Public Education Aids for Guide Horse Users

To protect a Guide Animals handler from challenges and harassment, Federal law makes it a crime to interfere with the Civil Rights of your Guide Horse.  This interference includes asking for any type of certification, asking the disabled person to prove that their animal performs a service, or publishing false or defamatory information about your Guide Horse. 

The ADA was written to vigorously protect the Civil Rights of Service Animals and the Department of Justice provides for a $50,000 fine for the first offense to anyone who interferes with a Service Horse's right to public access.

Sometimes it is necessary to remind the public about the your Civil Right to use your Service Horse.  When we first began testing Twinkie with Karen Clark, she told us many stories about being challenged when using her guide dog.  Confident in her dog's rights, Karen responds to the challenge “You can’t bring an animal in here!” with the calm reply “Yes, I can”, and she continues to go-about her business.

To help, the SARA organization has a shop where you can purchase reminders for the public.

http://www.affluent.net/sara/shop.html

SARA offers T-shirts, teddy bears, coffee mugs, baby bibs, bags and even lunchboxes, printed with slogans to remind the public about your access rights.

Here are some of our favorites.  These T-shirts may help to remind the public about your Guide Horse's right to public access.

This one has a picture of a Service Horse:

Service Horse My Independence http://www.cafeshops.com/SARA16

This T-shirt reminds the public about the Federal Laws protecting all Service Animals:

Service Animal Civil Right Any animal trained to assist the disabled must be permitted access anywhere customers are allowed to go. http://www.cafeshops.com/SARA17

Here is one with pictures of a Service Dog, a Service Horse, A Service Cat and a Service Pig.

Discrimination of a Service Animal is discrimination of the disabled. http://www.cafeshops.com/SARA18

This one has a cute picture of a Guide Dog wearing glasses:

Americans with Disabilities Act Read it. I an not a pet! http://www.cafeshops.com/SARA24