BBC shares guide dog owner's discrimination battle
Today the BBC shared the story of guide dog owner Damon Rose's battle with discrimination through access refusals.
Damon writes how he was refused access to a private hire vehicle when the driver claimed he was allergic to dogs, even though he could not present an exemption certificate as the law requires. As Damon is unfortunately used to such access refusals, he was able to capture the incident on video.
Transport for London took this driver to court last week who pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined £1,500.
The article draws on research conducted by Guide Dogs as part of our Access all Areas campaign, where we strive to end the discrimination visually impaired people face on a regular basis when out with their assistance dogs.
Access refusals can have a devastating impact on assistance dog owners' confidence. In our 2015 Access all Areas Report, one guide dog owner commented:
Each refusal is crushing, confidence shattering, rejecting, and traumatic. I always feel that I don't want to go out after - but work dictates I must.
If you'd like to help us campaign to stop access requests like Damon's happening in the future, visit our Campaign Page for more information.
You can read the full article and the rest of Damon's story on the BBC's website.