What is this all about?
The Canadian General Standards Board has drafted a set of standards which, if implemented, would impose conditions on the training and use of service dogs. The standard includes guide dogs which are dogs for the blind and visually impaired, and are therefore, by definition, not merely service dogs.
Further, the content of the standard is inconsistent with the use and training of guide dogs. Many Canadians get their guide dogs from the United States, and both American and Canadian schools find these standards at odds with standard training and use of guide dogs. American schools are concerned that, if these standards are accepted, they may stop accepting Canadian applicants. This would force Canadians to apply to the very few extant Canadian schools which already have long waiting lists. The increased demand would greatly lengthen wait times. For these reasons, it is of the utmost importance that these draft standards not be implemented as they now exist.
The draft service dog standards were presented for comment by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) in May 2017 and the comment period ended July 14, 2017.
Following notification and mobilization of guide dog users across the country in late June, there was much discussion and circulation of the draft standards beginning in early July. As a result, many comments and submissions were made to the CGSB by members of this group, their spouses, friends and supporters. Submissions were also made by various guide dog schools and user groups.
While the commenting period is now closed, we encourage you to join what is now the Canadian Coalition of Guide and Service Dog Handlers‘ discussion/mailing list, as strategy development for a community response is ongoing in advance of the CGSB committee’s next meeting in late September.
(Thank you, Adele Farough, for your assistance in drafting “What is this all about?”.)
Canadian Coalition of Guide and Service Dog Handlers – Mission Statement
We reject totally any involvement of the Canadian General Standards Board in matters concerning guide dogs and demand that the standards as a whole be withdrawn. Further, we ask the Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs, to stop this standards process because it is in direct conflict with human rights principles. We also support the rights of people who work with service dogs. Because we respect their self-advocacy, the guide dog community has chosen to refrain from speaking to their specific issues. We call upon the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, to work with the community to ensure that proposed disabilities legislation rejects the punitive and suspicion-based approach of certification, and instead incorporates measures that strengthen enforcement of access rights.
Here’s how to join the ongoing discussion:
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Read the Hands Off Our Harnesses blog
Tags:
ADI, AEBC, BALANCEfba, blind, CFB, CGD, CGSB, CHRC, CNIB, GDB, GDUC, HOOH, IGDFfreechoice, LeaderDogs, Mosen, TheSeeingEye, TSE, WBU
