Largs News Access All Areas columnist Zoe MacLean believes attitudes need to change in relation to disability access at cafes and shops.

For many people a simple trip to the shops or to a local cafe is an everyday occurrence which tends to be taken for granted. For anyone with a disability the same trip can present a whole array of problems. If the person has an assistance dog they may be refused access altogether.

A UK survey looking at the access experiences of assistance dog owners was conducted by the charity Guide Dogs for the Blind between January and March 2015. A total of 1118 assistance dog owners were surveyed and the survey highlighted some very varied experiences across the country both positive and negative.

The survey highlighted that 75% of all assistance dog owners surveyed had been refused access to a service or business because they had an assistance dog. This finding illustrates that there is a lot of work still to be done before assistance dog owners have equal rights of access like everyone else.

The Equality Act 2010 or Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland (as extended by the Disability Discrimination (NI) Order (DDO) make it unlawful to discriminate against someone with a disability and requires service providers to make “reasonable adjustments” in order to give disabled people equal rights to non disabled people to use goods and services. The legislation also makes it an offence for taxis an private higher vehicles to refuse to carry an assistance dog. In circumstances where a driver has a genuine medical reason for refusing to carry an assistance dog a medical exemption certificate must be issued by the licensing authority. This must also be supported by a letter from a GP or other medical practitioner.

Despite the legislation being put in place sadly access refusals are still very common among assistance dog owners. According to the survey conducted by Guide Dogs showed that taxi access refusals were most common amongst guide dog owners (44%) experienced at least one refusal within a year. It is perhaps the regular use of taxis by guide dog owners which made this refusal most common.

Amongst other assistance dog owners other areas of access refusals include shops, restaurants and cafés. Reasons given where that, food was being served and dogs where not welcome or customers did not like dogs.

The impact of an access refusal is widespread not only are assistance dog owners less likely to go back to a shop or café but they are also less likely recommend it to family and friends. Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said they would not use a business again after being refused access. This not only has an impact on the independence of the person involved but also has an economic impact on the custom and trade of a business.

The survey also highlighted positive experiences of assistance dog owners. Some of the positive practices highlighted included the fact that businesses were happy to offer water for an assistance dog. Some supermarkets have staff who are willing to help assistance dog owners around the supermarket or at the checkout. These may seem like small changes to practice but they can make a huge difference to the lasting impression of a shop or restaurant.

The overall results of the survey show that there remains in a lot of work to be done to improve the access rights of assistance dog owners. In an attempt to raise the issue of access rights to a new level Andrew Gwynne MP has proposed a private members bill in parliament to ensure that taxi drivers and business owners receive improved disability awareness training to make them aware of the access rights of assistance dog owners.

The proposal still has some way to go before it is passed through Parliament. The bill will be discussed in parliament on 18 November. The charity Guide Dogs for the Blind are asking supporters to write to the local MP to ask them to support the debate. If the bill becomes law the legislation would cover England and Wales however, it is hoped that if successful, this legislation would prompt the Scottish government to consider a similar proposal. This would help to improve disability awareness training in Scotland amongst taxi drivers and businesses owners. This would ensure equal access for all assistance dog owners across the UK. If you would like to help support the campaign please visit Guide Dogs for the Blind website - http://tinyurl.com/jg22sau