Nothing particularly new here, but the Guide Dogs association now has an app that can be used to report refusals.
The link at the bottom to the Guide Dogs page further links to a leaflet (again right at the bottom of the page) specifically for the trade which outlines drivers' responsibilities in this regard. Which most on here will know anyway, but for anyone who doesn't...
Anyway, the person in the article here prefers not to use 'he/him' or 'she/her' and whoever wrote the article has obviously been careful to avoid the often confusing 'they/them'
Although there's at least one exception in the article, where 'them' is referred to. But that's OK, because it's including the guide dog
Blind student left stranded after taxi driver refuses to pick up guide dog
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/17426 ... es-to-stop
Image: Daily Express
Kelsey Trevett booked the cab from a friend's house back home one Saturday night. But when the taxi arrived, the driver refused to stop.
A blind student says a taxi driver refused to stop to pick up a guide dog, leaving them both stranded by the side of the road. Kelsey Trevett, 21, said it left a feeling of being “vulnerable” and “powerless” and was one of several incidents in a year.
The politics and philosophy student at Oxford University booked the cab from a friend’s house back home one Saturday night.
But when the taxi arrived, the driver refused to stop.
Speaking to the Express, Kelsey – who prefers to use a gender neutral term – said: “I hate to say that I almost expect to be refused access when I order a taxi. It happens regularly enough that it affects me. It’s something that stays with you after it happens.”
Kelsey said: “It was cold, it was dark, I was vulnerable, yet I was left on the kerb.” Kelsey called for another although that one let the dog travel, albeit reluctantly.
Kelsey, who has been blind since the age of six, says reluctant cabbies usually say they are “scared of” or “allergic to” dogs.
Guide dog owners should report similar incidents using the Guide Dogs charity’s Open Doors app, said Kelsey. It comes as three-quarters of assistance dog owners surveyed by Guide Dogs say they are regularly refused access to restaurants, shops, or public transport.
Under the Equality Act, guide dog owners have the right to enter the majority of services, premises and vehicles with their dog.
A Guide Dogs spokesman said: “The law is clear, and yet guide dog owners such as Kelsey continue to experience access refusals, which…can put people at risk.”
Kelsey added: “We need to ensure all workers – whether in a restaurant, taxi, theatre, pub, wherever – are trained in dealing with service dog users and are aware of the Act.”
- COMMENT BY CHRIS THEOBALD
The Equality Act 2010 gives guide dog owners the right to enter most services, premises and vehicles with their animal.
Despite this, guide dog owners are being refused entry to many different public places.
The consequences for them are overwhelmingly negative: curtailed social lives, missed opportunities for healthcare and disheartening experiences of marginalisation.
Guide Dogs has campaigned to make sure guide dog owners are treated fairly by businesses and public services.
Our Open Doors campaign aims to end access refusals for people with guide dogs.
We aim to educate the public, strengthen the law and empower owners to put an end to this form of discrimination.
We also encourage owners to report incidents and get support via our new Open Doors app.
When looking more closely at refusals from private hire vehicles, taxis and minicabs, it is illegal for a driver to refuse a guide dog owner unless drivers have a valid medical exemption certificate. Refusing an assistance dog owner is a criminal offence, which can be enforced by the local authority.
Despite it being a criminal offence, almost 63 per cent of owners who responded to our latest survey said they have been refused access to a taxi, minicab or private hire vehicle in the past 12 months. None said they were shown an exemption certificate when refused.
The likelihood of being refused access by a driver affects the way in which guide dog owners approach going out, ultimately limiting their ability to live independently.
This is why Guide Dogs is calling for taxi and minicab drivers to have mandatory disability equality training, reminding them of the law and to giving advice on how they can assist passengers with a range of disabilities and conditions.
To learn more about our campaign to end access refusals, please visit guidedogs.org.uk/opendoors
