I have given my support to the Guide Dogs charity campaign to tackle discrimination against guide dog owners following an event in Parliament.
More than one hundred guide dog owners from across the country came to Parliament and shared their experiences of being turned away by businesses because of their dog. At the event I spoke to guide dog owners about the lasting impact of these refusals.
It is against the law to refuse access to a disabled person accompanied by an assistance dog except in the most exceptional circumstances. Despite this, a new Guide Dogs survey found that three out of four (76%) assistance dog owners had been turned away because of their dog. The Guide Dogs charity is calling for all taxi and minicab drivers to be required to take disability equality training so they are aware of the rights of disabled passengers. Guide Dogs also supports changes to equality legislation to make action against businesses who refuse access easier.
It was disturbing to hear how common these incidents of discrimination are for assistance dog owners. No one should be turned away on their local high street because of their assistance dog. That is why I fully support Guide Dogs’ Access All Areas campaign to tackle the ignorance that causes access refusals, and to make sure businesses are held accountable when they occur.
My absolute support for the Guide Dogs campaign follows my recent afternoon in Droitwich Spa with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, where I walked along busy streets with a trainee guide dog to better understand the problems faced by people with sight loss, and the need to remove pavement clutter.
