Thread by @ellen_cecil

I'm particularly disgusted that @AmericanAir requires "your mental health professional" be contacted in order to fly with a Psychiatric Service Animals. Let me explain why this is particularly fucked up. (Thread)

First off some background is needed. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) separates psychiatric service dogs (SD) from other SD and lumps them in with Emotional Support Animals (ESA). The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not do this, instead SD, regardless of

tasks, are treated all the same. WHICH IS HOW IT SHOULD BE. A SD is HIGHLY trained in advanced obedience, which is part of what separates them from ESAs and an important factor as to why they're allowed in public spaces. However, ACAA assumes that psychiatric disabilities

are the only invisible disabilities and therefore easier to "fake." This is blatantly wrong for a lot of reasons. For one, there are SD that can smell changes in insulin levels, but Diabetes isn't something you can visually determine. More importantly however,

separating psychiatric disabilities from other disabilities results in discriminatory treatment. Which is what we're seeing with @AmericanAir policy. To board with AA and many other companies you have to: 1) give 48 hours notice, 2) submit a letter from your mental health

provider, 3) fill out an acceptance of liability form, & 4) fill out an animal sanitation form. On top of all that they clearly state on their website that they will CONTACT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. So if all of that bullshit isn't enough they still want to violate

your privacy even further. Not only that, but it prohibits those who choose not to or cannot afford a mental health professional. Mental health care is EXPENSIVE. And some mental health professionals will CHARGE you if you need them to fill out forms and write letters for you.

This cost can be prohibitive. Beyond that it also requires psychiatric SD teams to rely on a mental health service providers FOREVER. SDs are trained to provide disabled people with independence, so this reliance is counterproductive. SDs may help someone cope with their

disability to the point where they may not need traditional mental health care anymore. But instead of allowing SDs to do their jobs, @AmericanAir is trapping people into treatment they may not need or be able to afford. (/thread)