Refusing guide dogs is bad service

Media release
To refuse access to a guide dog (or assistance dog as defined under the Dogs Act 1976) in Western Australia could be discrimination under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 according to Acting WA Equal Opportunity Commissioner Allan Macdonald.
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“The Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) still receives complaints from people with guide dogs who say restaurant and shop owners are refusing to let their dogs inside their place of business,” Mr Macdonald said.

He said people providing goods and services to the community needed to be aware of what was unlawful under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 and the Federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992, if they wanted to avoid the complaints process at the EOC or the Australian Human Rights Commission.

“The EOC and the Australian Human Rights Commission can investigate and conciliate discrimination complaints made by people with a guide or assistance dog who are either refused entry with the dog or told to take the dog outside,” he said.

Mr Macdonald said goods and service providers often refused entry to guide dogs because they wanted to comply with the hygiene requirements of national food standards codes, which did not allow animals near food preparation.

However those requirements did not apply to guide and assistance dogs.

“Guide dogs are not pets, they are highly trained animals that assist people with a disability and because of this are allowed in restaurants, shops and public transport to perform this task,” he said.

Mr Macdonald said if the owner could prove the dog was a guide dog, service providers needed to allow it to accompany its owner.

“The Commission has successfully conciliated complaints that were lodged because service providers were simply not aware it was unlawful to not let guide dogs accompany their owners,” he said.

He said greater awareness of the difference between guide dogs and pets needed to be achieved in the future.

“A guide dog allows a person with a disability to enjoy a meal out with friends or an outing to the shops with confidence.

“To deny a customer with a disability this right is not only unlawful, it is bad service,” Mr Macdonald said.

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