Guide Dogs for the Blind – Charity of the Moment

Here at Bamboo, we specialise in the charity sector because it’s the only sector we’re genuinely passionate about. With that comes a certain philanthropic joie de vivre, so every so often we choose a new charity and throw our fundraising might behind it.

Currently one of our Directors, Graham, is training for a marathon tandem bike ride from Lands End to John O’Groats.

Graham is registered blind, so he will be raising funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Graham has experienced the impact of their work first-hand, as they’ve supported him through his journey with Retinitis Pigmentosa. The charity also matched him up with his new Guide Dog – Ricky (check out the lovable rogue on our About Us page).

In this post, Graham talks about the impact the charity has had on his life.

“Today I was reminded (as Ricky- my guide dog- reminds me every day) why The Guide Dogs Association for the Blind is such an amazing charity and the difference they make to people’s lives (and the reason you should donate all of your money to our epic bike ride).

The other week I went to a restaurant for a business lunch, and they refused to allow me in because I had Ricky with me. What followed was a conversation with the Restaurant Manager that went a little something like this. 

Me: He’s a Guide Dog.

Restaurant Manager: I understand that, but you can’t bring him in here.

Me: He’s my Guide Dog, I need to have him with me. I have a legal right to bring him in here.

RM: We cannot have dogs in the restaurant. There is fresh food here. If other customers see a dog, they won’t eat here.

Me: What? This isn’t a case of you being able to pick and choose. You can’t legally refuse to let me come in here with him. Look, I have some additional information. [At this point I tried to show her a small card that explains the law around assistance dogs, but she refused to look at it.] 

Me: I want to make sure I’m getting this across properly, he’s not my pet dog, he’s a Guide Dog.

RM: Well where is the person?

Me: What person?

RM: The person that he’s a guide for?

Me: He’s my Guide Dog.

RM: Well, you can see.

Me: Look, there are two ways this can go. Either you seat us at a table and we forget this situation happened, or I’m going to seek legal assistance.

RM: I don’t know what to say. You’ll have to leave because we can’t have dogs in the restaurant.

Me: Don’t apologise. It’s not me that’s going to end up on the sharp end of this. I would read up on the law on Guide Dogs if I were you. [We then left the restaurant] 

I’m (sometimes) a reasonable man and I wouldn’t profess to know the ins and outs of every law in this land. Granted, I would probably commit to knowing at least the laws around my obligations as a restaurateur if I were one, but that is by the by. What I’m trying to say is that I realise some people don’t know the laws and are acting on a legitimately held view that you can’t have dogs in a restaurant. It’s lunacy that they don’t know the laws, but I realise they might not.

That’s why my next port of call was to contact the wonderful and inimitable Dave Kent of the Guide Dog’s London Engagement Team, who took the case on for me and contacted the restaurant.

I wasn’t party to the phone call, but I understand it went a little something like this: 

Dave: [Introduces himself] I understand that one of our Guide Dog owners visited your restaurant last Wednesday and you refused him service.

RM: I explained to him that we can’t have dogs in the restaurant

Dave: You’re not legally allowed to refuse someone entry because they have an assistance dog.

RM: It’s our restaurant, we’ll refuse service to whoever we like

Dave: Do you have no respect for the dignity of disabled people [RM hangs up the phone] 

It seemed like we had hit an immovable wall and I thought it would flounder there, but fortunately for me, Dave is an unstoppable man. He contacted the local constabulary, who visited the restaurant in question.

The Restaurant Manager continued to be belligerent until she was told the restaurant would be prosecuted for a disability hate crime.

Her tune promptly changed. She agreed to send me a written apology and furnish me with a free meal (I’m still in two minds about whether to accept the latter, as I’m wary of its spittle content).

Regardless, it was a great result.

Being blind erodes my freedom and independence, but the wonderful folk at Guide Dogs changed that by giving me Ricky. The charity also realises that there’ll always be people who hold their own narrow thinking in higher esteem than respect for other people’s dignity.

Guide Dogs didn’t just give me a Ricky, they also gave me a Dave.