CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, has encouraged local businesses to promote the rights of guide dog owners after visiting Dunbar for Guide Dogs UK’s Open Doors campaign last week.
Hoy visited Mary’s Flowers and Peter Whitecross Quality Butcher in the town as part of High Street Heroes Day on Friday 4 November to ask them to display an “assistance dogs” window sticker.
The law gives assistance dog owners the right to access businesses and services without discrimination. But, according to Guide Dogs UK, 76% of assistance dog owners have been refused access to a restaurant, shop or taxi at some point because of their dog.
Being refused access has a significant negative impact on the confidence, independence and wellbeing of people who use assistance dogs.
In response, Guide Dogs launched its Open Doors campaign earlier this year, to raise awareness of the rights guide dog owners have and to urge the Government to strengthen the law so access refusals don’t happen.
As part of the campaign, Guide Dogs held a High Street Heroes campaign event encouraging members of the public and politicians to go out to their local High Street and speak to businesses about the law around access for guide dog owners. Hundreds of volunteers signed up to take part in the event across the UK.
Mr Hoy commented: “I was delighted to meet local business owners in Dunbar to discuss the Open Doors campaign.
“Displaying an ‘assistance dogs welcome’ sticker is a helpful reminder of the law on access for assistance dogs and reassures assistance dog owners that it is a welcoming space for them.
“It is really important that businesses know the rights of assistance dog owners, so that no one is unfairly turned away.”
Blanche Shackleton, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Guide Dogs said: “Guide dog owners have the right to access businesses and services but all too often they are challenged and unlawfully refused. This is a deeply harmful form of discrimination that impacts the daily lives of guide dog owners.
“That’s why we want to see the law strengthened on access rights for assistance dogs, to prevent access refusals and to open doors for guide dogs.”
