Emotional Support Alligator denied entrance to Baseball game
As a guide dog user, this is one of the more difficult articles for me to write.
Recently, Joie Henney, of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, a Phillies fan was denied entry to watch Philadelphia host Pittsburgh. The reason he was denied entry to the game was because he brought his emotion support alligator WallyGator, who has a significant presence on TikTok and Instagram. I have worked with a lot of emotional support animals and completely understand the importance of the role they play in society,. ESA’s help veterans with PTSD, they help elevate the impact of depression and so many other things. Problems arise when people who rely on ESAs mistakenly think that their animals have the same rights as a guide dog. Perhaps an even larger issue is that there are so many ESA users who buy an official looking card off the internet, and a vest thinking that their dog is now allowed to go anywhere. Many of these animals are not well trained and end up creating a nuisance when they are brought to a restaurant or store.
These behaviors make it difficult for those who rely on guide dogs or seizure detection dogs. Those who bring ill-trained animals with them into public situations not only cause unneeded stress on the animals, but they also make the establishment owners leery of any service animal. It’s easy to say that there should be clear legislation in place for these animals, but with the snail’s pace the government runs at, we are only just now seeing DOT legislation for dogs on planes.
Can we please leave our Emotional Support Animals at home? Some members of the public are afraid of big dogs, and I always try to be cognizant of that when I have my guide dog with me. I would imagine that the number of people who are uncomfortable with a large alligator are many times that of those scared of dogs. I have seen small kittens on the plane as ESA’s and we have all read about the peacocks and pigs that people have tried to bring on board the airlines. These animalia are only going to be stressed in that situation. Guides have has so many hundreds of hours on every form of transportation, and my guide loves to fly because she always gets extra attention.
If you would like to read more about the incident at the aseball game, follow the link below.
Alligator denied entry to Phillies game | 9news.com
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
An afternoon at the Garden of the Gods
The Garden of the Gods is a beautiful park located in Colorado Springs which showcases a host of geological and ecological rarities beloved and visited by nature enthusiasts for generations. I took this photos on a recent afternoon trip. Image description: a black and white image of the craggy peaks that jut out of the forest floor. Evergreen trees can be seen in the foreground and a clouds and moody sky fills the area above the peaks.
I find black and white landscape photography a fun challenge especially when the subject of the photo is usually seen in color. In the case of this image, the iconic orange rocks that the Garden of the Gods is known for look similar to any mountain when presented in black and white. Since I could not rely on color I had to rely on the interesting shape of the peaks contrasted against the moody sky to make this photo stand out.
A side note: I’m working on a review of the Garden of the Gods for accessibility. stay tuned!
If you would like more information about Garden of the Gods click the link below
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
Two blind women removed from cruise ship
Recently, two blind women from West Sussex were removed from a P&O cruise ship over health and safety concerns. The cruise departed from Southampton and the passengers said that the cruise line and London-based travel agency that booked the cruise for them were aware of their visual impairment and were promised accommodations aboard ship. Upon embarkation, the two women were given a letter citing health and safety concerns, asking them to disembark. Though information about the incident is limited, questions remain about the rights of the passengers, and how P&O handled the situation.
Traveler’s rights
In 2015, U.S. Department of Justice reached a landmark settlement with Carnival Corp. ruling that the spaces aboard cruise ships are a public location and must comply with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) for accessibility. This ruling means that all cruise ships that sail in U.S. waters must be compliant with the ADA and offer equal access for passengers. This ruling also extends to cruise ships that are foreign-flagged, meaning they don’t originate from the U.S.
The incident with the two blind women aboard the P&O ship, occurred last month and has sparked a debate about the rights of individuals with disabilities and the responsibilities of service providers. The UK and EU are behind the curve when it comes to accessibility rights for disables passengers, and I must wonder how this situation would have played out if it had been in the U.S. The ADA mandates for accessibility of course do not stretch internationally, and P&O is not a larger cruise line like Carnival and the like. Should the size of a corporation determine the level of accessibility offered to passengers? Just because P&O aren’t as big as Holland, Celebrity or Carnival, does that make it ok to turn away disabled passengers?
While the cruise line did opt to not offer the two blind women service, they did offer to pay for their travel expenses and offered them a full refund for their vacation booking. What if the situation included travelers who had journeyed from another country for the cruise? I’m wondering how I would react if I flew from the U.S. only to be turned away because my lack of sight was deemed a health and safety concern.
Accommodations
Cruise lines in compliance with the ADA make accessible accommodations for passengers with hearing and visual disabilities, not just those with mobility restrictions. Most cruise lines have braille signage and elevator buttons and offer familiarization tours of the vessels if requested. Norwegian provides a staff member for blind or low vision passengers to assist with their accessibility needs during the cruise. Holland America offers large print or Braille menus if they have advanced notice. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity both offer Qualified Readers to read written materials like menus and ship newsletters.
Guide Dogs, and other service dogs are welcome onboard major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America and Carnival. Passengers should be aware that most cruise lines will not allow emotional support animals, therapy animals, companion animals or pets onboard. Service dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations, and passengers are encouraged to bring their dog’s immunization records in case they’re required in a port of call for entry into that country. Many cruise lines require this documentation from passengers once they’re onboard. I always carry my guide’s vaccination records in a pouch on her harness wherever I go. My guide Fauna would never bite anyone, but having vaccination proof along with a card I can hand out to anyone who questions my rights for access has resoled many situations where restaurant staff were ill-informed about the laws surrounding legitimate service animals. In terms of access for cruise lines, each company has a different policy for service animals, and it’s best to contact them directly to make sure you know what to expect onboard.
Passenger Safety
Travel service providers are well within their right to determine what is best for their passenger’s safety, including limiting disabled people from sitting in exit rows on planes. While I can see that a disabled passenger’s needs for additional help may put other passengers or crew in harm’s way in the case of an emergency, does that mean travel service providers should have the right to turn away passengers because of a disability? All travel providers should be held to a minimum level of accommodation regardless of their country of origin or company size. Nobody should be excluded from participating in travel because of a disability.
Final thoughts
Research and knowledge are key components when deciding on a destination and travel provider. Any time I travel internationally, I am acutely aware that regulations for disabled passengers are not the same as they are in the U.S., this is why I sometimes go to extreme lengths to learn as much as I can about available accommodations for my destination. Crowd sourcing your research is always a great option, ask on Twitter, Facebook or other platforms in disabled travelers’ groups about the experiences for a destination. If you don’t like what you are learning about a destination, then I suggest considering a different destination option if possible. In the case of the two women from West Sussex, it sounds as though the company they booked their vacation through assured them there would be no problem with their limited sight. If the cruise line had enough prior notice to type up a letter asking them to disembark, then they should have had enough notice to inform the women they were not welcome well before they left home.
As travelers, we have (often) many options when it comes to providers and destinations. If the location you are considering will not offer appropriate accommodations for your disability, it is totally fine to speak with your wallet and not book your vacation with that company. A smaller travel provider does not have to hire a disability coordinator liaison, they just need to be willing to take the necessary steps to make their services accessible to everyone. Sticking with larger cruise lines that sail in U.S. waters, as they have accommodations requirements for all passengers with disabilities can offer a level of assurance that your trip will be accessible at a base level.
What are your thoughts? Have you ever been denied service because of a disability? How did you handle the situation? I’d love to hear your stories. Feel free to connect with me on my social media link below.
If you would like to read more about the two women denied service with P&O, click the link below.
If you would like to read more about cruise lines accommodations offerings, click the link below.
https://www.vaxvacationaccess.com/the-compass/cruise-lines-and-accessibility-what-you-should-know/
If you would like to read more information about the landmark settlement with Carnival Corp, including a list of the changes implemented to comply with the ruling for Carnival and their affiliate brands, click the link below.
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
Airlines increasing training to help vision impaired travelers
airlines are finally starting to up their game when it comes to visually impaired travelers. Recently, Travel + Leisure reported that Virgin Atlantic are revamping their training for cabin crews to better support visually impaired travelers with Guide Dogs. Virgin Atlantic is partnering with the Guide Dogs charity (https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/) to offer a “more inclusive air travel experience for those with sight loss,”. According to Travel + Leisure: “The training will focus on how best to approach passengers with sight loss, how to help them navigate narrow spaces and stairs, and how to assist them to take a seat. The training will also address the best place for guide dogs to rest on long trips.” Whether in a restaurant, or on a plane, the lack of training when it comes to interacting with visually impaired travelers is painfully apparent, just seeing These organizations move toward improving their service is great news for travelers with sight loss.
My Experiences
I’m visually impaired, and own and serve as the chief content creator for Blind Travels, www.blindtravels.com a website dedicated to providing tips, tricks and reviews for blind and low vision travelers. In my journeys, I find myself on most of the major (and minor) airlines, and most of the flight attendants have little, if any experience helping passengers with vision loss. This is especially true when it comes to guide dogs. It is sad to say that most cabin crew members have far more experience with fraudulent service animals than those who are actually trained. Thankfully, the recent changes in the definition of a service animal, and where they can travel by the Department of Transportation has alleviated some of the shenanigans passengers try to get away with in order to not leave their little biting dogs at home.
United Airlines
Recently on a trip from Denver to Las Vegas, I encountered the most understanding and best trained crewmember I have ever had the pleasure to fly with. I boarded early, and for this flight was traveling without my guide dog. As I was getting settled into my seat, one of the crewmembers came to sit next to me. She explained that she was working in the rear of the plane but noticed me come onboard and wanted to have a quick chat. She asked if Las Vegas was my destination, and if I had any special plans while I was there. She then used this short conversation to ask if I understood the amenities of the aircraft and told me where the restrooms were located in the cabin, and how to get to each of the emergency exits. She told me that while we were waiting for the other passengers to board, she was happy to go over all the safety features and explain the seatbelt if I wanted her to.
This crewmember used conversation to ease into asking if the passenger needs assistance and took the time to offer important information about the emergency exits and the restrooms. She took the time to inform me about the plan for the flight and let the crew that would be helping me know that I was vision impaired. This was all done without prompting and given the fact that this crewmember was scheduled to work in the back of the plane and took the time to come to the front of the plane to talk with me was pretty amazing. It sort of feels like United should have this person running the training for interfacing with disabled passengers.
Conclusion
It is so nice to be able to call out an airline for great training instead of always having to complain about something bad that happened on a flight. I love that organizations like Virgin Atlantic are taking the steps to better train their staff to help blind and low vision passengers. Let’s hope that the other airlines take a tip from United and Virgin Atlantic and add more training for their staff as well.
Have you had a particularly good or bad flight experience? Tell me about it, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to drop me a message here or on any of my social media links below. If you would like to read the original article from Travel + Leisure, find the link below.
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
Be My Eyes adding GPT-4 Ai object detection
With everyone wound up tight about how Ai technology is affecting creative industries like logo design, photography and image editing, nobody is talking about the benefits Ai is having for the blind and low vision communities. Be My Eyes is partnering with open Ai to implement some really great object recognition features into their app.
A slow rollout
Open Ai’s GPT-4 is being integrated into Be My Eyes as a free feature (as of this writing). Users will be able to upload a picture to the service and the GPT-4 driven engine will allow the user conversational interaction, and the program will answer questions about the image, including offering contextual information like recipes if a label is scanned. The service is dubbed Virtual Volunteer, and Open Ai feels that their technology can provide similar interaction that a user would get with a human volunteer through the service. Be My Eyes is optimistic about the addition of this potentially life changing technology to their platform, but are understandably approaching the rollout of the new feature with caution.
Cheat Engine
With all the negative reporting that Ai technology is seeing about Ai written essays and the like, it is refreshing to read about Ai being implemented to provide a feature that could potentially allow blind and visually impaired users of the Be My Eyes app more flexibility when using the service. As an aside, if the users of the new virtual assistant don’t like the results they get from the Ai, there is always an option to connect with a human volunteer as before.
If you would like to read more about this new feature, follow the link below.
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
Sony RETISSA NEOVIEWER – An EVF for Visually Impaired Users
At this year’s CP+ Camera & Photo Imaging Show in Japan an interesting new adaptive device was introduced which will allow users with visual impairment to use a camera. (from the manufacturer) The DSC-HX99 is a small compact camera with a ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 24-720mm zoom, an 18.2 Megapixels sensor, and the capability of recording 4K videos in 3840×2160. The RETISSA NEOVIEWER housing wraps around the back side of the camera and is connected with an HDMI cable at the bottom. The unit currently works with Sony cameras and will be available in late March at selected Sony stores in Japan.
Though not manufactured by Sony, the Sony brand continues to be a source for accessibility features for visually impaired users of their brand. It is great to see manufacturers embracing their users wo have low vision, allowing those with less than perfect sight to create art. If you would like more information about this cool new adapter, check out the link below, and if you would like to see my article about the Sony camera with screen reader technology built in, check out that link below.
As a professional photographer who is blind, I’d love to get my hands on this technology (or the camera listed below).
Sony RETISSA NEOVIEWER Introduced – An EVF for Visually Impaired Users
My article on Sony camera with Screen reade:
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
Wisconsin non-profit helps the visually impaired experience skiing
The Wisconsin Based non-profit BOLD (Blind Outdoor Leisure Development) offers assisted skiing opportunities for those who are legally blind. This non-profit is among the growing number of groups offering the visually impaired a chance to enjoy the joy of skiing in a safer guided environment. Being blind no longer means giving up things you used to do, or activities you want to try.
If you would like more information about the BOLD program, including how you can donate to support, check out the article below.
Wisconsin Non-Profit Provides Visually Impaired People Opportunity To Ski
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
Thank you Voyage Denver
A big shout out and thank you to Voyage Denver for interviewing me about my life and work. You guys are amazing!
http://voyagedenver.com/interview/life-work-with-ted-tahquechi-of-broomfield-co/
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee
Lab Grown retinal eye cells open door for clinical trials
For those who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and glaucoma, team members at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are looking toward beginning human trials for stem cell grown retinal cells which may cure the blindness caused by these diseases. The team showed the lab grown cells making successful connections and sensing changes in light wave intensity.
This is certainly great news, and it is great to see the team making progress after more than a decade working on this project.
Samsung announces TV feature for the visually impaired
CES is always a fun time for those that follow tech. This year Samsung announces the inclusion of Relumino mode in their Neo QLED 8K and 4K TVs later this year. The technology makes the television picture clearer by increasing sharpness, contrast and outlines. From Mashable:
The feature, called Relumino Mode, has layers of camera technology that highlights outlines, sharpens contrast, and enhances colors. The result is a picture thats clearer and easier to see.
I have a NEO QLED TV, so I will keep you posted on how the technology works once it has been released. If you would like to read more:
Mashable Article:
https://mashable.com/article/samsung-event-relumino-mode-smart-tvs-ces-2023
Samsung Relumino Mode
https://www.samsungrelumino.com/home
“Ted’s journey into the landscape of the human body is a marvelous celebration of all that is physical, sensual and diverse
” – FSTOPPERS
About the author
Ted Tahquechi is a blind photographer, travel influencer, disability advocate and photo educator based in Denver, Colorado. You can see more of Ted’s work at www.tahquechi.com
Ted operates Blind Travels, a travel blog designed specifically to empower blind and visually impaired travelers. https://www.blindtravels.com/
Ted’s body-positive Landscapes of the Body project has been shown all over the world, learn more about this intriguing collection of photographic work at: https://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Questions or comments? Feel free to email Ted at: nedskee@tahquechi.com
Instagram: @nedskee
Twitter: @nedskee