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12:31 PM 6th August 2020
family

Lockdown Isn’t Lifting For Guide Dog Owners, Says Charity Guide Dogs

 
A new guide dog owner was reduced to tears by staff at a newly-reopened barbershop when told his dog wasn’t welcome. Terry Quinn, 56, from Bradford, is speaking out against access refusals, after being made to leave the premises with black Labrador Spencer.

Terry and Spencer
Terry and Spencer
On Tuesday 4 August, Terry entered the shop in Shipley accompanying his partner, who had wanted an appointment for a post-lockdown haircut. But staff refused to allow Terry to sit and wait in reception, insisting he remove his dog immediately.

Terry says, “I asked the staff if they would refuse someone who was in a wheelchair or who had crutches, and they said, ‘Of course not!’ I just couldn’t get them to understand that my dog is just like that; he is my eyes.

“My partner suggested we try another place down the road, but I was so panicked by the idea of it happening again, and so humiliated, I insisted we go home.”

Registered blind in March 2019, after a slow deterioration of his vision caused by diabetic retinopathy, Terry spent months struggling to come to terms with his sight loss. But when he was matched with guide dog Spencer one year later, his wellbeing improved dramatically.

Sadly, lockdown bought a three-month pause to Terry and Spencer’s early partnership training, and they were only able to start up again with their instructor in the last few weeks. Despite this, their connection when working together was instant.

“I can’t describe the difference Spencer has made to my life already,” says Terry. “I step outside my house and I belong, I feel like I have things to contribute.

“It’s like I’m alive again, almost as if it doesn’t matter that I’m blind anymore. Not worrying about bumping into people is the best feeling ever. I feel like life is for living; after some dark times, Guide Dogs has shown me I have a lot of living left to do.

“Just to go out for a coffee on my own, without having to hold on to my partner’s arm, is so special.”

Terry says this elation was brought crashing down by the behaviour of staff at the barbershop.

“This incident made me feel like I was so insignificant, I just wanted to disappear. It took me right back to when I first went blind, and I couldn’t leave the house. Back to when people would shout at me in the street when I would accidentally touch their parked car with my white cane.

“The first weeks of training with Spencer made me feel like I was on top of the world. I cannot tell you what it’s been like to have that confidence snapped away again.

“I don’t want any special treatment, I just want to be the same as anyone else.”

Clive Wood, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs, says: “Lockdown may be lifting, but it isn’t for guide dog owners. They are still facing illegal access refusals to shops and services, and as Terry describes, it can have a devastating impact on a person’s confidence and day-to-day life.

“With businesses opening up, they should be opening up to everyone. There is no excuse for refusing a guide dog.”

In response we have received the following statement from the Traditional Kurdish Barbers

Following the incident involving a customer and his guide dog earlier this month we have investigated the matter and would like to reassure all our customers and the public in general that this was due to a lack of education and training. This was in no way intentional and we do not discriminate against anyone in any shape or form. There is no justification for what occurred but our findings show that due to factors such as not being fully literate in speaking English and lack of training. Although apologies were made when the incident occurred and the staff member realised to some extent that he should not have refused, we would like to apologise to the customer and the general public.

Moving forward we have liaised with the Kathy Ellis from Guide Dogs charity who shall be providing training to all our staff members at a date to be agreed.

In addition, we shall be arranging a day raising funds for the Guide Dogs Charity in the near future where all the money from the business on the day shall be provided to help further people with Guide Dogs and the amazing work they do as well as this we shall continue to support this charity in the long term. We once again apologise and would like to reassure anyone that we as a business do not discriminate anyone on any grounds.