike at michaelhingson.com (Michael Hingson) Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2015 16:54:55 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit In-Reply-To: <054F073A-F904-4200-AC92-BC4C4F691891@gmail.com> References: <006c01d07d4e$2a967950$7fc36bf0$@michaelhingson.com> <054F073A-F904-4200-AC92-BC4C4F691891@gmail.com> Message-ID: <005f01d07d57$bb91ddb0$32b59910$@michaelhingson.com> Hi, I hadn?t heard about the litigation. Perhaps Marion can shed more light. Best, Michael Hingson From: Marsha Drenth [mailto:marsha.drenth at gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 4:33 PM To: Michael Hingson; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users Cc: NFB of California List; Subject: re: PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit Thanks, Micheal, I saw this posted. I am not so much upset at the law suit itself, but didn't know that the law suit was being filed. 6 plaintiffs, are any of those people guide dog users? I am sure that there are plenty of us on here, who go to Petsmart, who have ran into the same issue, so why weren't we asked to join the class action suit? Isn't it that more people are effected, in which unite have a greater chance of making a change? Just my two cents... Marsha drenth email: marsha.drenth at gmail.com Sent with my IPhone Please note that this email communication has been sent using my iPhone. As such, I may have used dictation and had made attempts to mitigate errors. Please do not be hesitant to ask for clarification as necessary. On Apr 22, 2015, at 6:46 PM, Michael Hingson via nagdu > wrote: Best, Michael Hingson From: Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Wichmann, Jessica via Nfbnet-members-list Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 2:42 PM To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Kevin Williams Legal Program Director Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (720) 336-3584 kwilliams at ccdconline.org PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit Plaintiffs Allege 'Separate but Unequal' Treatment of Blind Customers Denver, Colorado (April 22, 2015): PetSmart, Inc., which bills itself as the nation's largest seller of pet food, pet supplies, and pet services in the United States, is accused of violating the rights of blind customers under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), according to a class action lawsuit (Case No. 1:15-cv-00839) filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) , the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC), and six blind individuals who reside in Colorado, Texas, and Massachusetts. The suit alleges violations of Title III of the ADA as well as state laws, because PetSmart requires the entry of debit card PINs on touch-screen keypads, which the blind cannot operate, rather than simple, inexpensive tactile keypads. Despite a Department of Justice ("DOJ") statement filed in a Florida court more than a year ago that set forth the DOJ's position that merchants are required under the ADA to provide blind customers a physical keypad to input their debit card PINs, PetSmart has failed to do so. As a result, blind customers are forced to sacrifice the security of their debit card PIN by sharing it with PetSmart employees or using another less desirable form of payment. "PetSmart is discriminating against the blind by not providing us the same treatment as their sighted customers," says Yolanda Thompson, one of the lead plaintiffs in the suit. "PetSmart seems to have a 'separate but unequal' attitude when it comes to the disabled." Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "Blind people are just as concerned about the security of our financial accounts and information as our sighted peers, so having to verbally provide our debit card PIN to PetSmart's sales personnel is not acceptable. Nor is it an answer to say that we can pay with cash or a credit card instead; blind people must have all of the same options for payment as the sighted as a matter of equal treatment, and the benefits of using debit cards, such as the ability to receive cash back, apply equally to the blind. We will not accept PetSmart's cavalier attitude toward the basic security and equal treatment that we are entitled to expect from those with whom we do business." "It's difficult to give quality care to my guide dog from a place that doesn't offer me equality," said Dishon Spears, a Colorado resident and NFB member. "Blind customers cannot shop at PetSmart in the same way that sighted customers can. This is discrimination, whether or not PetSmart intends it that way." Plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Jana Eisinger and Douglas Lambalot of the Martinez Law Group, P.C., a law firm that specializes in complex litigation and class actions, with offices in Denver and New York City; Scott LaBarre of LaBarre Law Offices, P.C. in Denver; and Kevin Williams, head of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition Legal Program in Denver. ### About the National Federation of the Blind The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. About the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) is a non-profit, disability rights advocacy organization whose mission is to advocate for social justice for people with all types of disabilities. _______________________________________________ nagdu mailing list nagdu at nfbnet.org http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu: http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/marsha.drenth%40gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150422/fea8f1ae/attachment.html From marsha.drenth at gmail.com Wed Apr 22 16:32:55 2015 From: marsha.drenth at gmail.com (Marsha Drenth) Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2015 19:32:55 -0400 Subject: [Cagdu] PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit In-Reply-To: <006c01d07d4e$2a967950$7fc36bf0$@michaelhingson.com> References: <006c01d07d4e$2a967950$7fc36bf0$@michaelhingson.com> Message-ID: <054F073A-F904-4200-AC92-BC4C4F691891@gmail.com> Thanks, Micheal, I saw this posted. I am not so much upset at the law suit itself, but didn't know that the law suit was being filed. 6 plaintiffs, are any of those people guide dog users? I am sure that there are plenty of us on here, who go to Petsmart, who have ran into the same issue, so why weren't we asked to join the class action suit? Isn't it that more people are effected, in which unite have a greater chance of making a change? Just my two cents... Marsha drenth email: marsha.drenth at gmail.com Sent with my IPhone Please note that this email communication has been sent using my iPhone. As such, I may have used dictation and had made attempts to mitigate errors. Please do not be hesitant to ask for clarification as necessary. > On Apr 22, 2015, at 6:46 PM, Michael Hingson via nagdu wrote: > > > > > > > > Best, > > > > > > Michael Hingson > > > > > > From: Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On > Behalf Of Wichmann, Jessica via Nfbnet-members-list > Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2015 2:42 PM > To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org > Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against > the Blind in New Civil Suit > > > > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > CONTACT: > Chris Danielsen > Director of Public Relations > National Federation of the Blind > (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 > (410) 262-1281 (Cell) > cdanielsen at nfb.org > > Kevin Williams > Legal Program Director > Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition > (720) 336-3584 > kwilliams at ccdconline.org > > > > PetSmart Accused of Discrimination Against the Blind in New Civil Suit > > > > Plaintiffs Allege 'Separate but Unequal' > Treatment of Blind Customers > > > Denver, Colorado (April 22, 2015): PetSmart, Inc., which bills itself as the > nation's largest seller of pet food, pet supplies, and pet services in the > United States, is accused of violating the rights of blind customers under > the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), according to a class action > lawsuit (Case No. 1:15-cv-00839) filed yesterday in the United States > District Court for the District of Colorado on behalf of the National > Federation of the Blind (NFB) , the Colorado > Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC), and six blind individuals who reside in > Colorado, Texas, and Massachusetts. The suit alleges violations of Title III > of the ADA as well as state laws, because PetSmart requires the entry of > debit card PINs on touch-screen keypads, which the blind cannot operate, > rather than simple, inexpensive tactile keypads. > > Despite a Department of Justice ("DOJ") statement filed in a Florida court > more than a year ago that set forth the DOJ's position that merchants are > required under the ADA to provide blind customers a physical keypad to input > their debit card PINs, PetSmart has failed to do so. As a result, blind > customers are forced to sacrifice the security of their debit card PIN by > sharing it with PetSmart employees or using another less desirable form of > payment. > > "PetSmart is discriminating against the blind by not providing us the same > treatment as their sighted customers," says Yolanda Thompson, one of the > lead plaintiffs in the suit. "PetSmart seems to have a 'separate but > unequal' attitude when it comes to the disabled." > > Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: > "Blind people are just as concerned about the security of our financial > accounts and information as our sighted peers, so having to verbally provide > our debit card PIN to PetSmart's sales personnel is not acceptable. Nor is > it an answer to say that we can pay with cash or a credit card instead; > blind people must have all of the same options for payment as the sighted as > a matter of equal treatment, and the benefits of using debit cards, such as > the ability to receive cash back, apply equally to the blind. We will not > accept PetSmart's cavalier attitude toward the basic security and equal > treatment that we are entitled to expect from those with whom we do > business." > > "It's difficult to give quality care to my guide dog from a place that > doesn't offer me equality," said Dishon Spears, a Colorado resident and NFB > member. "Blind customers cannot shop at PetSmart in the same way that > sighted customers can. This is discrimination, whether or not PetSmart > intends it that way." > > Plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Jana Eisinger and Douglas > Lambalot of the Martinez Law Group, P.C., a law firm that specializes in > complex litigation and class actions, with offices in Denver and New York > City; Scott LaBarre of LaBarre Law Offices, P.C. in Denver; and Kevin > Williams, head of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition Legal Program in > Denver. > ### > About the National Federation of the Blind > The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the > characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the > expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles > between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; > blindness is not what holds you back. > > About the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition > > The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) is a non-profit, disability > rights advocacy organization whose mission is to advocate for social justice > for people with all types of disabilities. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > nagdu mailing list > nagdu at nfbnet.org > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu: > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/marsha.drenth%40gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150422/20bf101b/attachment.html From mike at michaelhingson.com Sun Apr 26 15:04:39 2015 From: mike at michaelhingson.com (Michael Hingson) Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2015 15:04:39 -0700 Subject: [Cagdu] FYI FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] Petition to the United Nations regarding quiet vehicles Message-ID: <004501d0806c$fe0d1d40$fa2757c0$@michaelhingson.com> I am sending this petition request to you although you should have seen it previously. Please sign it and please get all your friends and family to sign it as well. Thanks. Best, Michael Hingson The Michael Hingson Group, INC. "Speaking with Vision" Michael Hingson, President (415) 827-4084 info at michaelhingson.com To order Michael Hingson's new book, Running With Roselle, and check on Michael Hingson's speaking availability for your next event please visit: www.michaelhingson.com To purchase your own portrait of Roselle painted by the world's foremost animal artist, Ron Burns, please visit http://www.ronburns.com/roselle From: Nfbnet-members-list [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielsen, Chris via Nfbnet-members-list Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 11:12 AM To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Petition to the United Nations regarding quiet vehicles Dear Fellow Federationists: As you know, the National Federation of the Blind has been warning for many years that hybrid and electric vehicles pose a danger to the blind and to other pedestrians, as well as to cyclists and small children. In the United States our campaign to have a safe level of sound added to these vehicles resulted in the passage of the Pedestrian safety Enhancement Act. However, there is still much work to be done on the international level, and so we have also been working with other individuals and organizations to encourage the United Nations to adopt an international standard for safe vehicle sound. Some of our blind colleagues in the United Kingdom have posted a petition on Change.org urging the UN to take action. We are writing to ask that you sign this petition to show our support for their request to the UN. You can read and sign the petition by clicking the following link or pasting it into your browser: www.change.org/p/the-united-nations-stop-look-and-listen-make-sure-electric- and-hybrid-vehicles-are-audible-to-ensure-pedestrian-safety . Let's help our colleagues across the pond get ten-thousand signatures! Sincerely, Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D. Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind 200 East Wells Street Baltimore, MD 21230 Office: (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 Mobile: (410) 262-1281 Email: cdanielsen at nfb.org Twitter: @NFB_Voice The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. Make a gift to the National Federation of the Blind and help ensure all blind Americans live the lives they want. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150426/0907d928/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: Untitled attachment 00208.txt Url: http://nfbcal.org/pipermail/cagdu/attachments/20150426/0907d928/attachment.txt