GDUI Position Statement: Restoring Guide Dog Handlers’ Air Travel Independence: A Call for Airlines to Eliminate overly burdensome Documentation Barriers

Guide Dog Users Inc. (GDUI) calls for airlines to immediately reform their documentation requirements for guide dog teams. Current Department of Transportation (DOT) attestation policies have transformed what should be a straightforward right into a complex administrative burden. This effectively limits the independence of guide dog handlers through unnecessary, bureaucratic requirements.

Core Position

GDUI advocates for airlines to recognize and accept verbal attestation as prescribed in the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by requiring answers to the following two questions:

Is that a trained service dog?
What task or tasks is the dog trained to perform to mitigate a disability?

This streamlined approach would restore travel independence while maintaining legitimate safety protocols.

Today’s attestation policies:

Restrict spontaneous travel opportunities
Impose often inaccessible advance notice requirements
Create needless technical and bureaucratic barriers
Undermine the spirit and intent of access laws

Practical Solution

Our proposed verification approach would:

Restore travel flexibility and independence
Eliminate often inaccessible advance submissions
Reduce administrative complexity for airlines

Legal Framework

The Air Carrier Access Act established clear access rights for guide dog teams. Current policies have eroded these protections through excessive administrative requirements. Our solution better serves both safety needs and legal obligations.

Call to Action

GDUI calls upon airlines to:

Recognize the current ACAA and ADA attestation requirements for passengers traveling with guide dogs, along with observed behavior, equipment and visible proof of Rabies vaccination as sufficient verification
Eliminate advance submission mandates
Partner with guide dog organizations on implementation

Path Forward

GDUI stands ready to work with airlines to restore independent travel for guide dog handlers, while maintaining appropriate health, safety and security standards and addressing expressed concerns. We seek to rebuild a system that honors both legitimate concerns and the fundamental right of guide dog handlers to travel safely and independently.

GDUI Advocacy Committee

Guide Dog Users, Inc.