This week, Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border and veterinary surgeon, teamed up with the Guide Dogs to press Ministers into ensuring guide dog owners are not refused entry to public establishments and made to feel safe in society.
The charity advocates for blind and visually impaired people to benefit from guide dogs and hosted a parliamentary awareness event with cross-party MPs including Dr Hudson.
Guide dogs are key for many people with sight loss to getting around independently, but research from the charity Guide Dogs has shown that 81% of guide dog owners have been turned away from shops, restaurants and other businesses because of their dogs.
Sadly, across the UK, guide dog owners continue to face access challenges to businesses and services, including being prevented from entering establishments by staff, despite this almost always being illegal.
Last year, Dogs Trust surveyed 242 guide dog owners and 81% reported having experienced an access refusal. The majority of these people said such incidents made them feel “discriminated against”, “unsafe” and “rejected”.
There were also worrying incidents of guide dog owners being refused access to healthcare settings.
Dr Neil Hudson is the only vet to be elected to the Commons since 1884 and has regularly engaged with Guide Dogs campaigns including:
- Open Doors For All: www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/penrith-mp-supports-guide-dogs-charity-their-national-visual-impairment-campaign
- All Things Equal: www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/dr-neil-hudson-mp-backs-guide-dogs-all-things-equal-campaign
- Making Childhood Equal: www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/mp-penrith-and-border-meets-children-sight-loss
Most recently he tabled a Written Parliamentary Question to the Equalities Minister to find out what steps are being taken to make sure guide dogs and their owners are not refused access to public establishments.
Speaking after the event, Dr Neil Hudson, said:
“Guide Dogs is an incredible organisation that continues to have my full support as we work towards a more inclusive and accommodating nation.
“Government is robust in its enforcement of the law but we need to raise awareness so the alarming statistics presented by Guide Dogs become a thing of the past.
“More than stamping out individual incidents of guide dog owners being barred by unscrupulous or unaware business owners; it is about making sure everyone feels welcome throughout society."
Eleanor Briggs, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Guide Dogs, said:
“Guide dog owners deserve to be able to live the lives they want and feel confident, independent, and supported in the world. However, too many guide dog owners continue to face discrimination and are turned away because they have their guide dog with them. That’s why we are calling for action to strengthen the law to end this unacceptable discrimination.”
Dr Hudson's Written Parliamentary Question in full:
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, asked:
“To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that users of guide dogs are not refused entry to public establishments.”
The Minister for Equalities, Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, replied:
“No one should be refused access to businesses or services because they use a guide or other assistance dog. Ignorance of the law is not a defence.
“Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses and public bodies that provide goods and services to the public must not unlawfully discriminate against disabled people, including those with assistance dogs.
“The Act places a duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises, buildings and services. This could include allowing the use of assistance dogs so that disabled customers have the same access to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers.”
