Greg Smith, Member of Parliament for Buckingham has helped raise awareness of the rights of assistance dog owners when they met the charity Guide Dogs at Conservative party conference.
The law gives assistance dog owners, including guide dogs owners, the right to access businesses and services.
But, according to Guide Dogs, 81% of guide dog owners have been refused access to a restaurant, shop or taxi at some point because of their dog. This has a significant negative impact on the confidence, independence and wellbeing of people who use guide dogs.
In response, Guide Dogs launched their Open Doors campaign earlier this year to raise awareness of the rights assistance dog owners have, and to urge the Government to strengthen the law so access refusals don’t happen.
Guide dog owners who experience an access refusal can report them to Guide Dogs via their app available on iOS and Android. Search “Guide Dogs” in your app store.
Greg Smith MP, who is supporting Guide Dogs’ Open Doors campaign, said: “It is unacceptable for anyone with a guide dog to be turned away from any shop, business or premises. I am one hundred per cent behind Guide Dogs’ Open Doors campaign and want to ensure everyone with a guide dog has full access to everywhere they want to go.”
Blanche Shackleton, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Guide Dogs said: “Guide Dog owners have the right to access businesses and services but all too often they are challenged and unlawfully refused. This is a deeply harmful form of discrimination that impacts the daily lives of guide dog owners.
“That’s why we want to see the law strengthened on access rights for assistance dogs, to prevent access refusals and to open doors for guide dogs.”
