People with Guide dogs are often refused entry in public spaces, study finds

A study by Guide Dogs Victoria has found that half of Australians that use guide dogs have been refused access to public spaces or services in the past two years.

Service dog on duty Source: Supplied

The study found that the most common offenders are cafes and restaurants, followed by taxis and ride share services.

The General Manager of Guide Dog and Vision Services at Guide Dogs Victoria, Alastair Stott, is not surprised by the survey’s findings, but stresses the public needs to be better informed about the rights of guide dogs and their owners.

«What was really concerning from our perspective is that some reported more than 10 refusals over that period. We think it's really important to make the public and community and businesses aware that guide dogs have a legal right to access all areas, the only exceptions being operating rooms and commercial kitchens».

These forms of discrimination are not experienced just by guide dogs, but service dogs in general.

In some cases, the cause might be that businesses with a high staff turnover or cultural barriers. 

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