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Well folks, it's time to simmer down. Without going into any detail so as to retain Bobby's well-deserved privacy, suffice it to say that the saga ends here. Over the last week or so, I've been "talking" (internet-wise) to Bobby. I now know the entire story behind Fake Service Dog Gate and it is completely a non-issue that was borne from an off-hand conversation Bobby had with Rosie O'Donnell. It was that conversation that elicited Rosie's comment on HSN. Bobby did NOT try to sneak his dog onto a flight (recent or otherwise) by lying that it was a Service Dog. Bobby has NEVER claimed his dog was a Service Dog. Not only did Bobby explain the whole story, he provided me with definitive proof: the receipt he received after purchasing an extra airline seat for his dog. So it all needs to stop. I do fault myself for going off the deep-end with this story. I realize now that I was being overly sensitive due to my own personal experiences with coming into contact...

Great article from blog " Service Dogs: A Way of Life " Everyday in the service dog community there are discussions of what to do about people who do not have disabilities passing their pets off as Service Dogs. Furthermore, just because a person happens to have a dog, does not automatically make the animal a service dog [See my previous post What is a Service Dog ]. The combination of the presence of a disability, the fact that a dog can be trained to mitigate the effects of that disability, and the facts the animal has been individually trained to performs tasks that mitigate that disability are the key elements to defining whether or not a person and animal comprise a working service dog and are protected under the ADA. People buying service dog gear and passing off themselves and their pets as service animals are not only possibly committing federal fraud, they may also be breaking state and local laws. The definition of fraud according to Free Dictionary.com is : fraud n...

Original article here Delta makes woman with muscular dystrophy crawl off plane On July 20th, Julianna's (delayed) Delta flight landed in Atlanta at 7:30pm, with a connecting flight scheduled for 8:05pm. Julianna, who has muscular dystrophy, missed the connecting flight because nobody came with a wheelchair until 8:05—the same time the connecting flight took off. To make matters worse, the plane crew told Julianna she might make the flight anyway if she stopped waiting for help and got off the plane right now, so she crawled down the stairs on her own. When the wheelchair came she was "wheeled into a back room and advised" that her plane had taken off. But that was just the first half of her ordeal, and the next eight hours only got worse. Letter Julianna has sent to Richard Anderson, Delta's CEO: The employees in this room were debating who would get me to the ticket gate to be re-ticketed because it was no one's job and the appropriate personnel were not respond...

Not only do I feel pretty good today, not only has my itchy skin not flared up too bad (so far... allergies suk!), but to top it all off I FINALLY GOT ONE!! Got what, you ask? Got a freakin' deadbeat, low-life, holier-than-thou, I can park anywhere I want, parking on the handicap hash marks like a jerk, IDIOT!!! Today I went to the doctor's office to have my itch fixed. I pulled into the parking garage only to find that there was one handicapped spot left (there are only two available). BUT, between the two crip spots there was a jerk parked on the hash marks. You know, the hash marks that designate "no parking". "No parking" because us crips need room to maneuver our wheelchairs next to our cars. Those hash marks. So I couldn't get my wheelchair next to my car and I had to finagle and adjust my routine for exiting the car. Pain in my ass. Time to take action. I used my handy-dandy Blackberry to record the make/model and license of the shithead'...

By Allison L. Smith David Farber faces things head-on that make most people shudder: bears, alligators, glaciers, even near-death experiences. Farber, 51 became paralyzed in all but his right arm after a 1981 motorcycle accident. The wreck left him in a coma for weeks and hospitalized for a year. But Farber did not give up his lifelong quest to photograph nature. He trekked to Alaska twice in the past year, the first person in an electric wheelchair to be escorted through Denali National Park. Kammren Cusack, an 18-year-old Dundee Crown High School senior, was drawn to Farber's photographs when visiting the library Thursday. Cusack aspires to study photography, he said, and marveled at Farber's work as well as his having overcome major obstacles. The shots are amazing," Cusack said. The colors, the clarity. It's really great." Farber chatted with Cusack about his outdoor adventures and their mutual fascination with moose. He talked about the camera equipment he de...

I thought it was a good time to repost this list. Here are some resources regarding Service Dog access, the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA), and different sdog organizations and newsgroups. Vests and Patches: www.SitStay.com Assistance Dogs International, Inc Legal Rights of Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, and Service Dog Canine Companions Delta Society Service Dog Frequently Asked Questions Service Animals and Service Dogs on Air Carriers COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SERVICE ANIMALS IN PLACES OF BUSINESS International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) Assistance Dog Institute (ADI) Service Dog Trainers and Training Programs (National) Access rights Service Dog Email List : This is a list for people who raise, train and own service dogs.

... except for one hotel, which I'll talk about later. This past holiday, we decided to make the big trip (3 days driving!) back to the northeast. With our new SUV and my mattress in the back, I rode in complete comfort. Even with all our stuff, we were able to fit both doggies (Willie and Frankie) in the back with me. Here's a few of our experiences: For the first day of the trip, Frankie was a bit stressed. He developed stress-related diarrhea (luckily no accidents!), and had a hard time settling down. But by day two, he was much better. We did find that Frankie wouldn't eat much in the hotel rooms. Not sure why, but he's not big on eating anyway. If there's a distraction, he's not interested in his food. Willie, on the other hand, would eat if the world was ending. Oy . We did have to stop more for doggie outings, which take longer than human "outings", mainly because you want to walk them a bit and let them stretch out. As far as hotel exp...

Nov 9, 8:51 PM (ET) WASHINGTON (AP) - Medicare officials have agreed to lessen the proposed cuts in reimbursement rates for power wheelchairs and scooters, particularly for equipment used by the most severely disabled. The new rates announced Thursday will take effect Nov. 15. The changes are part of an effort to combat fraud and ensure Medicare beneficiaries have access to the appropriate wheelchair or scooter, said Jeff Nelligan, a spokesman at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Many had complained that the original cuts went too far and would drive some suppliers out of business. CMS then made several refinements and, as a result, reimbursement rates for some wheelchairs will go up by hundreds of dollars. Sharon L. Hildebrandt, executive director of a trade association representing makers of rehabilitation equipment, said suppliers will still face significant cuts. For example, she said Medicare had paid $7,137 for one particular type of wheelchair, but that amount will...

While sitting here awaiting the return of my favorite couch, I realize just how much I've missed it. It's been out getting reupholstered, which I've wanted to do for a long time now. This couch was inherited from a friend of mine who had cats that used it as a scratching post. (Dogs rule!) The couch is an extra deep one. When you remove the back cushions, it's as big as a twin bed. And during the week, that couch is my napping spot. The importance of comfy places to sit and lay becomes clear when you find you have to spend a large amount of time in a not-so-comfy chair. This past weekend I attended an Austin Herpetological Society meeting where I had to sit in a straight-back chair for a couple hours. It was agony. The meeting was awesome, and having access to pain pills during it helped, but I'm still recovering from having to sit in that chair. What to do? This meeting was held at someone elses home, so my choices were limited. I can't bring my comf...

I know I haven't written in this blog in quite a while. For those of you who've been asking, I'm ok. My health has been doing it's usual ups and downs, but I'm still alive and kicking. This has been my dilemma: I've always prided myself on how well I've dealt with my disability. Granted, my symptoms came on slowly over many years, giving me ample time to acclimate and deal. But I've never been one to chide "woe is me, I'm a sad crip". But I found that writing in this blog caused me to think about my life and my disability more than I ever had before. I had to think about how it effected me and those around me, and then write about it. I had to come to terms with my feelings about access, coping, public perception, and daily struggles in order to write articles for this blog. So I started to think, do I really want to dwell on my disability, or do I just want to live life like I have been all these years. Not necessarily in denial, b...

(From Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.) Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin , Texas . The phrase arose from an offhand remark by Red Wassenich in a phone call to a local radio station. He and his wife placed the slogan on bumper stickers , distributing them free to businesses in Austin; it was later trademarked by Outhouse Designs and used to market T-shirts , hats , and mugs . The slogan refers to the numerous small businesses in Austin, and that it is these businesses that give Austin its unique cultural identity. A similar campaign continues in Santa Cruz, California . The slogan has been seen by some as not only supporting local business but also Austin's relatively liberal politics in a conservative state. For example, Austin's county, Travis County , was the only county statewide to vote against a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in a 2005 referendum. Austin Weirdos Indeed...

One of the things I try to do to maintain some semblance of "fitness" is to do yoga almost every day. I do a modified version of yoga found on Section One (A.M) of this DVD: A.M. and P.M. Yoga for Beginners by Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden I do what I can, and don't do what I can't do. Simple. Here's a related article. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------- Class Aims to Increase Fitness of Disabled Jul 10, 3:51 AM (ET) By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH MISSION, Kan. (AP) - Lee Jones' Down syndrome doesn't keep him from exercising - or from getting others to join in. "I know some people with Down syndrome can be a bit overweight," said the 31-year-old fitness instructor, who leads a weekly class of seven to eight disabled people. "I'm trying to get them to shed off the pounds by taking the class." About half the class participants have Down syndrome, a chromosomal glitch that causes a range of birth defects, including lear...

It's a miracle! May 12, 9:03 AM (ET) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A wheelchair-bound Los Angeles woman, who has repeatedly filed lawsuits over access for the disabled, got up and ran after police arrested her for fraud, authorities said on Thursday. Laura Lee Medley, 35, had sued in at least four California cities over injuries she claimed she sustained while trying to navigate her wheelchair before she was suspected of fraud. Medley, who claimed to be paralyzed from a drunk driving accident, was tracked to Las Vegas where police there took her into custody and then, when she complained of medical issues, to a local hospital, Long Beach prosecutor Belinda Mayes said. "She gets to the hospital and while she's waiting for an examination, she gets up from the chair and runs," Mayes said. "Somebody remarked, 'That's where the great miracle occurred.'" Medley sprinted through the hospital corridors but was quickly apprehended by police and booked pending e...

Accessible video games... have you heard of such a thing?! These are games that use only one key on the keyboard. Games that, while simple in their control scheme, are complex in their immersion and design. And that's what keeps them interesting. Here's a short list of games: One Switch Ballz Roll your ball to the end of tricky courses. Requires very accurate timing skills and fairly fast button presses. Strange Attractors Unique game where "one button activates the attractive force between your ship and the other objects in the game world". 1-Key Cave Ship Avoid the cave walls as you jet through by controlling upward thrust. Requires very accurate timing skills and rapid button presses. Mini Golf 1 Button Style 2D Crazy Golf with many features. Requires good timing and accuracy/luck. Shades of Doom Shades of Doom is a revolutionary Window’s-based game for the visually impaired. It creates a virtual reality using sound as it’s medium. It features multi-dimensional m...

Yesterday was a good day, so we went to Walmart and got the hubby some new sneakers. The same greeter from hell was at the door when we left. This time she smiled and politely said hello. Me thinks she's been schooled.

Dog Survives After Fall Into Icy Channel GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) - A dog that was presumed drowned after falling into an icy river channel that feeds Lake Michigan was found alive hours later and returned to its grateful owner. Robert Chavez was walking two of his dogs alongside the Grand River around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday when his German shepherd fell into the channel and broke through the ice. The ice prevented Chavez from getting the dog out of the water, so he ran to a nearby home and called 911. When he returned to the river, he could not find the dog. Officers from the Public Safety Department and the Coast Guard station searched, but they also could not find the animal. Around 9:45 p.m., a woman reported that she and her friends had heard a dog barking as they walked along the channel's south pier. Responding officers also heard barking that appeared to be coming from a tunnel beneath the pier, but they were unable to remove a 12-inch service cover to gain access to it. Two hou...

With the Academy Awards now past, I now have a longer list of movies I'd like to see, but that I'll have to wait for until they come out on cable. Why do I have to wait? Next time you go to the movie theater, pretend you're in a wheelchair. Then find yourself a spot to watch the movie. What will you find? That the theater's elevators are a million miles down a dark hallway. That the elevator is only big enough for you, your wheelchair, and if you're lucky, your service dog. That the seats it takes you to are all the way at the very top of the theater, way in the back. That if you choose not to use the elevator and go in the entrance the public uses, you'll find stairs up the aisles. That if you can't use those stairs, you must sit at the very front of the theater. Either way, you're movie-going experience is certainly not worth the big bux they charge you, and is certainly not equal to the able-bodied person's experience. You don't have your ch...

Ok kids, today's post is two stories in one! Both with the same title... see above. First story: This past weekend, Frankie and I went to Walmart. It was going to be our last shopping outing for about a week (see Story #2 for the reason why) and I wanted to just tool around Walmart with him. Even before I got inside the store, I saw trouble a-comin'. It came in the form of a Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock. I was sitting in my chair in the entrance changing my sunglasses, when I saw out of the corner of my eye this Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock walking quickly and purposefully up to me. I sensed trouble, kemosabe. Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock: "We only allow Seeing Eye Dogs in here. Is that a Seeing Eye Dog?" WHAT?! Walmart is one of the few stores that has a big sign on the outside doors that says "Service Dogs Welcome", even though legally, they are "welcome" anywhere I'm "welcome". Me: "No, this ...

Conners said... I'm getting confused messages from animal trainers and behaviourists. I live in Canada, but a Service Dog is a Service dog regardless as long as trained and certified. Right? I was told by one that the only 'real' and legal Service Dog is the Seeing eye Dogs. By others, the Service Dogs for the Disabled physically and the Hearing Dogs are just as valid as the Seeing Impaired. Could you pease settle this for me and IF you know of any Canadian Sites, that would be even better. The WillaWoman said... Connors, this is a tough one. The laws in the USA are different than in Canada. In the U.S., access privileges of service dogs are granted through laws passed by each state, as well as the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act passed by the Federal government. Since I'm unfamiliar with Canadian law, this site here lists a few Canadian Service Dog orgs that may be...