Teresa Pearce MP says, “No one should be turned away because of their assistance dog”
Teresa is supporting the charity Guide Dogs campaign to tackle discrimination against guide dog owners.
Last week, more than a hundred guide dog owners came to Parliament to share their experiences. 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.
Taxis and minicabs were the worst offenders at 73%. Refusals at restaurants were 54%, newsagents 42% and high street shops 36%.
The campaign calls for all taxi and minicab drivers to be required to take disability equality training. Guide Dogs also supports changes to equality legislation to make action against businesses who refuse access easier.
After the event Teresa said:
“It’s shocking 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. I support Guide Dogs’ Access All Areas campaign to tackle the ignorance that causes access refusals, and make sure businesses are held accountable when they occur.”
