Blind man told to leave shop as owner said he was 'extremely offended' by his guide dog — Scope | Disability forum
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Blind man told to leave shop as owner said he was 'extremely offended' by his guide dog

Sam_Alumni
Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
edited August 2017 in Research and opportunities
“He had no right coming in to my store with his dog. He should have asked me or my wife for help finding what he wanted because, as a blind man, he is incapable of doing it for himself.

Dogs can’t talk. The dog could not have told him where he can find certain products, so there is no need for the dog to be in my shop. I have a big sign at the front of the shop which says we do not allow any dogs under any circumstances.

Dogs are dogs and they do dreadful things, and I will never allow dogs in my shop because myself and my customers are extremely offended by them.”

This was the response of a shop owner to a man in Gwynedd who has a sight impairment and a guide dog.  

The Daily Post reports that Andy Terry, who has been registered blind for 16 years was asked by Fairbourne Mini Mart owner Robert North to get out of the store as dogs were not allowed.

Mr Terry said:

“I informed him that my dog was a guide dog as I am registered blind, but he didn’t care and he insisted that we leave.

I made it clear that he was discriminating against me, and explained that I am legally entitled to go anywhere that is open to the public with my dog.

I rely heavily on my dog to get me places safely, so I take it very personally when someone is offensive towards her."


Have you been discriminated against due to your disability? How do you deal with discrimination? Let us know your experiences.

Scope
Senior online community officer

Comments

  • Dasiydo
    Dasiydo Community member Posts: 93 Courageous
    Loads time As got hearing aid and I dyspraxia if sit in disabled seat " You don't look disables " Second if bus  fall paid customers stand up and come check bus tickets and pass " There should made all free bus pass stand up we do" 
    V.shaw
  • Dasiydo
    Dasiydo Community member Posts: 93 Courageous
    One day had panic attacks in primmark in Wolverhampton and give me key to disabled chance room calm down but  I had black women knob on the door " Don't look Disability I got push chair I black this parent change room not normal while person won't Stop knob I wish people stop thing disability is weel chair it other disabling did buy anything from primmark shop no
    V.shaw
  • Nystagmite
    Nystagmite Community member Posts: 596 Pioneering
    Awful. We had similar a few years ago. I've got friends with guide dogs and we were refused entry somewhere, even though as many probably know, the dog has a yellow harness stating they're a guide dog.

    As for discrimination - where the hell do I start? various issues with council - have finally (I hope started) supplying letters in large print, which has only taken them 2 years, the refusal to give me a bus pass because as someone who is partially sighted and wear glasses, I can supposedly drive, social services won't touch me because I'm supposedly not Autistic because someone who isn't medically trained claims I'm not, they think it's ok to take someone who with hearing problems to somewhere noisy, the local college won't support me because I supposedly don't have Autism and it's "just anxiety" (which doesn't explain 99% of my issues) and apparently, they're not required by law to support me. But these are the same people who can't tell the difference between Dyslexia and partial sight...
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 740 Listener
    edited August 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.

Brightness

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