Following a series of refusals, a guide dog handler of 25 years, Sean Dilley, has given up asking publicly for equality and respect. Speaking out against online threats and increasing hostility towards disabled people, Dilley says the latest incident, in which he and his dog were prevented from entering a restaurant, was the last straw. Dilley visited the restaurant, which he has chosen not to name, and was told he couldn’t enter because people could have allergies. However, they later changed their reason to simply saying they had no space. Dilley compares the feeling of being refused service to being robbed of his smartphone; both leave him feeling “slugged in the gut”.
Dilley says he has never understood why people do not have more empathy for disabled people. After failing to persuade the restaurant that his guide dog was well-behaved and explaining that it was unlawful to refuse access, one customer who overheard him voiced their disgust at the restaurant’s attitude. Dilley invited people who witnessed the refusal to leave a review. However, two voices from another table said that he had “ruined their meal” and “should leave”. Dilley has received abuse on many social media platforms, with some users making threats of violence and even death. While these incidents were captured on camera, the responses he received have been highly abusive and aggressive.
The Equality Act 2010 in England, Wales and Scotland makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone because they have a guide dog when accessing businesses or services. However, when businesses fail or refuse to allow in guide dogs, or attempt to charge more, it’s a civil matter, unlike in taxis where it is a criminal offence. Dilley urges people to try to understand what it feels like to be refused entry into businesses when you are a disabled person.
On a radio show, Peter White and Pete Osborne, chief operations officer at charity Guide Dogs, answered questions from listeners who wanted to know how the organization operates regarding waiting lists, training methods and eligibility for new and replacement guides. While there are laws in place to protect people with guide dogs, the reaction from businesses and the public to guide dog users can make it impossible to make use of these protective measures
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