Did you know…?

49% of guide dog owners surveyed have experienced an access refusal in the last year. We’re campaigning so that assistance dog owners have greater access into various areas rather than being refused entry, in line with their legal rights.

As described by one owner:

“Each refusal is crushing, confidence shattering, rejecting, and traumatic. I always feel that I don’t want to go out after – but work dictates I must.” 

Under the Equality Act, guide dog and other assistance dog owners have the right to enter the majority of services, premises and vehicles with their dog. However our survey has shown that the majority of assistance dog owners have been refused access to somewhere. The most frequent places that guide dog owners are refused access is taxis, restaurants and shops. (www.guidedogs.org.uk)

Padma Cheriyan is beginning a campaign.

She states that not a single day goes by without hearing stories of taxi and minicab drivers refusing access to assistance dogs. Sight and hearing impaired people depend on their assistance dogs for mobility. They are therefore campaigning for compulsory disability awareness training of minicab and taxi drivers.

Find Padma within the INTU Centre (formerly Midsummer Place) near Waterstone’s bookstore or thereabouts on Saturday, 1 April 2017 between 10.30am and 3.30pm. If you happen to be in the City Centre on the day, find Padma and say ‘Hello’ and sign the petition. The more signatures they have on the petition, the stronger the voice to ask the authorities to act.