Psychiatric Service Dog handlers to notify the airlines 48 hours in advance?

Campaign TALK BACK!
The U.S. Department of Transportation released new regulations under the Air Carrier Access Act on May 7, 2008. The new regulations require Psychiatric Service Dog handlers to notify the airlines 48 hours in advance every time they fly with their Service Dog. Additionally, handlers must submit a mental healthcare provider’s letter at least 48 hours in advance of travel that discloses they are mentally ill, explains the handler’s need for a Psychiatric Service Dog, provides evidence of the clinician’s status as a licensed mental health professional, and attests to the fact that the handler is his/her patient. No other disability group is subject to these new rules. In fact, the new regulations state explicitly that airlines are prohibited from requiring documentation from any disabled Service Dog handler, unless the individual has a mental health disability.


STIGMA
The Air Carrier Access Act is a federal civil rights law that is intended to remedy “…discriminatory, inconsistent and unpredictable treatment’ of air travelers with disabilities….” Nonetheless, DOT has decided that persons living with mental health disabilities who utilize a Service Dog in order to manage their disability must be controlled, identified, and otherwise discriminated against, selectively and systematically. In the press release that accompanied DOT’s release of the Final Rules, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said, “This revised rule expands the protections people with disabilities will enjoy while traveling by air”. It appears that Ms. Peters is either sleeping on the job or something sinister is brewing at DOT. Since when, in the post civil rights era of the United States, is it acceptable to single-out an entire class of disabled persons and impose restrictive measures selectively upon them in the name of ‘preventing potential abuse’ as the DOT claims these new regulations will do?
STIGMA
The Psychiatric Service Dog Society is collecting written statements from those who will be directly affected by these new rules. We encourage all Psychiatric Service Dog handlers to send us an email expressing your outrage and horror at the selective oppression these new regulations represent. In the name of ‘preventing potential abuse’ the U.S. Department of Transportation has abrogated its legal responsibility to uphold the Air Carrier Access Act, a major civil rights law. You may remember it from a long time ago.
STIGMA
Please ‘Talk Back’ to DOT in regards to the new regulations. Include your full name and snail mail address. All testimony will be presented to DOT officials in the near future. Please refrain from using slang or profanity in your correspondence. It undermines our collective efforts. Let the Psychiatric Service Dog Society be your VOICE in Washington, DC. Stay tuned for further updates.
Download the New Air Carrier Access Regulations Here (PDF)
Read pages182-209
On June 3, 2008, DOT sponsored a public forum for disability advocates so that they could learn about the new Air Carrier Access Act regulations. Dr. Joan Esnayra represented PSDS and the views of the PSD handler community to the panel of DOT experts on stage. Prior to the forum invitees were asked to submit written questions that they wanted addressed at the forum. PSDS submitted the document below. At the forum, DOT answered none of our submitted questions. Additionally, none of our objections to the new regulations were considered in earnest.
Download the Questions for DOT Forum Here (PDF)