New “State of Access” Campaign Ranks All 50 States, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico on Rights and Protections for Service Dog Handlers

MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Seeing Eye, the nation’s first and most recognized guide dog school, today released the State of Access Report Card, a first-of-its-kind, data-driven ranking of every U.S. state, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico on how well they protect the rights of people who work with service dogs to travel independently and live without compromising their freedom. The report card grades each jurisdiction in five subjects, combining legal analysis, government transparency data, enforcement and real-world handler experiences. Their scores are then used to rank them from 1 to 52, offering a comprehensive public accounting of service dog access protections.

California earned the top ranking and an overall grade of A-. Only one other state, Alaska, earned an A grade. Approximately 30 percent of all jurisdictions received a D or F, meaning nearly one in three service dog handlers live in a state with critically inadequate protection.

“People who are blind deserve to move through the world independently and with confidence, and a Seeing Eye dog is a powerful partner in that goal,” said Karen Leies, President and CEO of The Seeing Eye. “However, the data we collected reveals serious and persistent gaps in protections not only for guide dog handlers, but for all types of service dog teams across the country. This report card is our call to greater public education and action.”

The Seeing Eye State of Access Report Card is designed to be a resource for everyone with a stake in service dog handlers’ rights. This includes handlers navigating their daily lives, advocates pushing for stronger protection, and lawmakers with the power to close the gaps this data reveals. This report establishes a baseline as the first comprehensive, state-by-state measure of service dog handlers’ rights, designed to be updated and built upon in the years ahead.

AN UPDATED TOOL FOR SELF-ADVOCACY

Alongside the report card launch, The Seeing Eye is spotlighting the release of its updated Advocacy App, which gives users instant mobile access to federal and state laws. With the most recent update, users can now look up the process for filing a civil rights complaint in their state. Whether you’re a handler, business owner, service provider, or policymaker, the app provides important information about your rights and responsibilities.

“We hope that the data presented in The Seeing Eye advocacy app, as well as the State of Access Report Card, provide a clear picture of where each state stands and a roadmap for progress,” Leies continued. “The Seeing Eye’s Advocacy and Government Relations team is standing by to assist lawmakers and community leaders with making positive changes in their communities.”

STATE OF ACCESS REPORT CARD: KEY FINDINGS

“It’s important to highlight that even in states that received the worst grades, the lived experience scores from service dog handlers who live there could still be quite high,” said Melissa Allman, Senior Specialist of Advocacy and Government Relations. Allman is an architect of the Seeing Eye advocacy app and a contributor to the State of Access report card. “This should be encouraging to those with service dogs, even if they live in a state with a poor grade. It tells us that strong communities, informed handlers, and engaged advocates can make a real difference, even where the law hasn’t caught up yet.”

Significant Gaps at the State Level

Just 14 jurisdictions earned a B grade or higher, meaning fewer than 1 in 4 service dog handlers live in a state with strong, comprehensive protections.

Approximately 30 percent of all ranked jurisdictions (16 of 52) received a D or F, signaling critically weak protection across a large swath of the country.

Five jurisdictions received a failing grade (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and Wyoming) for lacking state-level complaint processes, public education initiatives, or meaningful legal protections beyond federal minimums.

Public awareness and outreach were among the lowest-performing areas, with fewer than a quarter of jurisdictions earning an A or B grade.

More than half (54 percent) of service dog handlers reported rideshare and taxi denials over a 12-month period.

Nearly 40 percent of service dog handlers reported that they had encountered access barriers in the last 12 months.

Bright Spots

Most states have established infrastructure for addressing civil rights complaints – 42 states and Washington, D.C. have a state-level process in place.

On the legal front, there is a foundation to build on as 37 states earned a C+ or better for the strength of their laws and protections beyond the federal minimum.

Lived experience had the most A grades (37 percent of jurisdictions) among the five scoring categories and did not always align with overall scores. Mississippi and Wyoming, for example, both received an A+ in lived experience despite earning an overall grade of F and ranking 51st and 48th nationally.

71 percent of service dog handlers rated their state as good or excellent when asked to rate their overall experiences with public places, transportation, and services respecting their legal rights.

When asked to describe the culture of their state with regards to the acceptance and understanding of their legal rights, 59 percent of service dog handlers felt generally positive, and just 5 percent reported feeling excluded.

Nearly 75 percent of service dog handlers reported interstate travel, demonstrating that access barriers aren’t keeping them home and signaling a clear demand for stronger, more consistent protections and enforcement.

HOW STATES WERE GRADED

Each state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico were evaluated across five categories and ranked based on their total scores.

Strength and Scope of State-Level Laws: Does the state go beyond federal law to protect service dog handlers? Scoring assessed nine categories, including whether states criminalize access denials, have pedestrian safety laws, and have enacted service animal fraud statutes.Complaint and Enforcement Process: Can a service dog handler actually use their state’s complaint system to seek relief? Scoring assessed how state-level protections are addressed and whether the filing process is easy to find and initiate.Public Awareness and Outreach: Has the state proactively educated businesses and the public about guide dog access rights? Scoring recognizes states that publish materials, address service animal fraud, provide links to resources, and actively promote training opportunities.Public Data and Transparency: Does the state publish data on complaints and enforcement actions? Are service animals specifically addressed? Is the data current?Lived Experience: More than 522 service dog handlers from each of the 52 jurisdictions completed a survey on access barriers, quality of experience in their state, rights awareness, and the cultural climate toward service dog teams. Grades reflect normalized composite data adjusted for sample size.

WHERE TO FIND THE DATA

The full State of Access Report Card, including each state’s overall letter grade, national ranking, and grades across all five categories, is available at www.seeingeye.org/stateofaccess.

ABOUT THE SEEING EYE

Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind. Seeing Eye dog handlers experience greatly enhanced mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active lifestyles. The Seeing Eye is a 501(c)(3) non-profit supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, bequests, and other planned gifts.

The Seeing Eye is a trademarked name and can only be used to describe the dogs bred and trained at the school’s facilities in Morristown, N.J. If you would like more information on The Seeing Eye, please visit the website at www.seeingeye.org, call 973-539-4425, or email info@seeingeye.org.

Note to editors: “Seeing Eye®” is a registered trademark. Dogs trained by other organizations are referred to as guide dogs. Preferred language: “people who are blind,” “people with vision loss,” “Seeing Eye® dog handlers.” Phrases to avoid: “the blind,” “suffers from blindness,” “visually challenged.”

Contact: Ronica Cleary
302-414-9977, Media@ClearyStrategies.com

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SOURCE The Seeing Eye

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY), a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world, today announced that, following a thorough review with the support of its financial and legal advisors, the company’s Board of Directors has determined to reject GameStop’s unsolicited, non-binding acquisition proposal.

The full text of the eBay Board’s response letter to GameStop CEO, Ryan Cohen, is set forth below:

Dear Mr. Cohen,

The Board, with the support of its independent advisors, has thoroughly reviewed your proposal and has determined to reject it.

We have concluded that your proposal is neither credible nor attractive. We have taken into account such factors as 1) eBay’s standalone prospects, 2) the uncertainty regarding your financing proposal, 3) the impact of your proposal on eBay’s long-term growth and profitability, 4) the leverage, operational risks, and leadership structure of a combined entity, 5) the resulting implications of these factors on valuation, and 6) GameStop’s governance and executive incentives.

eBay is a strong, resilient business that has delivered meaningful results over the past several years. We have sharpened our strategic focus, strengthened execution, enhanced our marketplace and seller experience, and consistently returned capital to shareholders. With its differentiated global marketplace and a clear strategy, eBay’s Board is confident that the company, under its current management team, is well-positioned to continue to drive sustainable growth, execute with discipline, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.

Our team remains focused on executing our strategy and driving our business forward in the best interests of the company, our shareholders, our employees, and millions of buyers and sellers around the world.

Sincerely,

/s/ Paul S. Pressler

Paul S. Pressler
Chairman of the Board of Directors, eBay

About eBay
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world’s largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2025, eBay enabled nearly $80 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the future performance of eBay Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries that are based on the company’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions and involves risks and uncertainties. These statements include, but are not limited to, management’s vision for the future of eBay and our ability to accomplish our vision, the future growth in our business, our ability to drive sustainable long-term growth and create lasting value for our shareholders, the impact of current and contemplated strategic initiatives and offerings, partnerships with and acquisitions of other companies, and new and updated product features or programs, including the initiatives, offerings, partnerships, acquisitions, features and programs discussed in our earnings press release for the first quarter 2026, the effects of foreign currency volatility and our ability to respond to such effects, operating efficiency and margins, and dividends and share repurchases. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “commit,” “consider,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “develop,” “enable,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “goal,” “impact,” “intend,” “likely,” “maintain,” “may,” “ongoing,” “opportunity,” “optimistic,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “pursue,” “remain,” “seek,” “should,” “strategy,” “strive,” “target,” “value,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions, variations and derivative forms and/or the negatives of those words.  Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that eBay expects. These and other risks and uncertainties include market risks, trends and conditions. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in eBay’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the risk factors included in eBay’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and subsequent reports that eBay files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of such risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements represent beliefs and assumptions of eBay only as of the date of this press release. eBay does not intend to update, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update, any of these forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release or to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.

Investor Relations Contact:
John Egbert
ir@ebay.com

Media Relations Contact:
Sybille St. Arromand
press@ebay.com

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SOURCE ebay Inc.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Caliber Public Safety is proud to announce the successful go-live of its complete public safety technology platform across Elkhart County, Indiana. On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the Elkhart County 911 Communications Center, along with law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies countywide, transitioned to Caliber’s Premise CAD, Hosted Mobile, Pocket Cop, Pocket Rescue, and Online RMS, marking the beginning of a new chapter in how the county serves and protects its more than 207,000 residents.

The project, signed in September 2025, moved from contract to live operations in just seven months, a timeline that reflects the structured, hands-on approach Caliber brings to every deployment.

A Deployment Built on Planning, Not Luck

The scale of this implementation was significant: 18 CAD positions across two locations, 8 WebCAD subscriptions, more than 290 Mobile licenses, 31 Pocket Cop licenses, 31 Pocket Rescue licenses, and 440 RMS subscriptions serving both sworn and non-sworn personnel. Getting a deployment of this size right required detailed coordination and a true partnership between Caliber and Elkhart County leadership.

Every phase of the project followed Caliber’s proven implementation methodology. As with all Caliber deployments, the process included thorough discovery, careful configuration, and structured training well before the go-live date. The county’s staff had the opportunity to review system functionality and confirm operational readiness prior to the transition, ensuring confidence across dispatch, patrol, and administrative teams on Day One.

Go-Live Day: Focused, Prepared, and On Mission

The Caliber team arrived in force and prepared. Deployment led the managed command center operations, both onsite and virtually, monitoring system performance and resolving technical matters in real time. Dedicated support staff were stationed directly on the dispatch floor, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with 911 personnel throughout the transition. Additional team members provided focused support for Mobile and Pocket solutions across police, fire, and EMS agencies, drawing on deep product knowledge and Indiana-specific public safety expertise. Others delivered hands-on RMS assistance at individual agencies, including the Goshen Police Department and the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office, both onsite and remotely.

With 10 CAD workstations staged and ready at the 911 Center, the team made the cut live at 11:30 AM, and Elkhart County handled its first live incident in the new system, a medical emergency call. Operations were in full stride from that moment forward. The center stayed busy throughout the day, and the collaboration between Caliber staff and Elkhart County dispatchers set the tone for a strong, productive partnership.

Beyond the technology, the Caliber team also focused on the human side of the transition. Team members kept spirits high during long hours, strengthened relationships with county partners, and made sure every person involved felt supported.

Egbert Dijkstra, Director of 911 Center at Elkhart County, states “I want to commend Caliber on their team: the tech support and IT team. They helped above and beyond and did it with class and a great attitude. It has been a pleasure working with everyone at Caliber. The experience reflected the Caliber culture; a team that is easy to work with, communicates openly and consistently, and attacks challenges head-on with professionalism and urgency. Their willingness to go above and beyond reinforced that this is an organization focused on building long-term partnerships, not just delivering software. I look forward to a long relationship with Caliber and all the fine people who are the face of the organization.”

A Unified Platform, Built for the Way Agencies Actually Work

Elkhart County now operates on a single, integrated public safety platform. Their CAD, Mobile, and RMS systems share data in real time, which means incident details entered by a dispatcher populate automatically in both the Mobile client and the RMS. Officers updating reports from the field see that information reflected immediately for supervisors and investigators back at the station. This connected architecture eliminates redundant data entry, reduces errors, and gives every member of the team a consistent, up-to-date picture of operations from dispatch through case closure.

Because Caliber’s Online RMS is hosted at Nlets data centers, Elkhart County benefits from infrastructure that meets FBI CJIS standards, with full multi-site hot backup disaster recovery and redundant network paths. The hosted model also means that software updates, including three major releases per year and monthly service packs, are delivered automatically, so the county will always operate on the latest version without the burden of managing upgrades in-house.

“A go-live of this scope requires trust on both sides of the table,” said Michael Sturgeon, Senior Project Manager at Caliber Public Safety. “Elkhart County brought exceptional leadership and preparation to this project. The result speaks for itself: a county of over 200,000 residents now served by a modern, unified public safety platform that went live on schedule and on mission.”

About Elkhart County, Indiana

Elkhart County covers approximately 467 square miles in northern Indiana and is home to around 207,000 residents, making it the sixth most populous county in the state. Elkhart County is proudly recognized as the “RV Capital of the World,” producing the majority of the nation’s recreational vehicles, and is a significant manufacturing hub for musical instruments, furniture, and industrial components. The county is also home to one of the largest Amish and Mennonite communities in the United States. Centrally located within a few hours of Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis, Elkhart County blends a rich cultural heritage with a dynamic modern economy.

About Caliber Public Safety

Caliber Public Safety provides integrated technology solutions for law enforcement, fire/EMS, corrections, and 911 communications agencies. The Caliber platform includes CAD, Mobile, Online RMS, and JailTracker, all built by and for public safety professionals. With a focus on reliability, interoperability, and ease of use, Caliber serves hundreds of agencies across the country, helping first responders spend less time on technology and more time serving their communities.

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SOURCE Caliber Public Safety