HELP AND GUIDANCE FOR THOSE WITH SERVICE DOGS

Leading Guide Dog Users’ Membership & Advocacy Organization Releases DYNAMIC UPDATE TO App

                When the National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc., a strong & proud division of the National Federation of the Blind, launched the NAGDU Guide & Service Animal Advocacy & Information mobile app, it was hailed as an innovative ambitious project. This mobile app was the first to compile all the relevant state and federal service animal laws in the United States, along with associated guidance articles to help service animal users and businesses alike understand their rights and responsibilities. This mobile app has been downloaded by THOUSANDS OF iOS users and has been helpful in resolving numerous access issues across the country! Now, with the advent of iOS 11 and with the input from hundreds of users, the National Association of Guide Dog Users is excited to announce the release of version 2.1 of the NAGDU Guide & Service Dog advocacy & Information mobile app for iOS and Android. Here is what you will find in version 2.1

•         Every state statute has been researched & updated
•         The laws for each of the Canadian provinces is now included
•         The app is available in the Canadian app store
•         The entire regulations of the U.S. Department of Justice is available with a tap
•         Specific guidance for industries of concern to service dog users
•         Frequently Asked Questions to help these industries understand their rights & responsibilities
•         A direct email button to get more specific guidance & offer suggestions
•         A direct telephone connection to speak with a trained advocate
•         A more dynamic app & frequent updates

“Those of us who use service dogs are discriminated against more frequently than most know about,” says Marion Gwizdala, a guide dog user who serves as the NAGDU president. “We believe this new app will help guide & other service dog users better advocate for themselves, while providing accurate information to the general public and places of public accommodation so that instances of discrimination are resolved quickly and amicably!”


This incredible app is provided absolutely free as a public service by the National Association of Guide Dog Users and was created with the generous support of Aaron Cannon, a blind accessible software engineer and NAGDU member. We also extend a special word of thanks to Michigan State University’s Animal Legal & Historical Center for the use of their legal research and information on state and provincial laws. Before this announcement was even released, the app had been downloaded more than 1400 times! To download your copy of this awesome mobile app, simply go to the App Store and type “NAGDU” in the search field; it’s that easy! Once you download the app, please browse through the information and send us your feedback. You can do this directly from the app by using the “send an email” feature. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to raze the expectation of the blind in the United States so we can live the lives we want!

For more information about the National Association of Guide Dog Users or the National Federation of the blind, please visit the following websites:

National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)
http://nagdu.org

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)