Drivers would yell at her to put the 10 pound dog under the seat and refuse to move the bus until the client complied.
This past fall CRLA offered legal services and representation to a disabled client whose basic rights to travel with her service animal were repeatedly denied by Santa Barbara MTD bus drivers. Ultimately, CRLA’s interventions lead to a formal apology and hopes for future reform benefitting other individuals with disability in Santa Barbara.
“Drivers would yell at her to put the 10 pound dog under the seat and refuse to move the bus until the client complied,” said Kirk Ah-Tye, CRLA’s Directing Attorney in Santa Barbara. “Can you imagine how it would feel to have a driver tell other passengers he wouldn’t move the bus because of the way you held your service animal?” Other incidents involved drivers interrogating CRLA’s client as to why she needed a service animal in the first place. Kirk saw this as an extreme and egregious violation of the Americans with Disability Act.
The disabled client sufferers from cervicogenic headaches and pains. Service animals like hers alert owners of oncoming headaches so the individual can take preventative medication to avoid the debilitating symptoms. But the dog can’t do this from under a bus seat.
When the client came into CRLA’s offices and met with Kirk she was intimidated to travel on the bus – her only mode of transportation – because of the harassment. Now she rides with ease and safety knowing that she has MTD’s full cooperation and CRLA’s continued support.
MTD sent our client a formal letter of apology and CRLA is taking additional steps to insure future riders will not suffer similar discrimination. Kirk and his team are discussing a system-wide remedy with MTD’s Executive Director and top management, preventing further discrimination aboard the MTD. CRLA’s continued advocacy will benefit all disabled passengers as well as misinformed bus drivers for years to come.