GUIDE DOG ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE HOTLINE

The National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) – the leader in service animal policy & advocacy – sponsors an innovative public service. The NAGDU Information & Advocacy Hotline not only offers information about the training and use of guide dogs and the legal rights of individuals who use service animals, it offers the option to speak with an advocate who is trained to mediate issues of discrimination. The regulations concerning service animals follow this release.
 
            “We find that most access problems are the result of a lack of information,” says Michael Hingson, the Association’s Vice President who serves as Project Manager for the hotline. “This hotline is an invaluable resource for accurate information.”
 
            The NAGDU Education & Advocacy Hotline currently offers general information about service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),   as well as specific guidance concerning restaurants, taxicabs, and health care facilities. Future plans for the hotline include summaries of each of the state laws concerning service animals, more industry specific information, and guidance in a variety of languages, such as Mandarin and Arabic. The Hotline is available anytime by calling, toll-free, 888-NAGDU411 (888-624-3841). Members of the media wishing to experience the hotline in advance of stories are encouraged to do so.
 
            The NAGDU Education & Advocacy Hotline was created by a grant from the National Federation of the Blind’s (NFB) Imagination Fund, as well as with contributions from the California and Florida Associations of Guide Dog Users. The National Association of Guide Dog Users is a strong and proud division of the NFB. NAGDU conducts public awareness campaigns on issues of guide dog use, provides advocacy support for guide dog handlers who face discrimination, supports sound policy and effective legislation to protect the rights of service animal users, offers educational programs to school and civic organizations, and functions as an integral part of the National Federation of the Blind. For more information about the National Association of Guide Dog Users and to support their work, you can visit their website at
 
HTTP://WWW.NAGDU.ORG
 
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