Guide Dogs Bans

[urbanchicks]

There is a huge increase in the banning of Guide dogs and their owners to shops and restaurants, why is this happening,what reason,is it H/S gone mad again?These dogs and other dogs are a lifeline for their owners,how do they expect the blind etc to shop for their daily living essentials? I think it is disgusting and should be investigated and put right immediately.

Maggie

[bluebell]

What???? This cannot happen because people who use Guide Dogs or Support Dogs depend on these dogs to continue to try and live life as normally as possible, it would end up in an enormous Human Rights law case if this was to continue.

To be fair Guide Dogs or Support Dogs are actually a lot better behaved than some of the low life I've witnessed dining in restaurants.

[Kernow]

First of all this is NOTa health and safety issue. (Health ans Safety at work etc act)
Secondly this ISi an issue under the discrimination against the disabled

[secret squirrel]

I was under the impression it's illegal to deny access to anyone with a Guide Dog, to any premises . Or any other Assistance Dog. I might be wrong though .
We have a Guide Dog in the family and I'm sure I would have heard about it if there had been an issue.
If it IS the case then it's disgusting!!!!! We've been in restaurants and taken the dog with us.
Lorna

[Stef]

Sadly the UK doesn't have a law that allows guide dogs anywhere.

"The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) says business owners must make "reasonable adjustments" to make their premises' accessible to disabled people, such as waiving a no dogs policy for assistance dogs.

Nowhere does the law specifically say that guide dogs must be admitted, and the DDA can only be enforced in the civil court. "

Taken from an article by a politician who tested it out in businesses around London.

It seems that many businesses are just saying no. A friend has an assistance dog, it is tiny, one of those you normally see in some silly woman's handbag. She was refused entry to a well known coffee shop because they didn't believe the card she carries. Happily the local cafe invited us in and were amazed by the way the dog helps out - gets her purse, picks up anything dropped, etc. She is small enough to sit on my friends lap and push plates firmly back onto the table yet not get in the way.

France has a great system. If you get refused you simply dial a number (17 I think) and a gendarme arrives and levies a fine!

[urbanchicks]

Very interesting Steph but how sad that disabled people are treated this way in our so called enlightened society.

Maggie