Guide Dogs has issued a reminder about the right to ride with your guide dog in taxis after a blind BBC journalist won a discrimination case.
Damon Rose, from BBC Ouch was a witness when Transport for London went to court after he had been told that his dog DeeBee would not be allowed in the taxi on the grounds that the Uber driver was allergic to dogs.
However the Equality Act 2010 states that taxi and minicab drivers must carry assistance dogs unless they have genuine health reasons not to do so and have a certificate of proof. Damon captures the entire incident on video and the driver was this week given fines and court fees totalling almost £1,500 after a last-minute change of plea to guilty.
According to the Access All Areas campaign , launched by the Guide Dogs charity, 75% of assistance dog owners surveyed have been refused access to a restaurant, shop or taxi, which can have a devastating effect on their confidence.
In Damon’s words: “I have initiated two more cases against minicab drivers since this one, both of whom just drove away without saying a word. Now, each time I leave my front door I get my camera ready because I fear I’ll be refused again – like I have been dozens of times before. That goes for restaurants and the occasional shop too.”
You can read Damon’s story here
