This is the 25th anniversary of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.
So what did this disabled person do for the occasion?
First, I went to district court in Monroe because I had been summoned. The same day I received the summons, I called and explained that I had a service dog that is with me 24/7. They county clerk’s juror placement people told me it was all right. They even called me back saying that they had been in touch with district court in Monroe, and got a green light for Henry (my service dog) to attend.
When I got to the courthouse, the guard would not let me in. I explained that I had gotten permission, and he still would not let me in, even when I told him to ask the court staff. The guard said he had to wait for his marshal.
Finally, the marshal came and proceeded to harass me. There are certain things that can be asked of a person with a service dog, and certain things that cannot. He tried to ask what he legally was not supposed to do, dig for what my illness is. He later admitted that he was wrong, but did not even apologize. His supervisor did not return my phone calls.
I had to leave court, because I was shaking with emotion and anger. His supervisor would not return my calls.
The next day, to make the day better, my dad and I went to a restaurant in Snohomish that we had frequented a number of times. The “hostess” asked if my dog was hypoallergenic. Where did she get that? The law says that if someone is allergic to a service dog, it is their onus to move. She pulled that out of nowhere. Then she offered to seat us outside. It was drizzling outside no one was outside.
After 25 years, people remain completely ignorant of the law. That breaks my heart.
Mike Bergeson
Snohomish
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