Can you help us open doors for guide dogs?

This is Ricky - Bamboo’s Junior Consultant. If you’re a regular reader of the Bamboo blog, you may be aware that, when he’s not screening CV’s and answering phones, he looks after Graham, (one of our Founding Directors).

Graham has a genetic eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a rare disease that makes cells in the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye) break down, leading to vision loss.

Graham relies on Ricky (one of 4,800 working guide dogs in the UK) to help him travel around safely and independently. And yet he and many other guide dog owners are refused entry to public places, such as cafés, shops, pubs, and taxis with their furry companions.

The law

The Equality Act 2010 prohibits service providers from discriminating against those who need an assistance dog. It also requires them to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers.

And yet research by Guide Dogs for the Blind Association found that 81% of guide dog owners have been refused entry to a business or service with their guide dog. And 73% have been refused entry to a taxi.

The statistics are shocking.

For people with a vision impairment, a guide dog can be life-changing. Refusals are standing in the way of owners having the chance to flourish in their social and professional lives.

Open Doors

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has launched a campaign called ‘Open Doors’ to help end illegal access refusals.

The aim is to educate the public and businesses on the law and grow understanding and awareness of how access refusals impact guide dog owners.

Of the campaign, Blanche Shackleton, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Guide Dogs, said:

"Guide dog owners deserve to be able to live their lives the way they want and feel confident, independent, and supported in the world. The law is clear, and yet guide dog owners continue to experience access refusals, which are almost always illegal … Businesses and services need to do more to ensure they have open doors to guide dog owners.”

How can you help?

Guide Dogs has launched a petition calling for the strengthening of the Equality Act, so businesses are not able to refuse assistance dogs.

Add your signature here.

You can also show your support by displaying an ‘Open Doors’ sticker in your office, stating that your organisation welcomes assistance dogs.

You can request one from Guide Dogs by emailing campaigns@guidedogs.org.uk.