Recently, our attention was drawn to a poignant article featured on Metro which recounts Siobhan Meade’s distressing experience of being denied a taxi ride because of her guide dog. Unfortunately, this incident is just one of many instances etched in the memories of Siobhan and the wider visually impaired community.
As a sighted reader, I found myself pondering the question: How can we put an end to such discrimination? Is this not illegal? The realization quickly hit me that it is already illegal. In England, Scotland & Wales, the Equality Act means that assistance dog owners have the right to entire most services, premises, and vehicles with their assistance dog. Likewise, in Northern Ireland, the Disability Discrimination Act extends identical rights to those with assistance dogs.
Delving deeper into this issue, I stumbled upon a remarkable campaign by Guide Dogs, named ‘Open Doors’. Its objective is to eradicate precisely these occurrences. Initiative involved a proactive approach, engaging with concerns voiced by guide dog owners and refining their reporting system. Their free app, compatible with both iOS AND Android, serves as an accessible tool to facilitate this process. Notably, Guide Dogs collaborated closely with businesses to ensure the establishment of welcoming environments for visually impaired people and their guide dogs.
Moreover, the campaign emphasizes the importance of businesses pledging their allegiance to the cause by displaying visible signs of support, such as window stickers. This symbolic gesture not only signifies their commitment but also aids in raising awareness about the rights of assistance dog owners.
Guide Dogs are also seeking to actively seeking to explore how the law might be strengthened to prevent such access refusals from recurring
In a world where equal access should be an undeniable right, initiatives like ‘Open Doors’ are beacons of hope. Siobhan’s article serves as a catalyst for broader discourse on this issue, urging us all to stand up against discrimination and advocate for a more inclusive society.
By: Mary Grimes (August 2023)