Ignorance abounds in the Lakewood Library where BRIDGET, my assistance dog, and I can often be found We both took it for granted after receiving initial permission that all was well Then on Sunday I was approached by a librarian who, in an amazingly loud voice, told me that dogs weren't allowed I informed him that she is an assistance dog and his reply, given quite loudly, was that she was not allowed in the library unless she was clearly identifiable as an assistance dog Here's an irony: I need an assistance dog for my general anxiety disorder and am being challenged by a staff member in such a loud tone that the entire place is hearing the conversation Needless to say, I would have agreed to anything he wanted just to make him stop shouting at me OK, we know that I'm not blind and Bridget is obviously not a seeing-eye dog, nor is she a mobility dog, therefore she must be a --um, uh-- HEARING dog It registered with me later that the librarian must have decided that my disbility was deafness Time for some sensitivity training at the Lakewood Public Library
UPDATE: After suffering anguish over what to do about needing Bridget with me at the Library, I went up to the front and told a sympathetic libraian what had happened and that I really needed my dog with me She gave me approval and today I checked in at the front desk again with Bridget and had the same librarian come with me to tell the other employees that Bridget was allowed So my solution is to check in each time to get approval; this makes me happy because I very much need and appreciate public libraries!
